AP (Advanced Placement)
PROGRAM GUIDE
H HS
illcrest
igh
chool
Pre-AP English I
Pre-AP Biology
AP English III
AP Calculus AB & BC
Pre-AP English II
Pre-AP Chemistry
AP English IV
AP Statistics
Pre-AP World History
Pre-AP Physics
AP Human Geography
AP Biology
Pre-AP World Geography
Pre-AP Art
AP U. S. History
AP Environmental Science
Pre-AP Algebra II
Pre-AP Computer Science
AP U.S. Government
AP Physics
Pre-AP Geometry
Pre-AP Spanish
AP Macroeconomics
AP Chemistry
Pre-AP Calculus
Pre-AP French
AP World History
AP French
AP European History
AP Spanish
AP Music Theory
AP 2D Studio Art
AP Computer Science
Ronald K. Jones, Principal
Ann McNutt & Forrest Oliver, AP Coordinators
Hillcrest High School
9924 Hillcrest Road Dallas, Texas 75230 972-502-6800
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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What is the Advanced Placement (AP) Program?
HHS AP Program Guide
Advanced Placement (AP) is a program of college-level courses and exams that gives high school
students the opportunity to receive advanced placement and/or credit in college. Nationally, about
1.2 million students participate in the AP Program each year.
Hillcrest High School is committed giving all students an opportunity to participate in rigorous and
academically challenging curriculum that will prepare them for college and beyond. Students are
highly encouraged to take AP courses. As students plan their schedules, they should consider the
time commitments required in extracurricular and outside activities by carefully reviewing the course
descriptions before making decisions. These courses are designed to prepare students for AP
courses, but they also offer an excellent opportunity for students to enjoy a challenging, interesting
course in areas where students exhibit strengths and curiosity.
What are AP courses?
AP courses will be more demanding than regular high school courses. They often require more time
and work, but the AP courses give you greater depth. A student should realize that taking an AP
class is a serious commitment. Students should give careful thought to which and how many AP
courses to take in one year.
Why take an AP Exam?
Satisfactory grades on AP examinations offer many benefits which may enhance your applications
for college admissions, placement, and scholarships. You may also receive college credit based on
your AP scores. AP exams are administered each year in May. An exam contains both multiple
choice and free response questions that require essay writing, problem solving, and other skills.
Every examination receives an overall grade on a five-point scale.
Scale:
5 – Extremely well qualified
4 – Well qualified
3 – Qualified
2 – Possibly qualified
1 – No Recommendation
AP Grade Reports are sent in July to each student’s home address, high school, and, if the student
has requested, to designated colleges. Each college decides how much credit to award for AP
scores. You can find this information for the colleges you are interested in by using the AP Credit
Policy search at: www.collegeboard.com/ap/creditpolicy.
*Some information was taken from the AP College Board Website.*
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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Pre-AP Program
Pre-AP is a set of courses with content-specific strategies designed to:
program
Pre-AP/AP Information for Students
Through college-level AP courses, students gain knowledge that may unexplored in a traditional high
school curriculum; through AP Exams, students have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced
standing at most of the nation’s colleges and universities.
Specific skills for success:
Why Participate?
AP offers something for everyone. The only requirements are a strong curiosity about the subject
you plan to study and the willingness to work hard. Here are a few reasons to sign up:
Broaden Your Intellectual Horizon:
Gain the Edge in College Preparation:
-level work.
-solving
techniques.
course work.
Stand Out in the College Admissions Process:
what college admissions officers look for on a high school
transcript.
*Some information was taken from the AP College Board Website.*
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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Frequently Asked Questions
HHS AP Program Guide
1. Can my student enroll in Pre-AP and AP courses?
Yes, DISD allows students, parents, teachers and counselors to nominate for Pre-AP and AP
courses. Please note that these courses are more rigorous and move at a faster pace that the
regular courses.
2. Is there a limit to the number of Pre-AP and AP courses that a student can take?
There is no limit; however, students should consider their overall course load and other
activities or commitments they have to make sure they have adequate time in their daily schedule to
study and to complete homework.
3. Who can I contact for more information about the AP Program?
Ann McNutt, AP Coordinator
4. Can I change my schedule once school starts?
Schedules will be mailed during the summer. Please email the associate principal to request
schedule changes before school begins. We cannot guarantee that students will get a certain
teacher or class period. We hope to limit the number of schedule changes after school begins as it
disrupts the classroom learning process.
Shanna Burton, Associate Principal — sburton@dallasisd.org
5. Who will be my child’s counselor and how can I reach them?
Alpha A-F:
Alpha G-N:
Alpha O-Z:
Gailene Anderson (Lead Counselor)
Caroline Jones-Harris
Bridget Dyer-Smith
ganderson@dallasisd.org
CAROJONES@dallasisd.org
BDyer-Smith@dallasisd.org
6. What if my child needs assistance in his/her courses?
Each teacher has a tutoring schedule that is either before school, after school or both. Students will
be provided a tutoring schedule once school begins.
7. Are there summer assignments?
Some courses require summer assignments. This information will be available on the school’s
website.
8. Can my child take Pre-AP and AP courses if they participate in the Academy of
Engineering?
Yes. Certain sections of English, Math and Science Pre-AP and AP classes are designated specifically
for Academy of Engineering students.
9. What other programs and activities does Hillcrest have to offer?
Academic Decathlon, Academy of Engineering, AVID, Biomedical Research, Cooperative Education,
Colorguard, Debate Club, French Club, Gay/Straight Alliance, Glee Club, Information Technology
Pathway, Interact Club, Jazz Band, JROTC, JV Cheerleading, Key Club, Marching Band, Mock Trial,
Mu Alpha Theta, Theater, National Honor Society, Newspaper, Orchestra, Panaders Drill Team, Robotics, Student Council, Varsity Cheerleading, World Cafe Reading Club and Yearbook.
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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Rank in Class and GPA
Rank In Class
Rank in class is based on a weighted grading system. Eligible courses for the computation of rank
include all courses taken for state credit in grades 9-12. Courses taken for state credit in summer or
evening school, as well as approved correspondence and college courses taken for high school credit
will count toward rank in class. Credit earned through credit-by-exam, with or without prior
instruction, does not count toward rank in class.
Rank points are awarded based on semester grades. For each student, rank points for each
semester course are sorted in descending order. Rank in class is computed by totaling the weighted
rank points of eligible courses representing the highest twenty-four credits taken and earned in
grades 9-12.
Course weights are assigned to Texas Education Agency approved courses as follows:
Advanced Placement 9
Remedial Education/Special Education 6
Pre-AP / Dual Credit 8
Regular Education/ESOL 7
Local credit courses 0
Below 70 in any course 0
To obtain rank points, the semester grade in each course is multiplied by the course weight.
English I
Grade
English II PAP Grade
AP English III Grade
100 X 7 = 700 POINTS
100 X 8 = 800 POINTS
100 X 9 = 900 POINTS
Rank in class is calculated at the end of each semester beginning with the first semester of the
junior year. The first calculation is based on the highest 15 credits. At the end of the junior year,
rank is calculated based on the highest 18 credits. First semester senior rank is calculated on the
highest 21 credits and the final rank is calculated on the highest 24 credits.
GPA
Calculating Grade Point Average (GPA)
Students earn a grade point average (GPA) based on a 100 point system. Eligible courses for the
computation of GPA include all courses taken for state and local high school credit in grades 9-12.
Courses taken in summer or evening school, as well as approved correspondence courses, and
courses taken for concurrent college credit, shall count toward the grade point average (GPA).
Grade point average is computed by totaling the numerical grades earned and dividing by the
number of numerical grade earning courses attempted. GPA can range from 50 to 100. Credit
earned through credit-by examination or examination for acceleration will not count toward GPA.
The academic achievement record (transcript) shall carry the final GPA.
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Pre-AP English I
Course Description: This course addresses all the English I TEKS with additional instruction
and practice in reading a variety of genres, writing a wide variety of compositions, and listening
and speaking. Skills are taught at greater levels of rigor so that students are prepared to master
the challenging reading and writing assignments in AP English Language and Literature courses.
Students complete research projects that require them to understand and evaluate a variety of
textual and visual materials.
HHS AP Program Guide
Pre-AP English II
Course Description: This course emphasizes reflective and persuasive forms of communication.
Students use the writing process to produce effective arguments that include information from
primary and secondary sources. Students demonstrate complex syntax, advanced vocabulary, and
increasingly accurate use of the conventions of written language. Students read widely and
critically, analyzing and responding to a variety of literature including American and world authors.
They present and critique oral communications including visuals and analyze the purpose and the
effect on the audience. This course addresses all the English II TEKS and skills that are taught at
greater levels of rigor so that students are prepared to master the challenging reading and writing
assignments in AP English courses.
AP English III: English Language and Composition
Course Description: An AP course in English Language and Composition engages students in becoming skilled readers of prose written in a variety of periods, disciplines, and rhetorical contexts;
and in becoming skilled writers who compose for a variety of purposes. Both their writing and their
reading should make students aware of the interactions among a writer’s purposes, audience expectations, and subjects as well as the way generic conventions and the resources of language contribute to the effectiveness in writing.
Specific skills for success:
Out-of-class commitments:
AP English IV: English Literature and Composition
Course Description: An AP English Literature and Composition course engages students in the
careful reading and critical analysis of literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and
pleasure for their readers. As they read, students consider a work’s structure, style, and themes as
well as such smaller scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and
tone. Students will write analytically. Both timed writings and out-of-class essays will be assigned.
AP courses, designed for students reading and writing two years above grade level, explore fiction
and nonfiction containing sophisticated concepts, themes, and language.
Specific skills for success:
Out-of-class commitments:
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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Pre-AP World Geography
Course Description: This course examines people, places, and environments at local,
regional, national, and international scales from the spatial and ecological perspectives of
geography. This course includes World Geography TEKS and prepares students for Advanced
Placement coursework in social studies.
Pre-AP World History
Course Description: This course emphasizes a variety of topics that include: characteristics of
matter, energy transformations during physical and chemical changes; atomic structure;
periodic table of elements; behavior of gases; bonding; nuclear fusion and nuclear fission;
oxidation-reduction; chemical equations; solutes; properties of solutions; acids and bases; and
chemical reactions. This course extends the chemistry concepts found in the TEKS and SEs with
an emphasis on preparing students to take AP Chemistry. It is expected that student who enroll
in, and successfully complete, this course will enroll in AP Chemistry.
AP World History
Course Description: AP World History covers the history of the world from 600 C.E. to the present with an introduction unit on the period before (covering around 8000 B.C.E to 600 C.E.). The
course emphasizes “patterns of change” and the connections between the various world cultures
throughout the time period being studied. Students will gain an understanding of the global experiences of humanity and be able to apply that knowledge to their growth and development as “world
citizens”. The class will prepare students to be successful on the AP World History exam.
Specific skills for success:
participation in classroom discussion
Out-of-class commitments:
3 – 5 hours per week for homework, reading and studying
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AP U. S. History
Course Description: This is a survey course that will provide a broad overview of U.S. History.
You will study topics ranging from pre-Columbian societies to the United States in the post-Cold
War world. You will also be introduced to themes—such as American diversity, religion, and war
and diplomacy intended to assist you in thinking conceptually about the American past.
HHS AP Program Guide
Specific skills for success:
participation in classroom discussion
Out-of-class commitments:
3 – 5 hours per week for homework, reading and studying
AP Human Geography
Course Description: This AP course fulfills the requirement for World Geography and provides
the student with a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in a college course. This course
introduces the systemic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding,
use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to
examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. Students taking this
course will take the World Geography EOC. Approved College Board teacher syllabus required.
Specific skills for success:
participation in classroom discussion
Out-of-class commitments:
3 – 5 hours per week for homework, reading and studying
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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AP U.S. Government
Course Description: This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the operation of
American government. The subjects that the course covers include constitutional arrangements; policymaking
institutions such as the legislative, the executive, the bureaucracy, and the courts; public opinion and the
media; political participation and voting behavior; political parties and interest groups; civil liberties and
rights; and budget making. This course is designed to offer students the tools they need to become active
and effective citizens in our democracy.
Specific skills for success:
political events in the United States
Out-of-class commitments:
3 – 5 hours per week for homework, reading and studying
AP Macro Economics
Course Description: This course will acquaint students with the fundamentals of macroeconomics, which is
a study of the economy as a whole or its basic subdivisions or aggregates, such as the government, household, and business sectors. Macroeconomics speaks of such economic measures as total output, total
unemployment, total income, aggregate expenditures, and the general level of prices in analyzing various
economic problems as well as the various theories and assumptions used by economic policymakers in
dealing with problems.
Specific skills for success:
Out-of-class commitments:
3 – 5 hours per week for homework, reading and studying
AP European History
Course Description: AP European History covers European history since 1450 and introduces students to
cultural, economic, political and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in
which they live. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European History are to develop an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history,
an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation and an ability to express historical
understanding in writing.
Specific skills for success:
Out-of-class commitments:
3 – 5 hours per week for homework, reading and studying
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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Pre-AP Geometry
HHS AP Program Guide
Course Description: This course addresses Geometry TEKS and focuses on geometric thinking and spatial reasoning; geometric figures and their properties; the relationship between geometry, other mathematics, and other disciplines; and the tools, representations and techniques for working with spatial figures and their properties. This course focuses on advanced
geometry concepts in preparing students for Advanced Placement Calculus.
Pre-AP Algebra II
Course Description: This course addresses Algebra II TEKS and focuses on algebraic thinking
and symbolic reasoning; functions, equations, and their relationship; the relationship between
algebra and geometry; representations, tools, and techniques for working with functions and
equations; and the necessary underlying mathematical processes of advanced algebra. This
course focuses on advanced algebra concepts in preparing students for Advanced Placement
Calculus.
Pre-AP Pre Calculus
Course Description: This course addresses Pre-Calculus TEKS, and focuses on symbolic reasoning and analytical methods to represent mathematical situations, express generalizations and
to study mathematical concepts and the relationships among them. Students also use representations, tools, and technology to model functions, including polynomial, exponential, and trigonometric functions, and to solve real-life problems. This course focuses on advanced Calculus concepts in preparing students for Advanced Placement Calculus.
AP Calculus AB
Course Description: The AP Calculus AB course is designed to prepare students to be proficient
at the college calculus level. Students are expected to take the AP Calculus AB exam at the end of
the course in order to earn college credit for differential calculus (approximately 3 hours). The
class focuses on the study of differential calculus with limited exposure to the early concepts of
integral calculus. The concepts are presented and tested in the analytic (symbolic), graphical and
tabular frameworks.
Specific skills for success:
-Calculus
-solving skills
Out-of-class commitments:
– 6 hours preparation for semester exams
– 18 hours preparation for the AP Exam
.
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AP Calculus BC
Course Description: This course is designed for the students wishing to receive credit for up to 6 hours of
calculus while still in high school. The content is focused on the key foundational ideas relating differential
and integral calculus. Students should expect to apply the concepts in a variety of scenarios.
Specific skills for success:
-calculus
Out-of-class commitments:
– 6 hours preparation for semester exams
– 18 hours preparation for the AP Exam
AP Statistics
Course Description: The purpose of the AP course in statistics is to introduce students to the major concepts and tools for collecting, analyzing and drawing conclusions from data.
Students are exposed to four broad conceptual themes:
1.
Exploring Data: Describing patterns and departures from patterns
2.
Sampling and Experimentation: Planning and conducting a study
3.
Anticipating Patterns: Exploring random phenomena using probability and simulation
4.
Statistical Inference: Estimating population parameters and testing hypotheses
Specific skills for success:
-discipline and a willingness to take responsibility for one’s own learning
Out-of-class commitments:
– 6 hours preparation for semester exams
– 18 hours preparation for the AP Exam
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Pre-AP Biology
Course Description: In this course, students study a variety of topics such as the structures
and functions of cells and viruses; growth and development of organisms; cells, tissues and
organs; nucleic acids and genetics; biological evolution; taxonomy; metabolism and energy
transfers in living organisms; living systems; homeostasis; ecosystems; the environment. This
course extends the biology concepts found in the TEKS and SEs with an emphasis on preparing
students to take AP Biology. It is expected that student who enroll in and successfully complete
this course will enroll in AP Biology.
HHS AP Program Guide
AP Biology
Course Description: AP Biology is a college-level course that is fast paced, in-depth, and appropriate for any student who enjoys learning about life by asking and answering questions. The
course is laboratory-based and includes the completion of the College Board recommended labs.
Specific skills for success:
Out-of-class commitments:
Students should plan to devote time to studying, lab report preparation, and reading for the class.
Pre-AP Chemistry
Course Description: This course emphasizes a variety of topics that include: characteristics
of matter, energy transformations during physical and chemical changes; atomic structure;
periodic table of elements; behavior of gases; bonding; nuclear fusion and nuclear fission;
oxidation-reduction; chemical equations; solutes; properties of solutions; acids and bases; and
chemical reactions. This course extends the chemistry concepts found in the TEKS and SEs
with an emphasis on preparing students to take AP Chemistry. It is expected that student who
enroll in, and successfully complete, this course will enroll in AP Chemistry.
AP Chemistry
Course Description: This college course in general chemistry differs from the usual first high
school course in chemistry in respect to the range and depth of topics covered, the emphasis on
chemical calculations, and the mathematical formulation of principles, the nature and variety of
laboratory work done by students, and the time and effort required of students.
Specific skills for success:
-AP Chemistry
Out-of-class commitments:
Students should practice problems, study for tests or quizzes, and analyze labs.
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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AP Environmental Science
Course Description: The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the
scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships
of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to
evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving
or preventing them. Environmental science is interdisciplinary; it embraces a wide variety of topics from different areas of study.
Specific skills for success:
—for example, a year of biology and a year of
chemistry
Out-of-class commitments:
Students can expect to study at least 1 to 2 hours per week.
Pre-AP Physics
Course Description: This course emphasizes a variety of topics that include: laws of motion; changes
within physical systems and conservation of energy and momentum; thermodynamics; force; characteristics
and behaviors of waves; and quantum physics. It provides a conceptual framework, factual knowledge, and
analytical and scientific skills. This course includes and expands the Physics TEKS. Students who complete
this course are prepared to complete AP Physics C.
AP Physics C
Course Description: Advanced Placement Physics C is a calculus-based physics course designed for students planning to major in science, math, or engineering in college. Calculus concepts are integrated within a
problem-solving and lab-based physic curriculum, which includes topics under Newtonian mechanics and
Electromagnetism.
Specific skills for success:
-discipline and a willingness to take responsibility for one’s own learning
Out-of-class commitments:
Students should plan to devote time to practice problems, study for tests or quizzes, prepare and analyze
labs.
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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Pre-AP Drawing
Course Description: This course provides the serious student of art with the opportunity to produce art that reflects their prior knowledge of the elements and the principals of art and their application. Students in this Pre-AP course will reflect three major concerns that are constants in the
teaching of art: (1) a sense of quality in the student’s work; (2) the student’s concentration on a
particular visual interest or problem; (3) the student’s need for breadth of experience in the formal,
technical, and expressive means of the artist. Students will learn to develop quality and mastery in
their work and concepts through research, experimentation, proper composition through the use of
the elements and principles of art, as well as proper construction techniques. Central to the development of visual literacy, oral and written skills of comparative analysis (emphasizing descriptive
writing about works of art) and the understanding of those works in historical and sociological contexts.
HHS AP Program Guide
AP 2D Art
Course Description: The AP Studio Art portfolios are designed for students who are seriously
interested in the practical experience of art. AP Studio Art is not based on a written exam; instead,
students submit portfolios for evaluation at the end of the school year.
The instructional goals of the AP Studio Art program include:
 Encouraging creative and systematic investigation of formal and conceptual issues.
 Emphasizing making art as an ongoing process that involves the student informed and critical
decision making.
 Helping students develop technical skills and familiarize them with the functions of the visual
elements.
 Encouraging students to become independent thinkers who will contribute inventively and
critically to their culture through the making of art.
PAP French
Course Description: This course is intended for students who wish to develop proficiency in all
four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and who wish to explore further the
history, art, and culture of France. Upon completion of this course, students should be prepared to
take AP French.
AP French
Course Description: The AP French Language course has been designed to be comparable to
college/university French language courses. It is intended for students who wish to develop proficiency in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and who wish to explore
further the history, art, and culture of France.
Specific skills for success:
-AP French III
HHS AP PROGRAM GUIDE
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PAP Spanish
Course Description: This course is intended for students who wish to develop proficiency in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing, and who wish to explore further the history, art, and
culture of Spanish. Upon completion of this course, students should be prepared to take AP Spanish.
AP Spanish
Course Description: The AP Spanish Language course has been designed to be comparable to advanced
level (fifth and sixth-semester or the equivalent) college/university Spanish language courses. It is intended
for students who wish to develop proficiency in all four language skills: listening, speaking, reading, and writing; and who wish to explore further the beauty of the Hispanic world.
Specific skills for success:
AP Music Theory
Course Description: This course extends knowledge and skills learned in other music courses, including
advanced notation, scales, melodic and harmonic intervals, chord structure, part writing, ear training, sightreading and keyboard skills. This course involves composition, written and aural analysis, and score study.
Specific skills for success:
Pre-AP Computer Science
Course Description: This course teaches the programming language of JAVA. Students are prepared for
the AP Computer Science course while learning graphics and design as well as real-world applications.
AP Computer Science
Course Description: This course provides students with a broad introduction to the world of computer programming. While studying software development, students will develop and refine invaluable skills in analytical thinking, logical and deductive reasoning, and general problem solving. Students are not required to have
any prior experience with programming or computer science topics before taking the course. (Offered at the
ATC as a two hour block).
Specific skills for success:
development
and challenges
-oriented
developed throughout the course)