Since 2008, the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) has acknowledged schools across the state that have achieved outstanding Advanced Placement (AP) exam scores. To earn the title of an AP Honor school, high schools must show overall growth within their AP programs and successful scores school-wide. Based on the result of NC’s 2023 AP exam scores, state Superintendent Richard Woods recognized NC as a 2024 AP Honor school and a recipient of multiple honor awards. 

“[The AP Honor School award] reflects the diversity of the interest of our students because it applies to all different areas including Science, Technology, Engineering, Math (STEM) and humanities. Since we are a big school with a magnet program, we offer more than two dozen AP courses and we can expand them online beyond that. And we can offer so much of the entire AP catalog,” magnet coordinator James Auld said. 

Thanks to the diverse landscape of NC, students achieved the AP Access and Support School honor which means that 30% of students who took an AP exam identified as African American or Hispanic while 30% achieved a score of three or higher. Not only did NC receive recognition for high minority achievements, but NC earned an accolade for reaching the AP STEM School certifications. This showcases that a bare minimum of five students tested in at least four AP STEM courses, with a minimum of 25 exams administered throughout the school. Along with this accomplishment, GaDoe granted NC the AP STEM Achievement honor given that at least 50% of the AP STEM scores reached a three or higher in 2023. 

NC offers a wide variety of STEM courses including, AP Biology, AP Calculus, AP Environmental Science and various others, which adds to the academic competitiveness of students when applying to colleges. Along with these courses, the College Board, which administers the AP exams, allows high school students to explore college-level learning to receive credits before entering college. In most cases, students must earn at least a three on the exam for the course to count as a college credit.

“Many of our students go into college as second semester students or even sophomores and sometimes we have students go in as juniors, which allows them to do their masters and undergrads at the same time. With help from their HOPE scholarship, these AP courses allow students to graduate with a master’s degree with 100% free tuition,” Auld said.

While the GaDOE announced 16 Cobb County schools to win the title as an AP Honor School, NC stands out. NC earned honors in six categories outweighing a myriad of other schools. Nonetheless, faculty and staff continue to influence new generations of students walking the hallways of NC by inspiring excellence and helping great minds showcase their capabilities.