Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Woods recently named Thomas County Central High School (TCCHS) an Advanced Placement (AP) Honor School. Woods recognized TCCHS in three areas of distinction including “AP STEM,” “AP STEM Achievement,” and “AP Humanities.”
TCCHS was the only high school in the Southwest Georgia region to be named an “AP Humanities School,” meaning that the school has a robust advanced placement program in language arts, at least two social science courses, at least one fine arts course, and at least one world language course.
To be named an “AP STEM Honor School,” a school must offer and test students in at least two (2) AP math courses and two (2) AP science courses. To be named an “AP STEM Achievement Honor School,” the school must offer STEM AP courses and also have an excellent passing rate among students taking the College Board’s AP exams.
Thomas County Central High School currently offers 16 AP courses including seven in the STEM fields. STEM AP courses offered at TCCHS include AP Calculus, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics, and AP Computer Science.
In 2016, TCCHS students surpassed the national passing rates on Advanced Placement exams, earning credit for 102 courses through AP exams. Thomas County students had 100% pass rates in Advanced Placement Statistics and Advanced Placement Studio Art.
“We are very pleased to receive this recognition for both our comprehensive AP course offerings and our students’ excellent performance on the rigorous AP exams,” said Thomas County Schools Superintendent Dr. Dusty Kornegay. “The hard work of our students and teachers earned this prestigious recognition for our school.”
“When combined with our computer programming and robotics programs, the AP STEM achievement recognition validates the strength of our pre-medicine and pre-engineering programs,” Kornegay said. “Students who complete our rigorous AP STEM program are prepared for high level achievement at our nation’s most selective universities.”
AP courses and exams are administered by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. AP courses are one of several ways Georgia students can access college-level learning opportunities while in high school.
“Through the AP program, AP awards schools are personalizing learning and expanding the opportunities available for their students,” State Superintendent Woods said. “This honor is a credit to the hard work of many dedicated educators here in our state, and I offer my congratulations to the teachers and students and my gratitude for their hard work and dedication.”
Dr. Jim Rehberg, TCCHS assistant principal said, “To consistently demonstrate excellence and high scores across the Advanced Placement curriculum is a fantastic accomplishment.”
In addition to college credits earned through the Advanced Placement program, 243 Thomas County students earned credit for 765 college courses through dual enrollment options. One hundred forty-six (146) members of Thomas County Central High School’s class of 2016 graduated with college credits. “Students who enter college with a head start have a greater chance of graduating from college on time,” Rehberg said.
“Earning advanced credits helps keep students challenged and engaged,” said Thomas County Superintendent Dr. Dusty Kornegay. “Students who see the relevance of their course work take their studies more seriously and move toward their goals with greater passion,” he said.
