Winston Churchill High School continues to lead the county in Advanced Placement exam performance, according to a report released by Montgomery County Public Schools.

Of Churchill's 495 graduating students in 2011, 89.9 percent took one or more AP exams -- the highest percentage reported in the county. Of the students who tested, 82.8 percent earned a passing score of 3 or higher -- the highest pass rate of all MCPS schools.

The AP Report to the Nation showed that Maryland had the highest percentage of 2011 graduates that scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam, with Montgomery County Public Schools contributing to much of that success. The total number of MCPS students who received at least a 3 on an AP test rose to an all-time high of 50 percent in 2011.

Churchill's performance was closely followed by Thomas S. Wootton High School, which saw 88.3 percent of its graduating class taking AP tests at a 73.3 percent pass rate. Eighty-three percent of Walt Whitman graduates participated in AP testing, and 78.5 percent of those students passed with a score of 3 or higher. 

Superintendent Joshua Starr said that he is proud of the progress MCPS has made in AP testing, but scores aren't the only measure of success for students.

"While we should celebrate the progress we are making, we must also pay close attention to performance variability among our students," Starr said in a statement. "We must make sure our students not only have access to AP but have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful."