Horry, Georgetown schools see rise in advanced placement exam scores

The state’s Department of Education recently released the 2011 AP Report to the Nation, which said South Carolina had more students taking advanced placement courses, but the number scoring proficient on exams remained low.

According to the report, Horry County School District’s performance rose 4 percent to 53.2 percent from 49.1 percent in 2010. However, it said fewer students in the district took AP courses, with 1,261 students participating in 2011, down 93 from 2010’s 1,354. Students took 1,856 exams, 146 fewer than in 2010.

In the Georgetown County School District, performance rose to 56.12 percent of students scoring at the proficiency level, according to the report.

Velna Allen, executive director for the high schools in Horry County, said she does not believe the report is a cause for concern. She said this year’s fall enrollment reports show that AP course participation has increased over where it was last year.

“As you would expect in a district our size, schools are at different levels in program development, which may impact student enrollment and performance,” Allen said. “At some schools, they are adding new advanced placement courses, building the vertical articulation that is so important, and selecting and training the right teachers for the courses. It is our goal to develop a solid core of advanced placement offerings across our school district.”

Performance is reported by the percentage of students who score a 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams, which usually means those students also will receive college credit for those courses. For South Carolina, students took 28,392 exams with 55.6 percent of exams scored as proficient, according to the state education department.

Teal Britton, district spokesperson, said AP courses benefit students, even if they don’t score high enough to gain a college credit for a course.

“We believe there is long-term value for students bound for college to be exposed to the most rigorous work, and they can still get their high school credit,” she said.

For Horry County, the numbers are as follows:

• Carolina Forest High School, 79 percent passage rate, 172 students tested, 236 exams.

• St. James High School, 67 percent passage rate, 172 students tested, 221 exams.

• North Myrtle Beach High School, 58 percent passage rate, 157 students tested, 226 exams.

• Academy for the Arts, Science and Technology, 57 percent passage rate, 53 students tested, 65 exams.

• Socastee High School, 55 percent passage rate, 233 students tested, 405 exams.

• Aynor High School, 47 percent passage rate, 100 students tested, 154 exams.

• Myrtle Beach High School, 45 percent passage rate, 114 students tested, 146 exams.

• Green Sea-Floyds High School, 44 percent passage rate, 14 students tested, 16 exams.

• Conway High School, 30 percent passage rate, 138 students tested, 235 exams.

• Loris High School, 30 percent passage rate, 108 students tested, 152 exams.

Patti Hammel, Georgetown County School District’s executive director of Student Performance and Federal Programs, said the district continues to encourage its students to reach higher in academics, and that there will be more depth in the all curricula with the adoption of Common Core Standards in English/language arts and mathematics.

Georgetown County’s numbers are:

• Waccamaw High School, 62 percent passage rate, 84 students tested, 107 exams.

• Andrews High School, 41 percent passage rate, 15 students tested, 17 exams.

• Carvers Bay High School, 29 percent passage rate, 26 students tested, 38 exams.

• Georgetown High School, 28 percent passage rate, 71 students tested, 92 exams.

“We anticipate an increase in offerings of PACE and AP courses, however, it is important to note that funding these opportunities takes extra dollars,” Hammel said. “We continue to be very proud of our administrators, guidance counselors, teachers, parents and, most of all, our students for their great effort and success.”