For Immediate Release
Contact: Kerry Minster
706.454.1562
kerry.minster@lakeoconeeacademy.org
LAKE OCONEE ACADEMY ADVANCED PLACEMENT® STUDENTS OUTSCORE STATE, NATIONAL AND GLOBAL MEANS IN 2018
Greensboro, Ga. (August 13, 2018) – The Advanced Placement® (AP®) program at Lake Oconee Academy allows students to challenge themselves with rigorous AP coursework, and students are meeting the challenge. LOA’s 2017-18 AP exam scores once again top the state, national and global mean scores.
The AP program is administered by the College Board and offers college-level coursework to high school students. Colleges and universities will often grant course credit and advanced placement for qualifying scores on exams. AP exams are scored on a scale from 1 to 5: 5 - extremely well qualified; 4 – well qualified; 3 – qualified; 2 – possibly qualified; 1 – no recommendation.
The 2017-18 mean scores for students taking AP exams for courses offered at LOA compared to students taking those same exams at the state, national and global level are:
| LOA | Georgia | National | Global |
| 3.28 | 2.91 | 2.87 | 2.89 |
In 2017-18, LOA administered 155 AP exams to 91 students, with 79.1% of students scoring a 3 or higher. Of the 79.1% who scored a 3 or higher, 39.7 % scored a 4 or 5.
Below is a table showing four years of data at the school, state and global levels. The table illustrates the percentage of total LOA students who scored a 3 or higher on AP exams for courses offered at LOA compared to students taking those same exams at the state and global level.
| Year | LOA | Georgia | Global |
| 2015 | 81% | 57.2% | 60.7% |
| 2016 | 74.4% | 58.1% | 60.3% |
| 2017 | 74% | 58.9% | 60.3% |
| 2018 | 79.1% | 61.2% | 61.3% |
LOA is pleased to have 30 students who were named AP Scholars for 2017-18. The AP Scholar Awards recognize high school students who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams. Among those 30 students, 17 students earned the AP Scholar award that is granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP exams. The AP Scholar with Honor, for students who received an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four more of these exams, was awarded to four students. Finally, the AP Scholar with Distinction, granted to students who received an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams, was achieved by nine LOA students.
A LOA graduate was also named an AP National Scholar, LOA’s first student to receive that designation. This student earned 46 college credit hours while still in high school.
In addition, LOA was named an AP Honor School for 2018. Based on 2017 AP courses and exams, LOA earned the Honor School designation in the following categories: AP Challenge School, AP Merit School and AP Humanities School.
“AP courses offer students opportunities to prepare skill sets that are essential for success in post-secondary options,” said Dr. Hester Vasconcelos, AP coordinator at LOA. “AP teachers employ strategies that challenge students to develop habits of mind for critical thinking and problem solving. Students learn to dig deeper and provide meaningful answers to complex questions. Taking risks, accepting the challenge, and developing perseverance are patterns prominent in AP courses. Teachers prepare to teach AP courses through extensive professional development to help all students achieve success at extraordinarily high levels.”
During the 2017-2018 school year, LOA offered 17 AP courses: Biology, Chemistry, Calculus AB, Computer Science Principles, Microeconomics, English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition, US Government and Politics, Human Geography, Spanish Language and Culture, Spanish Literature and Culture, Studio Art 2D, Studio Art Drawing, US History, Capstone Seminar, Physics 1: Algebra -Based, and Physics C: Mechanics.
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