All Snellville High Schools Named '2012 AP Honor Schools'

All Gwinnett County school clusters, including Snellville-area schools, recently were named a “2012 AP (Advanced Placement) Honor School” by state Superintendent of Schools John Barge.

“Georgia has much to be proud of when it comes to the success of Advanced Placement," Barge said. "Much of this success can be attributed to the dedication to rigor and excellence at each of our AP Honor Schools.”

Out of the 367 schools that earned the honor from across the state, 19 of them
serve Gwinnett high school students. That number grew from 17 in 2011 and 12
schools in 2010. Additionally, several GCPS schools were recognized in more than one category.

Honors for Snellville-area schools -- Brookwood High, Shiloh High and South Gwinnett High -- include:

: AP STEM, AP Merit and AP STEM Achievement

: AP STEM and AP Access and Support

: AP STEM and AP Access and Support

“We are proud to see the hard work of our students and teachers come to fruition,” said , principal of South Gwinnett High. “Our recognition as an AP Honor School is a byproduct of our focus on South Gwinnett’s theme — ‘College, Not If, But Where!’”

In congratulating his students and staff, Hunter recognized a grant the school received which allowed for teachers to participate in staff development sessions on AP curriculum and strategies.

South Gwinnett High students also have a support system, that includes tutorial hours and a student initiated club with a focus on AP content.

The award categories are: AP STEM Schools, for those schools with students testing in at least two AP mathematics courses and two AP science courses; AP Access and Support Schools, for schools with with 30 percent of AP test takers that identify themselves as African-American and/or Hispanic and at least 30 percent of all AP exams scoring 3 or higher; AP Challenge Schools, schools with an enrollment of 900 or fewer pupils with students testing in the four core areas of English, mathematics, science, and social studies; AP Merit Schools, schools with at least 20 percent of the student population taking AP exams and at least 50 percent of the AP exams scoring a 3 or higher; and AP STEM Achievement Schools, schools with students testing in at least two AP mathematics courses and two AP science courses and at least 40 percent of the exam scores on those exams earning scores of 3 or higher.