The Columbia Heights school district is celebrating a College Board honor as Advanced Placement District of the Year, awarded out of all the small-sized districts in the nation for broadening AP course access and boosting exam performance.

Out of the 425 school districts in the United States and Canada who made the year's District Honor Roll, Columbia Heights won the honor for small districts with less than 8,000 students, based on three academic years of AP data.

In the past few years, Columbia Heights has seen increases in students taking AP classes and in the percentage of traditionally underrepresented students scoring 3 or higher on at least one AP exam. Scores on exams after completing AP courses range from 1 to 5, with 5 as the highest.

A student who earns a 3 or higher on two AP exams can potentially save an average of $1,779 on costs at a public four-year college and more than $6,000 at a private one, according to a district release.

"This award is a testament to the incredible work of our teachers and staff who put student achievement as their number one priority," said district superintendent Kathy Kelly in the release. She added that Columbia Heights has "expanded access to academic rigor for a broader spectrum of students whose performance in AP classes are exceptional."

The district will receive an award of $10,000 from the College Board, according to the release.

From 2013 to 2015, the school district increased student AP involvement by 26 percent each year. In the same years, traditionally underrepresented minority AP students scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP test shot up by 62 percent annually in the district. In 2015, 48 percent of all AP students scored a 3 or higher in 2015.

The district release noted that 47 percent or more of the AP students in the district are American Indian, African-American or Hispanic/Latino. Further, 67 percent or more of the district's AP students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches.

Columbia Heights is a diverse district north of Minneapolis with an enrollment of 3,200.