Several local high schools are among the 276 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools for 2024, according to the Georgia Department of Education.
These schools are among the best in the state regarding their students’ performance on their 2023 AP exams administered by the College Board. The College Board also administers the SAT. Advanced placement courses at the high school level are one way a student can take college courses. If a student takes an AP exam and earns a 3, 4 or 5 on the exam, they may receive college credit.
Schools may qualify for any of the eight different categories – AP Access and Support Schools, AP Challenge Schools, AP Expansion Schools, AP Humanities Schools, AP Humanities Achievement Schools, AP Schools of Distinction, AP STEM Schools and AP STEM Achievement Schools.
This year’s list of AP Honor Schools was released by State School Superintendent Richard Woods on Feb. 27.
“I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the 2024 AP Honor Schools,” Superintendent Woods said. “I commend them for their hard work to build strong Advanced Placement programs and, as a result, provide high-quality opportunities for Georgia students. Additionally, I am thrilled that the number of AP Honor Schools and school districts continues to rise each year – a testament to the commitment of Georgia public education to expand opportunities for all Georgia students.”
Area schools made the list in the categories below.
- AP Access and Support Schools — “Schools with at least 30% of AP exams taken by students who identified as African American and/or Hispanic (minimum of 16 students) and 30% of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher. At least 25 exams must be administered.”: Collins Hill High School, Dacula High School, Lanier High School and Mountain View High School
- AP Humanities Schools — “Schools with at least five exams administered in each of the following AP categories: one ELA course, two social studies courses, one fine arts course, and one world language course and a minimum of 25 total exams administered.”: Dacula High School, Flowery Branch High School, Lanier High School, Mill Creek High School, Mountain View High School, North Gwinnett High School and Seckinger High School
- AP Humanities Achievement Schools — “AP Humanities schools (see above definition) with at least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of 3 or higher.”: Dacula High School, Flowery Branch High School, Lanier High School, Mill Creek High School, Mountain View High School, North Gwinnett High School and Seckinger High School
- 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 scores of 3 or higher.”: Buford High School, Collins Hill High School, Dacula High School, Lanier High School, Mill Creek High School, Mountain View High School, North Gwinnett High School and Seckinger High School
- AP STEM Schools — “Schools with a minimum of five students testing in at least four AP STEM 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, and a minimum of 25 exams administered.”: Buford High School, Collins Hill High School, Dacula High School, Flowery Branch High School, Lanier High School, Mill Creek High School, Mountain View High School, North Gwinnett High School and Seckinger High School
- AP STEM Achievement Schools — “AP STEM schools (see above definition) with at least 50% of all AP STEM exams earning scores of 3 or higher.”: Buford High School, Collins Hill High School, Flowery Branch High School, Lanier High School, Mill Creek High School, Mountain View High School, North Gwinnett High School and Seckinger High School
There were two categories that no school in Buford and the immediate surrounding area qualified for — AP Challenge Schools and AP Expansion Schools.
To be an AP Challenge School, the school must have an enrollment of 900 or fewer students with exams administered in English, math, science and social studies. The school must have administered a minimum of 25 total AP exams.
A school must have a 25% growth in AP student participation from May 2022 to May 2023, as well as have a minimum of 25 students testing in May 2022 to be called an AP Expansion School.
