Fayette County was one of six Georgia school districts named to the College Board’s 2015 Advanced Placement Honor Roll.
The 2015 College Board each year honors school districts that have increased access to Advanced Placement (AP) coursework while simultaneously maintaining or increasing the percentage of students earning scores of 3 or higher on AP exams, said Georgia Department of Education spokesman Matt Cardoza.
For 2015, the list of Georgia school districts included Cherokee County, Douglas County, Fayette County, Floyd County, Forsyth County and Oconee County school districts. Nationwide and in Canada, 425 districts were named to the AP Honor Roll.
“AP courses are one of many ways we can provide personalized educational options to our students here in Georgia,” said State School Superintendent Richard Woods. “These six districts deserve our congratulations as they continue to provide access to high-quality, college-level coursework for their students, while expanding access to those opportunities for all student populations.”
Inclusion on the honor roll is based on the examination of three years of AP data, from 2013 to 2015, for the following criteria:
• Increased participation/access to AP by at least 4 percent in large districts, at least 6 percent in medium districts, and at least 11 percent in small districts;
• Increased or maintained the percentage of exams taken by African American, Hispanic/Latino and American Indian/Alaska Native students; and
• Improved performance levels when comparing the percentage of students in 2015 scoring a 3 or higher to those in 2013, unless the district has already attained a performance level at which more than 70 percent of its AP students are scoring a 3 or higher.
“When these outcomes have been achieved among an AP student population in which 30 percent or more are underrepresented minority students (Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino, American Indian/Alaska Native) and/or 30 percent or more are low-income students (students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch), a symbol has been affixed to the district name to highlight this work,” said Cardoza.
“This is the case for the Douglas County Schools. Districts are also recognized when they have been on the list for multiple years – this is the case for the Cherokee County, Fayette County, Forsyth County, and Oconee County school districts.”
