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Published Thursday, February 09, 2012 in Local

Photo by Rebecca Leftwich

Lauren Cole, a student at Northgate High School, uses an overhead projector to explain her solution to an AP calculus problem.

East Coweta, Northgate among AP Honor Schools

By Rebecca Leftwich

The Newnan Times-Herald

East Coweta and Northgate high schools in Coweta County are among 367 Georgia high schools recognized Wednesday for their success in Advanced Placement education.

"These awards reflect on our high expectations for our students, and how those students are accepting the challenge," said Dr. Steve Barker, Coweta County School Superintendent.

The Coweta schools appeared on both the AP Science, Technology, Engineering and Math -- STEM -- Schools list and AP STEM Achievement Schools lists.

AP STEM Schools have students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses, which can include AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics B, AP Physics C and/ or AP Computer Science. AP STEM Achievement Schools show 40 percent of students earning scores of 3 or higher on their exams.

Because of what Barker called "a nation-wide shift" toward STEM education, success at the high school level in AP math and science courses is crucial. AP classes offer rigorous college-level learning options to students in high school, and Barker said instructors in AP courses deserve to be recognized alongside their high-achieving students, according to Barker.

"Our teachers in all core content areas work hard to teach to the standards," Barker said. "Our AP teachers are charged with instructing students in a course that is much more intense and specific, and to do it at such a high level is outstanding. They are giving their subject matter the kind of emphasis that will help propel students into the next phase of life after graduation."

AP exams are administered by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. Students who receive a 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams may be eligible to receive college credit.

Coweta County has recently begun tracking 2011 graduates who took AP exams and continued on to college. Interviews with more than 20 of those students indicated only one instance where no college credit was awarded, according to Barker. At the other end of the spectrum, a student received 26 credits and entered college as a sophomore.

"There's no guarantee that a college will honor AP credit, but most often they will if the student does well enough," Barker said, who plans to continue tracking Coweta AP students post-graduation. "Our preliminary findings are very, very favorable overall."

Georgia high schools were honored in three other categories. They included:

• AP Challenge Schools, which are schools of 900 or fewer students with students testing in four of the core areas: English, math, science, and social studies.

• AP Access and Support Schools, which are schools with at least 30 percent of their AP exams taken by students who identified themselves as black and/or Hispanic, and 30 percent of all students taking AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

• SP Merit Schools, which are schools with at least 20 percent of the student population taking AP exams and at least 50 percent of all students taking AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

"Georgia has much to be proud of when it comes to the success of Advanced Placement," State School Superintendent John Barge said.

"Much of this success can be attributed to the dedication to rigor and excellence at each of our AP Honor Schools."

Wednesday was designated by the State Board of Education as AP Day in Georgia, coinciding with the College Board's release of the 2011 AP Report to the Nation.

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