February 11, 2020–10:44 a.m.
NEWS RELEASE
State School Superintendent Richard Woods today named 255 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools for 2020. Rome High School made the list of schools honored for the success of their AP program. In addition to being named an AP School of Distinction, Rome High was also recognized for its STEM programs.
“I commend the students, teachers, and staff of these 255 schools,” Superintendent Woods said. “Behind this recognition is an enormous amount of hard work, and I congratulate all those who worked to expand access, improve performance, and build strong Advanced Placement programs in each school recognized today.”
According to the Georgia Department of Education website, The Georgia Department of Education began recognizing AP Honor Schools in 2008. This recognition began with three categories: AP Access and Support Schools, AP Challenge Schools, and AP Merit Schools. AP STEM and AP STEM Achievement categories were added in 2011, and the AP Humanities category was added in 2015. This year two new categories were added: AP Humanities Achievement and AP Expansion Schools. The AP Merit Schools category was renamed AP Schools of Distinction.
“I am overjoyed about the recognition given to our RHS students and teachers by the Georgia Department of Education,” said Principal Dr. Eric Holland. “Each day, I have the privilege of witnessing them strive and dedicate themselves to excellence. I believe we have the brightest students and teachers in Georgia and I am honored to see them recognized for their accomplishments.”
Assistant principal and AP Coordinator, Amber Garlin, echoed Dr. Holland’s thoughts about Rome High School’s faculty and students. “I couldn’t be more proud to get to work with such a fantastic group of educators and students'” she said. “Our AP program at RHS is second to none with the depth and breadth of our offerings, the top-notch staff who provide the instruction and the driven students who excel in their dedication to their studies. Without all these working parts we wouldn’t be able to celebrate being recognized at such a high level, nor could we strive to find ways to continuously improve our program even more. Our students prove themselves year after year to be of the highest caliber who deserve everything we can provide to help them to be
competitive at the national level, our AP teachers work diligently to stay abreast of the most recent changes and trends and to best utilize all the professional resources the College Board provides to ensure our students are as prepared as possible for whatever path they choose to pursue after high school. We are excited to be a part of that journey and hope that we can continue to play a part in their current and future success.”