239 students earn AP Scholar recognition in 2026, more than doubling the district’s total since 2023
Newton County Schools has set a new district record with 239 scholars earning AP Scholar recognition in 2026, marking a historic level of achievement and continuing a four-year trend of significant growth in Advanced Placement outcomes.
The 2026 total represents a 129.8% increase since 2023, when 104 Newton County students earned AP Scholar recognition. The number has increased every year since, rising to 166 in 2024, 197 in 2025 and 239 in 2026.
In just four years, Newton County Schools has more than doubled the number of students earning AP Scholar recognition.
According to the College Board, AP Scholar recognition is awarded to students who meet specific achievement criteria based on their performance on AP Exams. The recognition reflects students’ successful engagement with college-level academic content and performance on rigorous AP assessments.
A Deliberate Approach to Expanding Opportunity
The growth in AP Scholars is the result of a deliberate district strategy to expand access to rigorous coursework while strengthening the conditions necessary for students to succeed.
The district’s approach has centered on four interconnected priorities -- expanding access, systematizing opportunities, strengthening instruction, and increasing student participation.
First, the district expanded access to Advanced Placement coursework, creating opportunities for more students to participate in college-level academic experiences.
Second, Newton County Schools made a strategic decision to standardize the suite of AP courses offered across its schools. The goal was to create greater consistency in academic opportunities and ensure that access to rigorous coursework is not determined simply by which school a student attends.
Third, the district has focused on strengthening instruction and the supports surrounding AP coursework, recognizing that expanding access alone is not enough. Students must have the instruction, preparation and support necessary to be successful once they enter a rigorous course. Those efforts have contributed to steadily increased AP course participation.
That increased participation has been accompanied by measurable improvement in outcomes. The number of students earning AP Scholar recognition has increased from 104 in 2023 to 239 in 2026 — a 129.8% increase.
“When you increase access, you increase outcomes,” said Superintendent Dr. Duke Bradley. “That is something we have always known, but it is also something we have worked intentionally to put into practice. Our Board has been adamant since I arrived in Newton County that we must expand opportunity and ensure that students have access to high-quality instruction and rigorous coursework.”
Bradley said the approach reflects a fundamental principle of educational equity.
Access Alone Is Not Enough
Bradley emphasized that expanding access is only the beginning.
“We know that access alone does not produce outcomes,” he said. “You have to pair access with strong instruction, appropriate supports and a culture that encourages students to take on challenging work. That is the work we have been doing.”
He said the district’s AP results demonstrate what can happen when those elements work together.
“These results do not happen by chance,” Bradley said. “They reflect strong instruction, committed teachers, students who are willing to challenge themselves and schools that are creating opportunities for students to engage in rigorous coursework. When you combine access with quality instruction and support, you create the conditions for students to succeed.”
School-Level Results Reinforce Equity Focus
The foundation of equity in the district’s work is twofold. “Every student should receive a quality education regardless of their teacher, school or any other circumstance, and every student should have access to meaningful opportunities,” Bradley said. “We have to make sure that a student’s school assignment does not determine whether they have access to rigorous academic experiences.”
The district’s AP results provide evidence that this approach is taking hold across its schools, with strong performance extending beyond any single campus. Eastside High School has consistently outpaced its regional and district peers in AP Scholars and AP course offerings over several years. Principal Jeff Cher attributes that sustained success in part to the stability and quality of Eastside’s AP teachers. Newton High School and Alcovy High School have also experienced similar growth, contributing to district results. The Newton College and Career Academy, which is not a comprehensive high school, also recorded AP Scholar recognition for the first time in its history, with results that were equally strong compared with the district’s other high schools.
Another Data Point Reinforcing System Improvement
The record AP results are another indicator of the broader academic momentum building across Newton County Schools.
The district has reported continued improvement in its Georgia Milestones results, including gains in multiple areas of mathematics and science, as well as improvement in its College and Career Ready Performance Index (CCRPI). Recent national reports have also identified Newton County Schools as improving at a faster rate than many of its peers.
While these results are encouraging, Bradley said the district remains focused on sustaining and accelerating that progress.
“We should be encouraged by the progress we are seeing, but we should not be satisfied,” Bradley said. “There is more work to do. Our responsibility is to continue expanding access, strengthening instruction and ensuring that opportunity translates into achievement for more and more of our students.”
The record number of AP Scholars represents another milestone in Newton County Schools’ continued progress — and another indication of what is possible when access, opportunity and strong instruction come together to produce better outcomes for students.
Newton County Schools’ 2026 AP Scholars
The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students’ performance on AP Exams. Congratulations to the following students on their recognition as a 2026 AP Scholar.
AP Scholar with Distinction Award
Students qualify for the AP Scholar with Distinction Award by earning an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of three or higher on five or more of these exams.
Eastside High: Benjamin Parson, Oliver Reid, Ramon Allende-Conklin, Alexis Anderson, Kaden Clark, Sanaa Dailey, Reid Elmenthaler, Jacob Evjene, Alyssa Guerrero, Alexander Jones, Dustin Lowe, Laine McNutt, Joevi Munakwa, William Pope, Maren Poynter, Brooklyn Sanchez, Christian Sims, Fern Tredeau, Justin Adams, Arthur Bowman, Kathryn Bryan, Delaney Curtis, Blythe Edgar, Phillip Harris, Elijah Hodges, Tallis Howard, Matty Lumpkin, Matthew Lynn, Sophia McCullough, Sophie Mobleyk, Belisse Munakwa, Rylan Roper, Beni Tetchi, Jayden Tran, Allie Vaughn, Kelsey Watts, Jacob Wilson, and Kennedy Woodard.
Newton High: Hoai Hoang, Maria Paler, and Bailey Stover.
Newton College & Career Academy: Azaya Foster, Rhonda Grider Purchase, Leila Shaw, Charles Simmons, Dylan Angeles, Shelley Crayon, Zackary Ferdilus, Anthony Miller, Joshua Oshodi, Brenna Williams, Allie Danilchuk, and Denise Vale.
AP Scholar with Honor Award
Students qualify for the AP Scholar with Honor Award by earning an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of three or higher on four or more of these exams.
Eastside: Caelyn Batts, Hannah Elasri, Katie Parr, Madeleine Schembri, Courvin Thomas, Eyja Tryggvadottir, Frank Turner, Nigel Williams, Aubrey Burton, Giovana Evans, Iyanna Fladger, Jason Frain, Johnston Hays, Ava Jensen, Ethaniel Logue, Jackie Mosley, Hope Poor, Bryson Strickland, Reagan Wheeler, Katheryn Wilber and Jordyn Williams.
Newton High: Christopher Ford-Wilson and Alivia Jones.
Newton College & Career Academy: James Fuqua, Samuel Lane, Kyra Stewart, Breyan Barton, Ishmael Bonifacio, Murphy Brothers, Lehannah Corlette, Katelynn Howell, Kimberly Martinez, Jimmy Thomas, Viskar Vittal, Jackson Allred, Alexander Amerson, Madison Bruce, and Brooke Ellington.
AP Scholar
Students qualify for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams with scores of three or higher.
Alcovy High: Savannah Washington, Christpher DuBois, Megan McElhaney, Elijah Nicholas, Dallas Odeneal, and Aiyden Rivers.
Eastside High: Braxton Allen, Kaleb Blazina, Andrew Braswell, Ragan Cantrell, Ava Davis, Janelle Ferdilus, Madison Gregory, Logan Harris, Jonathan Hulgan, Madison Jackson, Ava McKnight, Briley Oller, Trent Ray, Kathryn Strickland, Lorelei Arteaga, Abigail Barron, Allison Brooks, Kentadi Buffinet, Ava Cowan, Kennady Dennis, Lucas Dickson, Presley Dickson, Avani Hawkins, Kayleigh Lederer, Connor May, Madison Owensby, Sydney Presley, Beverly-Claire Schembri, Shane Sorrell, Joseph Standard, Hallie Thigpen, Arni Tryggvason, Isaac Tupper, Catherine Wilson, Caleb Connell, Cavahn Cudjoe-Chow, Matt Gabriel, Jaquelin Garcia-Luna, Charisma Gass, Brooklynn Gladue, Jay Hill, Ella Hodges, Amanda Hunter, Audrina Iaccarino, Chloe Icenhour, Avery Jewel, Presley Jewell, Madelyn Johnson, Chase Jordan, Evan Litts, Ashlee Lundy, Cadyn Massey, Gavin McNeill, Kayson Moss, Jannat Patel, Bailey Pitts, Carley Polston, Fernando Portillo, Gabrielle Rangel, Mary Katherine Ryan, Mason Shipp, Kayce Stamper, Tristan Turner and Abbey Varfolomeyev.
Newton High: Payton Tremblay, Bethany Edmondson, Anya Gayle, Joshua Glenn, Madeline Malone, Aliya Mason, Thomas Muse, Evan Brunner, Madisen Joseph, Oscar Latorre, and Joshua Smith.
Newton College & Career Academy: Matthew Camba, Addelyn Consuegra, Mya Edwards, Paul Farmer, Rileigh Greene, Chance Henderson, Julian Herrera, Sophia Mabie, Amani Miley, Iara Molina, Leyton Parker, Robert Pascual, Joanna Ramon-Beltran, Ariel Shy, Temilade Sowole, Ronnie Triplett, Noah Waid-Martz, Marleigh Watson, Colin West, Adeshola Adewumi, Ethan Armendariz, Annslee Bishop, Jacy Bramblett, Kathy Castillo, Kaliyah Collier, Hallie Cope, Alexander Ehret, Christian Gatewood, Aniyah Green, Hannah Humphries, Nathanial Igarashi, Sasha Johnson, Chemaeya Laborde, Ethan Lee, Sydney Morton, Sydney Pascual, Jose Serrano, Nathan Thomas, Isabella Vazquez, Emma Wilborn, Christopher Adjei, Robyn Asbell, Victoria Barrett, Jasmyne Boney, Christopher Cook, Hakeem Cooper, Keren Diaz-Oliva, Jose Garcia-Garcia, Samuel Gourlay, Memphis Kennedy, Olivia McKenzie, Kevin Mills, Branson Moore, Tyrus Mosley, Destiny Powers, Briley Reed, Lizbeth Serrano-Tzintzun, and Cooper Stover.
AP Seminar and Research Certificate
To earn the AP Seminar and Research Certificate students must earn a score of 3 or higher on both the AP Seminar and AP Research exams.
Newton College & Career Academy: Robyn Asbell, Jasmyne Boney, Kevin Mills, Tyrus Mosley, and Destiny Powers.
AP Capstone Diploma
To earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students must earn a score of 3 or higher in both AP Seminar and AP Research, and on four additional AP Exams of their choice in any subject, totaling six qualifying scores.
Newton College & Career Academy: Branson Moore, Lizbeth Serrano-Tzintzun and Denise Vale.