Four local high schools have been named advanced placement (AP) honor schools by Georgia State Superintendent John Barge.

Houston County, Perry, Northside and Warner Robins high schools are just four of 367 schools recognized. Schools are selected based upon results of the 2011 AP exams.

Wednesday was designated AP day in Georgia by the State Board of Education. It's the same day College Board releases its annual AP report to the nation.

The report ranks Georgia 13th in the nation this year for seniors scoring a three or higher on AP exams.

"Congratulations to our high schools on these accomplishments," said Superintendent Dr. Robin Hines in a news release. "We appreciate our students who willingly tackle the rigor and requirements of college-level courses. Many thanks, also, to our parents who embrace AP challenges. We applaud our AP teachers for training, preparing and making available these opportunities. I also commend our Board members for their support of our system's STEM initiatives and AP Program."

AP classes and exams are administered by the College Board, which also administers the SAT. The AP Program offers college-level classes to high school students. Those who earn a score of 3, 4 or 5 on AP exams may receive college credit.

On AP exams, Houston County students typically perform at or above the global, state and southern region average scores. The College Board currently offers 34 AP courses. Among Houston County's five high schools, 23 AP courses are being offered during the 2011-2012 school year. In May 2011, Houston County students took 1,213 AP exams. Exams with a qualifying score of 3 or higher totaled 760, saving parents an estimated $1,800,000 in college tuition. Houston County students scored a mean score of 2.95 - higher than Georgia at 2.74; the U.S. mean at 2.84; and the global average of 2.86.