Reading wins first place Magna Award

Reading School District has been named a first place Magna Award winners for its College Level Examination Program (CLEP), which allows high school students to earn college credit at no cost by using their existing knowledge. The Magna Awards are sponsored by the National School Boards Association and their flagship magazine American School Board Journal. Now in its 27th year, the awards honor school districts across the country that have demonstrated they are breaking down barriers to achievement for their historically underserved students and celebrating successes in advancing equity.

CLEP is a program of the College Board, the organization that administers the SAT, AP and other well-known exams that are used by colleges and universities in their acceptance processes. The CLEP program at Reading High School allows students to use the skills and knowledge they already possess to take exams to earn college credit. The school district prepares students for these exams by offering introductory college classes and helps them learn how to study for the assessments. The district also covers the students’ CLEP exam fees. In addition, through a series of partnerships, partner colleges waive fees for these students and provide college visits and orientation programs to encourage students to apply and attend.

Many students in Reading School District are English learners or are fluent in another primary language in addition to English. This program has been particularly beneficial to these students, as they are able to apply their mastery of other languages towards the exams, and ultimately earn college credit simply for knowing languages spoken at home and in their communities. In particular, French and Spanish native speakers from the district are faring well.

Reading entered this partnership with CLEP in 1997 and has seen a 100% success rate for its students. Since its launch, between 80 and 100 high school seniors have taken, passed and earned six to 12 colleges credits each year. CLEP has also led to higher grade point averages and course performance, increased retention, higher graduation rates, and increases in college completion.