March 3, 2025

(ATLANTA, GA)—The DeKalb County School District (DCSD) is proud to announce that 20 of its schools have been named 2025 Advanced Placement (AP) Honor Schools, earning recognition in an impressive 50 categories. This announcement by the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) highlights DCSD’s ongoing commitment to providing rigorous, high-quality learning opportunities that help students be successful in college, careers, and beyond.

“This outstanding achievement underscores the hard work of our teachers, the determination of our students, and the incredible support of our families,” said DCSD Superintendent Dr. Devon Q. Horton. “I am extremely proud of our teamwork and congratulate all 20 AP Honor Schools for embodying the DeKalb County School District’s vision of providing high-quality learning opportunities that enhance our focus on improving student outcomes.”

The 2025 AP Honor Schools are named in eight categories based on last year’s AP course and exam data:

  • AP Access and Support Schools – schools with at least 30% of AP exams taken by students who identified as African American and/or Hispanic (minimum of 16 students) and 30% of all AP exams earning scores of three (3) or higher. At least 25 exams must be administered.
  • AP Challenge Schools – schools with enrollments of 900 or fewer students, exams administered in English, math, science, and social studies, and a minimum of 25 total exams administered.
  • AP Expansion Schools – schools with 25% growth in AP student participation from May 2023 to May 2024 and a minimum of 25 students testing in May 2023.
  • AP Humanities Schools – schools that administered at least five (5) exams in each of the following AP categories: one (1) ELA course, two (2) social studies courses, one (1) fine arts course, and one (1) world language course and a minimum of 25 total exams administered.
  • AP Humanities Achievement Schools – AP Humanities schools (see definition above) with at least 50% of all AP Humanities exams earning scores of three (3) or higher.
  • AP Schools of Distinction – schools with at least 20% of the total student enrollment taking AP exams and at least 50% of all AP exams, earning three (3) or higher scores.
  • AP STEM Schools – schools that administered at least five (5) exams in each of four separate AP STEM courses (Math, Science, and Computer Science) and at least 25 total exams administered.
  • AP STEM Achievement Schools – AP STEM schools (see above definition) with at least 50% of all AP STEM exams earning three (3) or higher scores.

Each category highlights different facets of excellence, such as growing student participation, elevating performance in STEM, or achieving success in humanities-related courses. By offering a wide range of Advanced Placement programs, DCSD ensures students have every opportunity to explore subjects in depth, earn potential college credit, and develop the confidence to excel at the next level.

DCSD’s Advanced Placement Honor Schools for 2025 are:

The Georgia Department of Education began recognizing AP Honor Schools in 2008. Over time, the program has added several new categories, reflecting a broad range of academic strengths and focuses. State School Superintendent Richard Woods acknowledged all AP Honor Schools for raising the bar of academic excellence across the state. He noted that the growing number of recognized schools and districts each year reflects Georgia’s commitment to expanding opportunities for every student to engage in advanced, college-level studies.