THE BASICS
 Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) courses are
college-level courses offered in high school. AP
courses reflect what is taught in top introductory
college courses
 At the end of course, students take AP Exams—
standardized exams that measure how well students
have mastered college-level course work.
 Students who do well on AP Exams can earn credit
and/or placement into advanced courses in college.
WHAT ARE AP COURSES LIKE?
AP courses typically demand more of students than regular
or honors courses.
 Classes tend to be fast-paced and cover more material
than typical high school classes.
 More time, inside and outside of the classroom, is
required to complete lessons, assignments and
homework.
 AP teachers expect their students to think critically,
analyze and synthesize facts and data, weigh competing
perspectives, and write clearly and persuasively.
 AP Courses are year-long commitments (with the
exception of American Government and
Macroeconomics, which are only one semester) and will
be held to the same scheduling policies as all other FC
courses.
AP CREDIT EXPANDS STUDENTS’
OPTIONS
College credit earned through AP
Exams allows students to move
into upper-level college courses
sooner, pursue a double major,
and gain time to study and travel
abroad.
“As a freshman, I was able to skip general education
requirements and head straight into the higher-level classes I
wanted to take. Taking AP Exams literally saved me semesters
of time.”—Brent Wiese, University of Iowa
MULTI-YEAR SCHOOL SCORE SUMMARY
'08
'09
'10
'11
'12
'13
144
249
340
425
542
Stud. Scoring 3+ 55
66
122
147
188
207
# of Exams Taken 158
222
442
685
807
1022
# of AP Students 99
The increased participation of minority and low-SES
students has been the major contributing factor to the
growth of FCHS’s AP program.
THE BENEFITS OF AP COURSES
AP courses can be challenging, but it’s work
that pays off.
 AP courses are often the most
interesting and fulfilling courses a
student takes in high school.
 AP teachers are among the most
prepared, dedicated, and inspiring
teachers at their schools.
 Students develop confidence, and learn
the study habits and time management
skills essential for success in college.
At FCHS, AP and Pre-AP grades are weighted. This means that for
each qualifying course where a student earns a C- or higher,
he/she will receive an additional .6667 in his/her GPA.
DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS
Academic Honors
Franklin Central Honors
 4 AP credits
 12 AP/Pre-AP credits
 Corresponding exams  Corresponding exams
 47 credits
 47 credits
Largely due to FC’s growing AP program, the number of
students graduating with an Academic Honors diploma
increased 35.3% from 2010 to 2013.
HOW DO WE RATE?
 Franklin Central students participated in two new AP offerings in
2012-13, World History and Computer Science, both of which
expanded the population of potential AP students (included
sophomores and tech-based students for the first time)
 In 2013, Franklin Central students scored higher than the
previous year in seven subject areas: Art History, Biology,
Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, Physics B, and
Spanish Language
 Franklin Central students scored significantly higher than the
national average in Calculus BC and Physics B in 2013.
 2014 brings the first test in AP Psychology to FCHS; it is the
largest test we will be giving this year (154 students)
 Almost as many students passed AP exams
with a 3 or higher in 2013 than merely
attempted an AP test in 2010 !
PRE-AP AND AP OFFERINGS
CORE CONTENT
AREAS
ELECTIVE
AREAS
English
Math
Science
Social Studies
Performing Arts
Visual Arts
World Language
Business
2
7
%
Increased AP sections
36 in 2011-2012
46 in 2013-2014
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT
Pre-AP English 9
Pre-AP English 10
AP English Language and Composition
(Grade 11)
AP English Literature and Composition
(Grade 12)
Summer reading is a requirement of each offering. Lists will
be available at registration and on the school’s website
(www.ftcsc.k12.in.us) under the “Course Catalog” menu
option.
MATH DEPARTMENT
Algebra II Pre-AP
Geometry Pre-AP
Pre-Calculus Pre-AP
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
SCIENCE DEPARTMENT
Pre-AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Physics 1
AP Physics 2 in 2015-16
AP Biology
AP Environmental Science
SOCIAL STUDIES DEPT.
Pre-AP Geography /
History of the World
AP World History
AP United States History
AP Macroeconomics
AP United States Government
AP Psychology (New in 2013-14!)
*Students enrolled in AP Macro and/or AP US Government
who are interested in taking the AP Micro and/or AP
Comparative Government exams will have the opportunity
to do so if they declare their intention by the end of Dec.
2014.
FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT
P ER FO R M I NG
A RT S
AP Music Theory
V I S UAL ART S
AP Art History
AP Studio Art
WORLD LANGUAGES DEPT.
French III, Spanish III, German III Pre-AP
French IV, Spanish IV, German IV Pre-AP
Students with extensive experience in a world
language that has a corresponding AP exam may
participate in testing if they declare their interest by
the end of December 2014.
BUSINESS DEPARTMENT
AP Computer Science
 Provides a practical
application of AP knowledge for
Technical Honors diploma candidates
 Attracts students to
AP that may not be
interested in traditional
AP subjects
EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE
SCHOOL SCHOLAR ROSTER
2013 Results
AP Scholar
w/Honor
w/Distinction
Nat’l Scholar
# of Scholars
40
17
9
1
2.86
3.61
3.94
4.50
Granted to
students who
receive an
average score
of at least 3.25
on all AP
Exams taken,
and scores of
3 or higher on
four or more of
these exams
Granted to
students who
receive an
average score
of at least 3.5
on all AP
Exams taken,
and scores of
3 or higher on
five or more of
these exams
Granted to
students in the
United States
who receive an
average score of
at least 4 on all
AP Exams taken,
and scores of 4
or higher on eight
or more of these
exams
Avg. Score
Criteria Granted to
students who
receive scores
of 3 or higher
on three or
more AP
Exams
Based on 2014 test participation alone, FCHS will
have 141 students eligible for AP Scholar status.
AP EXAMS
AP Exams are administered by
schools worldwide on set dates
each May.
Exams usually last around three
hours.
Each AP Exam contains:
Multiple-choice questions
Free-response questions (essay,
problem-solving, oral response)
AP EXAM FEES
AP Exam fee for 2013-14 is $89 per exam.
• For students with financial need, the College Board
provides a $26 per exam fee reduction. The State of
Indiana, through legislative action, typically covers
the remaining exam costs for these students.
• In Indiana, additional state funding has historically
provided for all math and science exams to be taken
at no cost to the student.
• College Board sets the cost of the exams and
reconsiders the amount annually.
WHY TAKE AP EXAMS?
•
•
•
Most two- and four-year colleges and universities in the
United States offer credit or advanced placement for
qualifying AP Exam scores.
Indiana, state law mandates that any student scoring a
3 or higher on an AP exam must receive equivalent
college credit at a state college or university.
Advanced placement: Students can skip introductory
courses and move directly into higher-level classes,
and/or fulfill general education requirements.
Gavyn Gerbofsky, a 2013 FC grad, entered into Marian College with 39 college
credits earned due to his AP experience. He was considered a second semester
college sophomore as a result and is far ahead of schedule on his way to a premed degree!
AP AND COLLEGE SUCCESS
A recent study* showed that
students who earned a 3, 4, or
5 on the AP Exam had higher
first-year college grade point
averages and were more likely
to return for the second year
of college than non-AP
students of similar ability.
“One of the best
standard predictors
of academic
success at Harvard
is performance on
Advanced
Placement
Examinations.”
—William Fitzsimmons,
Dean of Admissions &
Financial Aid, Harvard
University
In December 2012, The Indianapolis Star published a feature article addressing the
importance of an Academic Honors Diploma when preparing students for college
success. AP courses were spotlighted as a significant contributing factor to that
success.
*Krista Mattern, Emily Shaw, and Xinhui Xiong, “The Relationship Between AP Exam
Performance and College Outcomes” (2009), The College Board.
AP AND COLLEGE ADMISSION
Colleges rank “Grades in college
prep courses” and “Strength of
curriculum” as the top two factors
in the admission decision.*
85% of selective colleges and
universities report that a
student’s AP experience favorably
impacts admission decisions.**
“We look favorably
on students who
have taken AP
courses. The
presence of AP
courses is a sign
that a student has
chosen to
challenge
him/herself.”
—Admission Officer
* 2009 State of College Admission, NACAC
** Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research Inc. March 2007
AP BOOSTS ELIGIBILITY FOR
SCHOLARSHIPS
31% of colleges and
universities consider a
student’s AP experience
when making decisions
about which students will
receive scholarships.*
“Having the AP Exam score can
make the difference when it
comes down to awarding
precious scholarship dollars.”
—Edwina Harris Hamby, former
Dean of Admission, Fisk
University
* Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research Inc. March 2007
AP CREDIT POLICY INFORMATION
Information about AP credit and placement policies at many
colleges and universities is available at
www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy
1. Search by college or university name or by letter of
the alphabet
2. You will see two things for each school:
 A link to the college’s own
Web page that details its AP
credit and placement policies.
 A statement by the college
or university about its AP
policy.
AP HELPS STUDENTS GRADUATE ON TIME…
Students who take AP courses and exams are much more
likely than their peers to complete a college degree on time.
 Only one in four students who enter college complete a
bachelor’s degree in four years.*
 A recent study** showed that students taking AP courses
and exams were much more likely to earn a college
degree in four years.
 For example, AP English Literature students had four-year
college graduation rates that were 62% higher than
students that had not taken AP English Literature.
* IPEDS database, 2008
** Linda Hargrove, Donn Godin, and Barbara Dodd, “College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and
Non-AP High School Experiences.” The College Board, 2008.
… AND SAVE MONEY
Students who take five years or more to
graduate can spend tens of thousands of
dollars for each additional year in college.
The typical college cost per year for a four-year
public institution is $21,500 for in-state
students*
Students attending private institutions might
expect to incur $32,600 for each additional
year it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree**
*The College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2011, Figure 1
**http://www.statisticbrain.com/average-cost-of-college-tuition/
WHAT DOES THIS MEAN?
In 2013, 207 Franklin Central students earned 1,068
state college/university credits.
Those 1,068 credits come at a modest average cost of $350
per credit hour.
That means FCHS students saved $373,800 by participating
in AP exams this year!
5 FCHS graduating seniors were eligible to start their
first year at a state college or university as sophomores
based upon credits earned through AP exams.
 34 additional graduating seniors were eligible to start
their first year at a state college or university as second
semester freshmen.
LEARN MORE
 More information about the AP program at
Franklin Central High School is available in the
course catalog. Please visit
http://www.ftcsc.k12.in.us/fchs/Guidance/26/
 For more information about AP courses and
exams visit www.collegeboard.org/apstudents