The Bellevue School District has been honored by the College Board with a place on the prestigious AP Honor Roll.

Bellevue’s recognition as a 2011-12 AP Honor Roll District is the result of opening Advanced Placement classrooms to significantly more students, while maintaining the percentage of students earning high scores on AP exams.

Only 367 school districts nationwide received the honor this year.

The College Board looks at several criteria when determining which schools will make the Honor Roll. It examines the last three years of AP data, looking for an overall increase in participation in or access to AP classes.

In Bellevue, the number of students participating in AP courses has increased 14 percent; from 2,553 students in 2009 to 2,916 students in 2011.

The College Board also looks for an increase in the percentage of exams taken by minority students. Another factor for inclusion on the Honor Roll is maintaining or improving performance levels on the AP exam.

In 2011, 72 percent of Bellevue students earned scores of 3 or higher on an AP exam, the same as in 2009.