Carrollton High School’s STEM initiative and the school’s focus on increasing Advanced Placement course offerings and student participation have once again earned CHS state recognition as an AP STEM School in two categories, the eighth consecutive year the high school has received these honors.

In addition, for the second time, CHS has earned distinction as an AP Humanities School, an achievement category added in 2015. This year 134 schools statewide were honored for having students take a combination of exams in the following AP courses: English-Language Arts, Social Sciences, Fine Arts and World Languages.

The state Department of Education, upon release of the College Board’s AP exam performance results for the Class of 2017, recognized Georgia high schools for exceptional performance in several AP categories.

To qualify as an AP STEM School, a school must have students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses. CHS and 212 other Georgia schools qualified for this honor. To be named an AP STEM Achievement School, 40 percent of these students must score three or higher on the course exams, an accomplishment achieved by only 146 high schools in the state. Carrollton High School qualified for both honors in addition to the first-time Humanities recognition.

“These recognitions are a tribute to our students as well as our teachers,” said David Brooks, CHS principal. “The AP students opt to take more rigorous, time-consuming courses that will prepare them college and beyond, while the AP teachers consistently show they not only care about their students, but push them to reach their full potential.”

Dr. Mark Albertus, superintendent of Carrollton City Schools, not only commended CHS for the achievement, but placed credit on the lower schools as well.

“We should be extremely proud as a school system for this notable accomplishment,” said Albertus. “While it is obvious high school students are the ones who take Advanced Placement courses, it cannot be done without system-wide effort and support. In order to adequately equip students to succeed in AP programs, a rigorous curriculum must be in place at all grade levels throughout the system.”

In recent years, the Carrollton City School System has placed a strong emphasis on STEM integration K-12. The focus is paying off – five years ago, Carrollton Elementary School was recognized as a state-certified STEM school by the Georgia Department of Education, one of only a few elementary schools statewide to receive the designation, and Carrollton Middle School and Carrollton Junior High also have been recognized for their STEM offerings.

Carrollton High School offers a total of 18 Advanced Placement courses, including the classes recognized for the STEM focus: Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science and Physics. Other AP courses that are available are Government, World History, Macroeconomics, Microeconomics, U.S. History, Language, World Literature, U.S. Literature, Studio Art, Psychology, and Geography. In addition to the AP offerings, CHS implemented the International Baccalaureate program in 2012, another avenue students can pursue to ensure academic rigor through more than a dozen more course offerings.