Cherokee County School District’s high schools, for the 11th consecutive year, have earned top honors for outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) programs and performance that continues to exceed National and State averages!
All of CCSD’s high schools today were named Georgia 2021 AP Honor Schools for exceptional student performance and participation on AP exams, which offer students more challenging coursework and the opportunity to earn college credit. Overall, CCSD students who took the exam earned passing scores of 3 or higher on 72% of the 4,640 tests administered last school year, as compared to 61% for Georgia and 59% nationwide. In looking specifically at the Class of 2020, including those who did not take AP courses or exams, 32% of all CCSD graduates scored at least a 3 or higher on one exam or more, as compared to 23% for Georgia and 24% nationwide.
Assuming each exam equals one college course for which students and their parents avoid tuition costs, these CCSD students earned $4.4 Million in Georgia in-state college tuition through passing AP courses!
“Despite the obstacles faced during their final weeks of school last spring, our high school students triumphed on their AP exams. We’re so proud of their success and the dedication of their teachers who rose to the challenges of teaching them remotely last spring,” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Brian V. Hightower said. “Offering our college-bound students a wide variety of AP courses is an important preparation for their future success, and these results affirm the value of our community’s investment.”
CCSD students last school year raised overall passing rates on exams in Calculus BC, Chemistry, Computer Science, English Language & Composition, English Literature & Composition Music Theory, Spanish Language and 2D Art and Design.
Schools can achieve AP Honor School recognition in various categories based on participation and performance. All CCSD high schools again earned recognition as AP STEM and AP STEM Achievement Schools, and three – Creekview HS, Etowah HS and River Ridge HS – also were named AP Humanities and AP Humanities Achievement Schools. Two schools – Creekview High and Woodstock High – additionally earned AP School of Distinction Honors.
• AP Schools of Distinction: 66 schools statewide including Creekview HS, Woodstock HS
At least 20 percent of students take AP exams and at least 50 percent of those students earn scores of 3 or higher.
• AP STEM Achievement Schools: 100 schools statewide including all CCSD high schools
Students test in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses, and at least 40 percent of scores in those courses are 3 or higher.
• AP STEM Schools: 175 schools statewide including all CCSD high schools
Students test in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses.
• AP Humanities Schools: 75 schools statewide including Creekview HS, Etowah HS and River Ridge HS
Students test in at least one English Language Arts course, two social sciences courses, one fine arts course and one world language course.
• AP Humanities Achievement Schools: 65 schools statewide including Creekview HS, Etowah HS and River Ridge HS
Students test in at least one English Language Arts course, two social sciences courses, one fine arts course and one world language course; and at least 50 percent of those scores are 3 or higher.
Specific honors can be earned by students based on their achievement on AP exams, and honors were earned by students from all of CCSD’s high schools:
• AP Scholar: 343 CCSD students
Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams.
• AP Scholar with Honor: 164 CCSD students
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
• AP Scholar with Distinction: 287 CCSD students
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
• National AP Scholar: 48 CCSD students
Granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.
• AP Capstone Diploma: 22 CCSD Students (all at Etowah HS)
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP exams of their choosing .
• AP Seminar and Research Certificate: One CCSD student (Etowah HS)
Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and fewer than four additional AP exams.