14 hours Ago
Two Aiken County high school programs, one public and one private, have been named to the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program School Honor Roll. Aiken Scholar’s Academy and Mead Hall Episcopal School were each awarded Platinum distinction, the program’s highest honor. South Aiken High School received Bronze distinction.
“We had tremendous performance this year,” said Martha Messick, principal of Aiken Scholars Academy. “We’re really proud of the students. They work so hard.
They worked tremendously hard for this achievement, along with our teachers.” “We’ve got a lot of bright kids and a lot of hardworking teachers to make this happen,” said Dr. Mike Buck, Mead Hall Episcopal School’s Head of Middle and Upper School.
The Advanced Placement program offers undergraduate college-level courses and exams to high school students. Many colleges and universities grant placement and course credit to students who perform well on the examinations. According to the College Board, the AP School Honor Roll “recognizes schools whose AP programs are delivering results for students while broadening access.
Schools can earn this recognition annually based on criteria that reflect a commitment to increasing college-going culture, providing opportunities for students to earn college credit, and maximizing college readiness.” The school recognition program was launched last year, when 16 schools in South Carolina received Platinum distinction. To achieve Platinum distinction, 80% of a school’s graduating class must take at least one AP class, 50% must score a 3 or higher on one AP exam, and at least 15% must take at least five AP examinations, including one exam in ninth or 10th grade.
One hundred percent of students at the Aiken Scholars Academy met these criteria. The Aiken Scholars Academy, which enrolls 178 students in grades 8-12, is part of the Aiken County Public School District. Housed on the campus of USC Aiken, it offers an accelerated program of study for gifted students.
“The students in ninth and tenth grade are the ones that participate in AP course work,” Messick said. Aiken Scholars Academy students in 11th and 12th grades are dual-enrolled at USC Aiken and take college courses. The school also received the AP Access Award, additional recognition given when the percentage of underrepresented or low-income students accessing the school’s AP program is the same as or greater than the percentage in the school’s graduating class.
Mead Hall has a total enrollment of 365 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. There are 60 students in grades 9-12. At Mead Hall, 88% of students took an AP course, 69% earned college credit by scoring 3 or higher on an AP exam, and 56% took a total of five AP exams, including at least one in ninth or 10th grade.
Mead Hall School, founded in 1955, merged with Aiken Preparatory School, founded in 1916, to form Mead Hall Episcopal School in 2012. At South Aiken High School, 66% of students took an AP course, 29% earned college credit by scoring 3 or higher on an AP exam, and 21% took a total of five AP exams, including at least one in ninth or 10th grade..
