March 31, 2022–6:19 p.m.
NEWS RELEASE
Two Floyd County high schools were among a select group of 88 high schools across the state honored by State School Superintendent Richard Woods as he announced the 2022 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools.
Armuchee High was honored as an AP Challenge School. Model High was honored as an AP Challenge School, AP STEM School, and AP STEM Achievement School.
AP classes offer rigorous college-level learning options to students in high school. AP classes and exams are administered by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. Students receiving a score of 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam may receive college credit.
AP Challenge Schools are small high schools of fewer than 900 students offering the AP advanced courses in the core subject areas of English, math, science, and social studies.
AP STEM Schools are 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)
AP STEM Achievement Schools are AP STEM schools (see above definition) with at least 50% of all AP STEM exams earning scores of 3 or higher.
“I am very proud of our teachers and students who are a part of our AP programs,” stated Dr. Glenn White, Floyd County Schools (FCS) Superintendent. “We have some of the best AP teachers in the state and these recognitions reinforce the fact our schools are academically focused and students who want an academically challenging environment get a great education in FCS.”
FCS is one of the area leaders in AP offerings for students with 18 AP courses available in the four high schools as well as the only public school system in Northwest Georgia to offer AP Capstone.
“AP courses provide an increased level of rigor that helps ensure student success at the post-secondary level,” stated John Parker, FCS Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer. “This is yet another way for our system to be flexible and best meet the unique needs of our most advanced learners.”
Floyd County high schools have regularly earned AP honors for the last several years. The system made the commitment to be a leader in AP courses offered to students with the move to a more extensive offering of advanced courses with the introduction of the system’s honors program in the fall of 2002. This advanced program of study for students in FCS is among the top college-preparatory programs in Northwest Georgia. The comprehensive, rigorous, advanced program of study is designed to prepare students for the most demanding college or university. The honors program is available at all four Floyd County high schools.
“Each year we have really improved our rigor and expectations for our students and schools. The AP Capstone program has helped build our AP program and each year we seem to have more students enrolling in classes and taking exams which helps them get college credit,” stated McCall Govignon, FCS Director of Advanced Academics and Assessment. “We’ve explored options for all students, whether it be online AP courses or AP/ Dual Enrollment courses. We’ve also expanded to offer some courses at the College and Career Academy, so scheduling conflicts are not an issue.”
The expansion of AP class offerings was a major component in raising the level of academic opportunities available to students in Floyd County. Higher-level academic opportunities help teens prepare for success at the nation’s top colleges and universities.
