Earlier this week numbers were released showing that Georgia graduation rates have slipped considerably, down to 67 percent, but there are bright spots in the education system.

Bibb County’s Howard High School has shown growth in their Advance Placement Program, a program that allows high school students to take college-level courses and exams to earn college credit and advanced placement.

"They are working on an equilibrium lab where they are trying to determine the ratio of iron,” says Jamie Akin, AP Chemistry Teacher at Howard High School. It may sound like Greek to you, but to the Howard High School students in Akin’s AP class, it sounds like college is on the way.

"It's only going to help me in the long run," says Piny Kaine, one of the 318 students taking AP classes at Howard High School. Just last year the number of students in AP classes at the school was significantly lower at 233.

It's just the results that Leadership at the school had hoped for after last year’s efforts applying for grants. "Last year we implemented it,” says Suzanne Spaid the Performance Learning Coach at Howard, “It's a national math and science initiative grant."

The grant provides students with extra learning tools, like mock exams. Piny Kaine embraces the method, "I think learning through the testing we take, because it's the same test that is going to on the AP exam, so that helps me get prepared."

The school is also able to purchase more equipment for hands on learning. Obi Ndubuisi is taking five AP courses this year and says hands on is the way to go, "I have a visual of what's going on. Not just reading about it." He adds, "The primary reason would be college credit. I just want to finish my first year."

Another learning tool provided by the grants gets students out on the weekends. "The grant also allows us to have Saturday study sessions," adds Spaid.

Students say they don’t mind getting on board for weekends if it helps them grow.

"She has Saturday Sessions a lot, which really helps me to come on the weekends and get some personal time,” says Kain.


Howard High School currently offers twelve AP courses to students, using $10,000.00 this year in grant funding to purchase equipment to enhance their programs. Total grant funding rounds out to about $250,000.00 over the 3 years of the grant.