North Gwinnett News

The Georgia Department of Education has announced the Advanced Placement (AP) Honors Schools list for 2025, recognizing 23 Gwinnett County public high schools in one or more categories. Some schools were acknowledged in multiple categories.

"I am incredibly proud of the 23 GCPS high schools recognized as 2025 AP Honor Schools," said Dr. Calvin J. Watts, Superintendent of Gwinnett County Public Schools. "This achievement reflects the hard work of our students, the commitment of our teachers, leaders, and staff, and the loving support of our families."

AP exams are organized by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. These courses allow Georgia students to experience college-level learning while still in high school. Students scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam may qualify for college credit. The AP Honor Schools were identified based on results from the 2024 AP courses and exams across eight categories.

"The success of several GCPS schools in multiple categories honoring both access and achievement highlights our continued commitment to providing rigorous coursework and fostering academic excellence for each and every student," Dr. Watts stated.

The recognized Gwinnett County Public Schools include:

- **AP Access and Support Schools:** Recognizes schools with at least 30% African American and/or Hispanic students taking AP exams where at least 30% score a 3 or higher.

- **AP Expansion Schools:** Recognizes schools with a growth rate of at least 25% in AP student participation from May 2023 to May 2024.

- **AP Humanities Schools:** Requires administration of five exams across specific subjects including ELA, social studies, fine arts, and world language.

- **AP Humanities Achievement Schools:** Similar to humanities schools but requires that at least half earn scores of 3 or higher.

- **AP Schools of Distinction:** At least 20% student population taking exams with over half earning scores above a certain threshold.

- **AP STEM Achievement Schools:** Requires that at least half achieve scores over a threshold on STEM-related exams.

- **AP STEM Schools:** Involves administering five exams across four separate STEM disciplines with certain participation criteria met.

Schools such as Archer HS, Brookwood HS, Collins Hill HS, Dacula HS among others have been included under these various distinctions based on their performance metrics outlined by the state education department guidelines.