A chunk of local recent high school graduates and students received honors for posting high scores on their AP exams.
Newton County School System announced 54 students earned AP Scholar Awards in recognition for their exceptional achievement on the yearly College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP) exams, which provide willing and academically prepared students with the opportunity to take rigorous college-level course while still in high school and to earn college credit, advanced placement or both for successful performance on the tests.
“Advanced Placement coursework exposes high school students to rigorous, collegiate-level course work,” said Shannon Buff, NCSS director of secondary schools. “I am very proud of the NCSS AP Scholars and their teachers for their hard work and dedication.”
AP develops each of its 34 college-level courses and exams through a committee of college and university faculty and AP teachers, ensuring the exams are aligned with the same high standards expected by college faculty at some of the nation’s leading liberal arts and research institutions, according to an NCSS press release. More than 3,800 colleges and universities annually receive AP scores. Most four-year colleges in the country provide credit and/or advanced placement for high enough scores.
AP students who score a 3 or higher on AP exams (based on a scale of 1-5, with 5 being the highest) typically experience greater academic success in college and have higher college graduation rates than students who do not participate in AP.
The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP exams.
National AP Scholar Award
For the 2013-2014 school year, one NCSS student qualified for the National AP Scholar Award by earning an average score of 4 or higher on all AP exams taken and a score of 4 or higher on eight or more on these exams. Ben Bohannon, an Eastside High School graduate from the Class of 2014, received this honor.
AP Scholar with Distinction Award
All students who received the AP Scholar with Distinction Award also graduated from Eastside in 2014. These students scored an average of at least 3.5 on all exams and scores of 3 or higher on five or more exams.
AP Scholar with Distinction Award recipients were: Dakota Arrington, Ben Bohannon, Tyler Dysart, Noah Felsberg, Jack Mitchell, Quin Murphy, Jasper Narvil, Samuel Stewart, Kimberly Stier, Samantha Thompson and Kolyse Wagstaff.
AP Scholar with Honor Award
NCSS had 11 students qualify for the AP Scholar of Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all exams taken and scores of 3 or higher on four or more exams.
Alcovy High School’s AP Scholar with Honor Award recipient was Emily Bryans, Class of 2014.
Eastside’s recipients were Faith Bartello and Sonam Desai from the Class of 2014 and Kyle Castleberry, Anna Davis, Evan House, Havana Knepper, Carly Travis and Alex Turcotte from the Class of 2015.
Newton High School’s recipients were Kaitlyn Smith from the Class of 2014 and Ian Cole from the Class of 2015.
AP Scholar Award
The AP Scholar Award was given to 31 NCSS students, who all completed three or more AP exams with scores of 3 or higher.
Alcovy’s recipients were Justin Adams, Maya Brooks, Anfernee Cruz, Ashton Stewart and Victoria Wardlow from the Class of 2014 and Keegan Brothers and Demontarius Tolbert from the Class of 2015.
Eastside’s recipients were Hannah Gravitt, Kyle Hadaway, Noelle Holder, Kristen Huffman, Emily Larrimore, Shivam Patel, Michael Pope, Sam Potts and Jesse Rainey from the Class of 2014 and Tyler Banks, Zach Chambers, Allie Coberth, Mykia Edwards, Kaylah Kennedy, Garrett Nix, Nicholas Tedrow, Cassie Warthen and Kiersten Williams from the Class of 2015.
Newton’s recipients were Antonio Alvarez, Amanda Flake, Kyana Morris, Vitaliy Semenikhin, Chloe Simpson and Richelle St. Louis from the Class of 2014 and Craig Thomas and Brittany Webb from the Class of 2015.
Those students currently enrolled in high school have this school year to complete additional college-level work and possibly earn a higher-level AP Scholar Award.
