CCSD Increases AP Pass Rate to Record High, Exceeds State and Nation

Cherokee County School District high school students have increased their success in college-level courses to a new record high!

More CCSD students passed Advanced Placement (AP) exams, which earn them college credit at most state colleges and universities, with the rate increasing to 85.1% this past spring, up from 82.8% the previous year, according to newly released results.  It’s the highest pass rate ever for the school district, ranks CCSD second in metro Atlanta, and continues to exceed state and national averages.

“We’re so proud of our students’ success and the professional expertise and dedication of our teachers.  This success is further evidence of our commitment to being the highest-performing school district in Georgia,” Superintendent of Schools Mary Elizabeth Davis said.  “Our School Board is laser focused on ensuring our students are learning more, growing more, and achieving more in our classrooms than they could anywhere else and our strong offering of AP courses in a wide variety of subjects helps achieve this goal.”

Students must earn a 3 or higher (on a scale of 1 to 5) to pass and potentially earn college credit and avoid college tuition payments for those classes, and the average score in CCSD is 3.6.  CCSD’s passage rate exceeds both state and national averages, with Georgia ranking 16th in the nation with a 24.9% passing rate.

In addition to the potential to earn college credit, advanced placement in college courses, or both, the Georgia Department of Education reports that evidence shows students benefit academically from taking AP courses and exams regardless of their exam scores.

While increasing participation with students new to this level of rigor could lead to a decrease in the passage rate, the passage rate instead has increased in CCSD.  Last school year, 7,797 AP tests were administered to CCSD high school students, a 12% increase from 6,963 exams the prior year, and the number of students taking those tests also grew to 3,389 up from 3,106.

The total value of the college tuition CCSD students will avoid paying due to this success, assuming each exam equals just one college course, is estimated at $7.2 million, up from $6.1 million.

The school district’s AP program additionally earns state recognition annually for its comprehensive course catalog and high passage rate; CCSD high schools offer 32 different AP courses.

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