Contact: Jeremiah Lorrig, Home School Legal Defense Association, 540-338-5600

PURCELLVILLE, Va., August 8, 2011 /Christian Newswire/ -- It's an increasing trend—advanced-placement courses taught from a religious perspective. These courses cater to homeschools and private schools, and in addition to being approved by the College Board as official Advanced Placement (AP) courses, they offer a strong Christian component.

"One of the distinctives of Patrick Henry College Preparatory Academy is a Christian worldview," said Adam Rohner, Program Director of an online course provider for homeschooled and private-schooled students. "We want our students to gain a deep understanding of academic subject matter while viewing it in the context of their faith. Our students grapple with questions like, what does the Bible say about this subject? How have Christians throughout history dealt with it?"

The approach seems to be working. According to the College Board's AP Subject Score Roster for Online Providers, 83% of students who completed a course at PHC Prep Academy during the 2010–11 academic year and took the corresponding AP exam in May 2011 received a score of three or higher. Scoring high on AP exams can qualify students to receive college credit or advanced placement when they begin their undergraduate studies.

"The latest score results demonstrate that PHC Prep Academy's combination of rigorous academics with a Christian worldview gives students excellent preparation for success on AP exams," said Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) Chairman Michael Farris. HSLDA is a national advocacy organization for homeschoolers.

The AP Subject Score Roster for Online Providers displays scores for each exam taken by PHC Prep students who identified PHC Prep as their online provider when they took the exam. AP exams are scored on a scale of one to five, indicating whether the student is qualified in the exam's subject and recommended to receive college credit or advanced placement. Most colleges consider three or higher to be a passing score.

PHC Prep Academy students shone on each AP exam they took, with 24% receiving a three, 36% a four, and 23% a five. In all subjects, PHC Prep students' average scores were dramatically higher than the average of all AP scores in the same subjects, as reported by the College Board for 2010. (The College Board has not yet released global AP exam score data for May 2011.)

Learn more about PHC Prep Academy at www.phcprep.org. To read the PHC Prep 2011 AP Exam Results Report, go to www.phcprep.org/files/PHCPrepAPScoreResults2011_7.19.11.pdf.