Cherokee County high schools have received state notice for students' performance in Advance Placement courses.

Georgia State School Superintendent Dr. John D. Barge announced AP Honor Schools, which included five of Cherokee's high schools on Wednesday .

"Georgia continues to see positive trends in Advanced Placement - not only in the number of students taking the courses, but in the number of students having success," Barge said. "Much of the progress we're seeing in Georgia can be attributed to our AP Honor Schools."

Cherokee, Creekview, Etowah, Sequoyah and Woodstock were all named AP Stem Schools and AP Stem Achievement Schools for their success last school year.

Advanced Placement Stem Schools are schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses, which include calculus, statistics, biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics and computer science.

Advanced Placement Stem Achievement Schools are schools with students testing in at least two AP math courses and two AP science courses, and at least 40 percent of the exam scores on AP math and AP science exams are 3 or higher.

Advanced Placement classes and exams are administered by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. AP classes offer rigorous college-level learning options to students in high school. Students who receive a 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams may receive college credit.

"Our students must have rigorous coursework in high school to be successful after they graduate," Barge said. "I am so pleased that more of our students than ever are taking AP courses and passing the exam."