All seven of Hall County’s traditional high schools and Gainesville High School were recently named 2023 Georgia Advanced Placement Honor Schools across eight categories by the Georgia Department of Education.
“The number of AP Honor Schools increased by more than 14%, which serves as a testament to our commitment to expand opportunities for Georgia students, including in advanced and accelerated coursework," Georgia Superintendent Richard Woods said in a Feb. 16 news release. “I sincerely congratulate each of this year's AP Honor Schools on their achievement.”
Woods congratulated 273 schools across 97 public school districts “for their diligent work creating strong AP opportunities.”
Hall County school board members heard a detailed presentation at Monday’s meeting about the success of the district’s AP and dual-enrollment programs, particularly for students who are the first in their families to go to college, who don’t speak English as their first language or who meet the state’s definition of poverty.
Laurie Ecke, director of innovative and advanced programs, said the district received 19 recognitions this year, up from about a dozen last year. She partly credited the fact that the district has hired an AP Coordinator at every high school.
The pass rate for AP exams has risen steadily over the past decade, according to data provided by the district. In 2022, 57% of test takers passed their AP exams, up from 29% in 2013.
“One of the things that is so encouraging about all of this data with these advanced programs, is that students, who people have told us for generations are going to struggle with this kind of work, are being very successful,” Superintendent Will Schofield said in an interview. “Hall County School District is breaking that myth that students in certain situations can't be successful in these highly rigorous programs.”
He said nearly 50% of all students at the Howard E. Ivester Early College — which partners with local universities and most recently the University of Georgia to provide dual-enrollment classes — are first-generation college students.
“That is life changing,” he said.
Schofield said the programs are also serving students who already excel academically.
“One of the greatest cancers” in public schools “is boredom,” he said at Monday’s board meeting, explaining that the district’s AP and dual-enrollment opportunities have provided a much-needed outlet for students who “make 100 on everything” and need more to do.
“The challenge of dual enrollment throughout the ages has been, students sign up for a college class, the school district has nothing to do with that except giving them the paperwork and what we have found not only across Georgia but across the country, is a significant percentage of bright students end up dropping out and not doing well in college,” he said.
AP courses allow students to access college-level learning at the high school level, and students who receive a 3, 4 or 5 on an AP exam may receive college credit.
The Department of Education began recognizing AP Honor Schools in 2008. The 2023 AP Honor Schools are named in eight categories based on the results of 2022 AP courses and exams.
AP Access and Support Schools (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 a score of 3 or higher)
Chestatee High
East Hall High
Johnson High
West Hall High
Gainesville High
AP Schools of Distinction (schools with at least 20% of the total student population taking AP exams and at least 50% of all AP exams earning a score of 3 or higher)
Cherokee Bluff High
Flowery Branch High
AP Expansion Schools (schools with 25% in AP student participation from May 2019 to May 2020 and a minimum of 25 students testing in May 2020)
Chestatee High
West Hall High
Gainesville High
AP Humanities Schools (schools with a minimum of five students testing in each of the following AP categories: one English-Language Arts course, two history/social science courses, one fine arts course and one world language course)
Flowery Branch High
West Hall High
Gainesville High
AP Humanities Achievement Schools (AP Humanities schools with at least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of 3 or higher)
Flowery Branch High
West Hall High
AP Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Schools (schools with a minimum of five students testing in at least four AP STEM courses)
Cherokee Bluff High
Chestatee High
Flowery Branch High
North Hall High
Gainesville High
AP STEM Achievement Schools (AP STEM schools with at least 50% of all AP STEM exams earning scores of 3 or higher)
Cherokee Bluff High
Flowery Branch High
North Hall High