Advanced Placement
Courses at WSHS
Elizabeth Jackson-Pettine
AP Academic Coordinator
February 9, 2015
AP Program: The Basics
 AP courses are college-level courses offered in
high school & sponsored by College Board. AP
courses reflect what is taught in top introductory
courses.
 At the end of a course, students take AP Exams --
standardized exams that measure how well they
have mastered college-level course work.
 Students who do well on the exams can earn
college credit and/or college placement into
advanced courses.
The Benefits of AP Courses
AP courses are challenging but it is work
that pays off:
 These classes are often the most interesting
and fulfilling courses a student takes in high
school.
 AP courses help students develop analytical,
critical thinking and writing skills that prepares
them for college-level work.
 They also allow students to develop confidence
and learn study habits and time management
skills essential for success in college.
AP and College Admission
 Colleges often 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 classes favorably
impacts admission decision as this indicates
that a student has chosen to challenge
him/herself.
 BUT they also say consistency in grades and
the overall class schedule are important as well.
College Credit Factors
 AP Exams administered first two weeks of May
 1-5 score range: 3, 4 or 5 (the highest) are
considered “passing scores”
 College credit factors vary widely by:
 Score received
 College/University
 Major
 For more information regarding earning college
credit at specific universities and colleges, see https://apscore.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/s
earch-credit-policies
Credit Policy Information
www.collegeboard.com/ap/creditpolicy
Search by college or university name or by its 4-digit
code and it will link you to the college’s own Web page
that details its AP credit and placement policies.
AP Scores at WSHS
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
Total # of AP
students
816
836
826
842
887
Total # of
Exams
Given
1786
1718
1784
1853
2018
# of AP
exams with
scores 3+
1186
1165
1314
1330
1497
% of
students with
scores 3+
74.4
76.0
81.5
78.9
82.5
30 AP Courses Offered
ENGLISH
SOCIAL STUDIES
English Lang & Comp (11th)
English Lit & Comp (12th)
Government: United States (12th)
Government: US & Comparative (12th)
Human Geography (10th–12th)
Microeconomics/Macroeconomics (11th/12th)
Psychology (11th/12th)
US History (11th)
World History (10th)
SCIENCE
Biology (11th/12th)
Chemistry (11th/12th)
Environmental Science (11th/12th)
Physics 1, 2 or C (11th/12th)
MATHEMATICS
Calculus AB (11th/12th)
Calculus BC (11th/12th)
Computer Science (10th–12th)
Statistics (11th/12th)
WORLD LANGUAGES
French (11th/12th)
German (11th/12th)
Japanese (11th/12th)
Latin (11th/12th)
Spanish (11th/12th)
FINE ARTS
Art History (10th–12th)
Music Theory (11th/12th)
Studio Art: Drawing
Studio Art: 2D/ (11th/12th)
Design Portfolio
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,
readings and assignments.
 AP teachers expect students to think critically,
analyze and synthesize facts and data, weigh
competing perspectives, and write clearly and
persuasively.
What are AP Courses Like?
The following resource may be helpful for
students wanting to know what an AP class is
like. We welcome students to visit this link.
 http://apstudent.collegeboard.org/exploreap
What are AP Courses Like?
AP Course Expectations – on our website
http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/student
services/creditsandcourses.html
FCPS & WSHS Guidelines
 Currently, all students enrolled in an AP
course must take the respective AP exam
 Before a student’s GPA is calculated, an
additional 1.0 (for each AP course) is added to
the student’s quality credits. However, most
colleges disregard this additional weight.
NOTE: The letter grade that appears on the report card
remains the same. That is, if the student earned a B, a B is
reported on the report card but a 4.0 is used is computing the
GPA.
AP Course Registration
 Curriculum Fair for students is scheduled
Wednesday during Period 4/Spartan Time.
 Students have the opportunity to visit 4 different
teachers to get information about electives/AP
courses offered next year.
 AP Memorandum of Understanding for
the 2015-16 school year:


We ask students to seek out the necessary
information to make the BEST academic
decision
On our website
What can you expect?
It is important for your child to consider these
factors during the course selection process:
 areas of interest
 areas of academic strength
 the amount of time needed to be successful
in all courses
 extracurricular obligations
 work/life balance
Memorandum of
Understanding
Support for AP students
 AP Advanced Seminar

Available for students who take 3 or more APs
 Student Achievement Grant (SAG)

Support for students in AP program (AP Boost
Camp/Mentoring)
 Dependent on funding
 Additional support (to mention a few)




Spartan Time
After-school with teachers
Writing Center
Honor society tutoring
AP Mini-Sessions &
Curriculum Fair
Next, from 7:45 to 8:45:
 Information & presentations regarding
specific AP courses by AP teachers (see
handout for rooms):

Three, 15-minute sessions for larger AP classes
(World History, US History, Government, English Language,
English Literature, Calculus AB/BC, Psychology, Physics 1 & 2)
with 5 minutes passing between sessions


AP World History will hold a single session here
immediately following this presentation
Plus, there is a curriculum fair in the Cafeteria
for electives choices and other AP courses
Additional questions?
 Information provided this evening can be
found on the WSHS website here
http://www.fcps.edu/westspringfieldhs/stud
entservices/creditsandcourses.html
 Contact: Elizabeth Jackson-Pettine,
AP Academic Coordinator
ejacksonpett@fcps.edu
Thank you for your interest in the
AP program at WSHS!