For the sixth straight year, Dalton High School has been named to the list of 685 AP (Advanced Placement) Honors Schools in Georgia for 2018. Georgia School Superintendent Richard Woods released the list of Georgia schools receiving honors as reported by the College Board who administers the AP exams. Dalton High School was recognized in four areas: AP Access and Support School, AP STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) School, AP STEM Achievement School and AP Humanities School.

"I'm so proud to have one of our school's premier programs recognized in four different areas," said Steve Bartoo, principal. "We have phenomenal AP teachers who encourage and support our students who choose to challenge themselves by taking these rigorous classes. Passing an AP Exam at a 3 or above may earn students college credit that can jumpstart their college career. This recognition really reflects the hard work of teachers who design rigorous coursework and the commitment of our students to academic success and who want to prepare themselves for college."

Dalton High School offers 15 Advanced Placement classes and has 583 students enrolled in one or more AP classes this year. The school was one of only 69 schools to be honored as an AP Access and Support School and only one of 134 schools to be recognized as an AP Humanities School. Only 146 schools were recognized as AP STEM Achievement Schools and 213 schools were recognized as AP STEM Schools.

"Congratulations to Dalton High School on this incredible recognition," said Dr. Tim Scott, superintendent of Dalton Public Schools. "Recognition as an AP Honor School is validation that our students are prepared to be successful as they pursue higher education at the college and university level."

State School Superintendent Woods stated, "It is my pleasure to recognize these schools—and by extension, their students, teachers and staff—for the excellent work being done to expand opportunity to all students."

Dalton High was recognized in the following four categories:

AP Access and Support Schools: Schools with at least 30 percent of their AP exams taken by students who identified themselves as African-American and/or Hispanic and 30 percent of all AP exams earning scores of 3 or higher.

AP STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Schools: Schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses (AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC, AP Statistics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Environmental Science, AP Physics 1, AP Physics 2, AP Physics C, AP Computer Science A)

AP STEM Achievement: Schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses, and at least 40 percent of exam scores on AP math and science exams earning scores of 3 or higher

AP Humanities School: Schools with students testing in the following AP courses: at least one ELA course, two social studies courses, one fine arts course and one world language course

About Advanced Placement

The College Board's Advanced Placement Program (AP) enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies—with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement or both—while still in high school. Through AP courses, each culminating in a rigorous exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid arguments and see many sides of an issue—skills that prepare them for college and beyond. Taking AP courses demonstrates to college admission officers that students have sought the most rigorous curriculum available to them, and research indicates that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically experience greater academic success in college and are more likely to earn a college degree.