Georgia Has 12th Highest Percent of Seniors Scoring a 3 or Higher on AP Exams

Georgia has the 12th highest percent of seniors scoring a 3 or higher on Advanced Placement (AP) Exams, according to The College Board's AP Report to the Nation released last week. This report measures progress of the class of 2009.

"I am proud that more Georgia students than ever are challenging themselves with demanding course work and are successfully mastering the material," said State Superintendent of Schools Kathy Cox. "We recognize that one of the best ways to close the achievement gap is to challenge all students with rigorous work and high expectations."

Advanced Placement classes and exams are administered by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. AP classes offer rigorous college-level learning options to students in high school. Students who receive a 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams may receive college credit. The AP Report to the Nation looks at data for 2009 High School seniors. Among Georgia's public high school seniors in 2009:

* 17.8% scored a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam during high school. That is higher than the national average of 15.9%.
* Georgia is tied for 2nd in the nation when comparing the five-year increase of public school seniors scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam (5.4% growth compared to 3.2% for the nation.)
* Georgia ranks 3rd in the nation for its one-year increase of public school seniors scoring a 3 or higher on at least one AP exam (1.5% growth compared to 0.7% for the nation.)

When it comes to public school students enrolling in AP courses and taking the exams, Georgia is also a national leader. Only one other state in the country had a greater one-year increase in the number of AP exam-takers and number of exams given. The number of AP exams taken by Georgia's public school seniors increased 3.3% since 2008, compared to a 1.5% national average increase.

AP Growth Among All Students

Almost 64,000 Georgia students in all grades took at least one AP exam in 2008-2009, an increase of more than 11 percent from the previous year. Georgia's AP population continues to get more diverse as well, with more African-American and Hispanic students taking the rigorous classes.

"We know in Georgia that we must continue to close the achievement gap, and that's why it is so important that more of our minority students are taking these rigorous AP courses and doing well on the exams," Superintendent Cox said. "This AP report shows that Georgia is a leader in minority test-takers and success. We have work left to be done, but we are making tremendous progress."

During the 2008-2009 school year, more than 12,300 African-American public school students (all grades) took an AP exam. That's an increase of 17 percent from the previous year and represents more than 10 percent of all public school African-American test-takers nationwide. There were 3,507 Hispanic students (all grades) that took at least one AP exam in 2008-2009, an increase of more than 19% from the previous year.

According to the AP Report to the Nation, among Georgia's high school seniors:

* More than 23% of students who took an AP exam in 2008-2009 were African-American, an increase of almost one percentage point from the previous year.
* 11.4% of Georgia's African-American high school seniors scored 3 or higher on at least one AP exam. That is almost eight points higher than the national average.
* About 5.6% of Georgia's AP test takers were Hispanic, higher than Georgia's overall Hispanic student population (5.5 percent).

State Efforts to Increase AP Participation

The State of Georgia has undertaken many successful efforts to increase participation in AP programs and success on AP exams. Among the initiatives:

* At the request of Governor Perdue and Superintendent Cox, the Legislature has approved money to pay for students to take one AP exam per year. Economically-disadvantaged students can have all of their AP exams paid for each year.
* The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has organized the distribution of AP Teacher Quality Training Grants. Since 2006, the GaDOE has funded approximately $717,000 in grant awards to train 869 new AP teachers. These awards have allowed 573 new AP courses to be offered in public high schools throughout the state. It is anticipated that in 2010 an additional 282 AP teachers will be trained.
* The GaDOE has sponsored regional workshops for teachers of AP in the fall for the past three years. These workshops are led by master teachers of AP in Georgia high schools. To date, over 1,600 AP teachers have participated in these course-specific workshops.
* The Georgia Virtual School (GAVS) continues to add AP classes, increasing access to students throughout the state, including those that might not otherwise be able to take an AP class. In 2008-2009, 578 students enrolled in 20 different AP courses. The Georgia Virtual School will begin offering AP Spanish in Fall 2010.
* The GaDOE developed the AP Handheld Project this year and gave $64,580 in grants to 56 schools for the purchase of handheld technology for students to use in their courses.

AP Honor Schools

Superintendent Cox also named today more than 125 AP Honor Schools.

"Georgia is making tremendous strides with Advanced Placement -- not only in the number of students taking the courses, but in the number of students having success," Superintendent Cox said. "Much of that progress comes from the dedication to rigor and excellence at each of our AP Honor Schools."

The 2010 AP Honor Schools are named in three categories, based on the results of 2008-2009 AP classes and exams:

* AP CHALLENGE SCHOOLS: Schools with fewer than 900 students that are offering AP classes in the four core areas of English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science
* AP ACCESS & SUPPORT SCHOOLS: Schools with 30% of AP test takers that are African-American or Hispanic and at least 30% of all AP exams scoring 3 or higher
* AP MERIT SCHOOLS: Schools with at least 20% of students taking AP exams and at least half of the AP exams scoring a 3 or higher

The AP Honor Schools are listed below.

AP CHALLENGE SCHOOLS: Schools with fewer than 900 students that are offering AP classes in all four academic areas

Albany HS, Dougherty County Allatoona HS, Cobb County AR Johnson Magnet HS, Richmond County Armuchee HS, Floyd County Avondale HS, DeKalb County Bowdon HS, Carroll County Buford HS, Buford City Callaway HS, Troup County Carver School of Health Sciences, Atlanta City Chattooga HS, Chattooga County Clinch County HS, Clinch County Commerce HS, Commerce City Cook County HS, Cook County Coosa HS, Floyd County Cross Keys HS, DeKalb County Decatur HS, Decatur City DeKalb School of the Arts, DeKalb County Gordon Central HS, Gordon County Gordon Lee HS, Chickamauga City Greene County HS, Greene County Hancock Central HS, Hancock County

Heritage HS, Catoosa County Howard HS, Bibb County Jefferson HS, Jefferson City John Davidson Magnet HS, Richmond County Lincoln County HS, Lincoln County Long County HS, Long County McIntosh County Academy, McIntosh County Model HS, Floyd County Mount Zion HS, Carroll County Northeast HS, Bibb County Oglethorpe County HS, Oglethorpe County Rabun County HS, Rabun County Savannah School of the Arts, Chatham County Screven County HS, Screven County Southwest HS, Bibb County TEACH Charter HS, Fulton County Temple HS, Carroll County Therrell School of Health Sciences, Atlanta City Thomasville HS, Thomasville City Vidalia HS, Vidalia City Westside HS, Richmond County

AP ACCESS & SUPPORT SCHOOLS: Schools with 30% of AP test takers that are African-American or Hispanic and at least 30% of all AP exams scoring 3 or higher

AR Johnson Magnet HS, Richmond County Academy of Richmond County HS, Richmond County Baldwin HS, Baldwin County Benjamin Mays HS, Atlanta City Berkmar HS, Gwinnett County Bradwell Institute, Liberty County Campbell HS, Cobb County Cedar Shoals HS, Clarke County Cedartown HS, Polk County Central Gwinnett HS, Gwinnett County Chamblee Charter HS, DeKalb County Chapel Hill HS, Douglas County Cross Keys HS, DeKalb County Dacula HS, Gwinnett County Dalton HS, Dalton City DeKalb School of the Arts, DeKalb County Douglas County HS, Douglas County Dutchtown HS, Henry County Eagle’s Landing HS, Henry County Early County HS, Early County

Fayette County HS, Fayette County Henry Grady HS, Atlanta City Herschel Jenkins HS, Chatham County Jenkins County HS, Jenkins County John Davidson Magnet HS, Richmond County Liberty County HS, Liberty County Lithia Springs HS, Douglas County Luella HS, Henry County Marietta HS, Marietta City McEachern HS, Cobb County Phoenix HS, Gwinnett County Rockdale County HS, Rockdale County Salem HS, Rockdale County Sandy Creek HS, Fayette County Shiloh HS, Gwinnett County South Gwinnett HS, Gwinnett County Southwest DeKalb HS, DeKalb County Statesboro HS, Bulloch County Woodland HS, Henry County

AP MERIT SCHOOLS: Schools with at least 20% of students taking AP exams and at least half of the AP exams scoring a 3 or higher

Alpharetta HS, Fulton County Brookwood HS, Gwinnett County Centennial HS, Fulton County Chamblee Charter HS, DeKalb County Chattahoochee HS, Fulton County Columbus HS, Muscogee County Decatur HS, Decatur City DeKalb School of the Arts, DeKalb County Druid Hills HS, DeKalb County Duluth HS, Gwinnett County Dunwoody HS, DeKalb County George Walton HS, Cobb County Greenbrier HS, Columbia County Gwinnett School of Math, Science, and Technology, Gwinnett County Harrison HS, Cobb County John Davidson Magnet HS, Richmond County Lakeside HS, Columbia County

Lakeside HS, DeKalb County Lassiter HS, Cobb County Milton HS, Fulton County North Gwinnett HS, Gwinnett County North Oconee HS, Oconee County North Springs HS, Fulton County Northview HS, Fulton County Oconee County HS, Oconee County Parkview HS, Gwinnett County Peachtree Ridge HS, Gwinnett County Riverwood HS, Fulton County Roswell HS, Fulton County Savannah Arts Academy, Chatham County South Forsyth HS, Forsyth County Starr’s Mill HS, Fayette County West Forsyth HS, Forsyth County

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