Clarksville, TN – On Saturday, August 3th, 2019, Northwest High School senior Emily Mummaw won a car at the 11th Annual Pass and Go Event at Wyatt Johnson Automotive Group’s Mazda dealership, located at 2425 Wilma Rudolph Boulevard. Pass and Go rewards Clarksville-Montgomery County School System high schoolers who pass their Advanced Placement (AP) exams.
The event was made possible through the support of community partners.
A record number of CMCSS students took AP exams in May with their pass results more than doubling the national average. This year, 1,343 CMCSS tenth, eleventh and twelfth graders were enrolled in AP classes and took 2,198 exams, passing 1,046 exams with a 3, 4 or 5.
One of the reasons for CMCSS students’ success is the incentive of winning a brand-new car. Wyatt Johnson Automotive Group hosts the event where students who pass the AP exam with a score of 3, 4 or 5 have a chance to win a 2019 Toyota Yaris, Hyundai Accent or Kia Rio.
Other event sponsors include the Clarksville-Montgomery County Education Foundation, Domino’s Pizza and Beach Oil Company, which provide additional prizes students can win.
The AP exam pass rate for CMCSS students is 49%, which has been the case for several years. This pass rate is more than double the national pass rate, which was about 22% in 2016.
“We’re thrilled to support the students and teachers of the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System. We’re so proud of this partnership and all of the success with improving the AP classes and exams,” said Katherine Cannata, dealer principal with Wyatt Johnson Automotive Group.
On the day of the event, students register between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Eligible students must be present to win. Drawings begin as soon as registration ends. Students who draw a designated color of key have the opportunity to draw one of 10 keys which will open a car door. The 10 key holders who open the door then have the chance to draw the one key which will start the car.
The Pass and Go program was launched in 2009 during a time when AP enrollment exam passage rates were stagnant and enrollment in the rigorous courses was declining. The idea was to encourage and reward students who not only enrolled in advanced placement courses, but also passed with a score of 3, 4, or 5.
Nearly $30,000 in support has been provided each year to motivate and reward students. In some cases, AP teachers felt underprepared to instruct the more rigorous coursework, so a portion of the funds was used to expand their training during the summer at a nearby university.
