By Nicole Burns
The northern Gwinnett County area is blessed with some of the top high schools in the state and a recent release from the Georgia Department of Education adds to the achievements of our local schools. Georgia saw an increase in the number of students who earned a 3 or higher on Advanced Placement tests that they took. In 2018, 23.2 percent in the class of 2018 earned a 3 or higher compared to 23 percent in 2017. Nationally, Georgia is ranked sixteenth for having the highest Advanced Placement pass rate.
“It’s essential that we offer a robust set of opportunities to Georgia students, and Advanced Placement is an important part of that,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods state in his release. “I congratulate the educators and leaders who worked to create strong AP programs in these 230 Georgia schools, ultimately connecting students with high-level coursework and the opportunity to gain college credit.”
The College Board recognized the Buford City School District as being one of the five Georgia school districts to make the Board’s 9th Annual AP District Honor Roll. This award recognizes districts that have increased access to AP for underrepresented students while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning AP exam scores of 3 or higher.
Many local schools were recognized in multiple areas. Lanier was recognized in the AP Access and Support Schools category. This distinction is for schools with at least 30% of AP exams taken by students who identified themselves as African-American and/or Hispanic and 30% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
AP Merit Schools distinction is for schools with at least 20% of the total student population taking AP exams and at least 50% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher. Buford, Lanier, and North Gwinnett were recognized in this category.
Buford, Lanier, and North Gwinnett High Schools were also recognized as AP STEM schools. AP STEM schools are schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses (AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science A, AP Computer Science Principles).
All three schools were once again recognized in the AP STEM Achievement Schools category. This category is for schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses and at least 40% of AP math and AP science exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
The AP Humanities Schools category is for schools with students testing in the following AP courses: at least one English course, two history/social science courses, one fine arts course and one world language course. Buford, Lanier, and North Gwinnett High Schools each earned the AP Humanities School distinction.
Congratulations to the students and staff from Buford, Lanier, and North Gwinnett High Schools for their AP recognition. Keep up the excellent work!
