AP Academy FAQ and Scenarios
1)
My student is only interested in English, is there an option for them?
Yes, this student could take Pre-AP English 9 in 9th grade, Pre-AP English 10 in 10th grade, AP English Language in
11th grade, and AP English Literature in 12th grade. As long as they earned at least a B in each of those four classes,
the only other requirements to earn the AP Academy Diploma with English Specialization, would be to take two
additional AP classes (B or above) during their final two years. Lastly, student must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above.
Hypothetical Situation #1- Four Pre-AP/AP-level English courses, plus one AP class (outside of English) in their junior
year and one AP class in their senior year would qualify.
Hypothetical Situation #2- Four Pre-AP/AP-level English courses, plus two AP classes (outside of English) in their
junior year or two AP classes in their senior year would qualify.
Hypothetical Situation #3- Four Pre-AP/AP-level English courses, AP Human Geography in 9th grade, AP World
History in 10th grade, and AP Environmental Science in 11th grade. This would not qualify, because the first two
classes were taken before their junior year. They would still need to take one additional AP class in either 11th or 12th
grade to qualify.
2)
My student wants to get a specialization in science, but is interested in taking 5 sciences in 4 years. Does that other
science count too?
Yes, this student could take Pre-AP Biology in 9th grade, Pre-AP Chemistry in 10th grade, and then has a choice of 4
different AP-level sciences for their junior and senior year (AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics, and AP
Environmental Science). The student would need to earn a B in each of those four chosen courses to qualify for the
specialization. If a student earning a science specialization also wants to take an additional AP science course, which
would count as one of the “other AP-level courses” under all three AP Academy designations. The student could decide
which course is part of the specialization and which is an “elective”. This is also true of the math specialization if a
student takes AP Calculus and AP Statistics.
Hypothetical Situation: Student takes Pre-AP Biology, Pre-AP Chemistry, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. The
student needs two other AP-level courses in their final two years. If they took AP Chemistry concurrently with AP
Environmental Science in their senior year, that course would count as one of the two additional courses required to
earn the AP Academy Diploma. Only one other course during those two years would be necessary.
3)
My student entered FHS in Algebra I, can they earn a math specialization?
No. Algebra I is not considered a Pre-AP/AP level class. However, this does not preclude that student from earning one
of the other three specializations or even getting the Honors diploma. It is even possible to earn the Distinguished
Scholar diploma, albeit more difficult. They would need to complete an AP-level math class. The only plausible way to
accomplish this would be to take Algebra I, Pre-AP Geometry, Pre-AP Algebra II, and then skip Pre-Calculus to go
straight to AP Statistics in their senior year.
4)
My student got a C in AP Human Geography in their freshman year, are they no longer eligible for the academy?
Not necessarily. While they can no longer earn the specialization in social studies because a minimum of a B in all four
courses are required for that, they can certainly get the diploma in another specialization. That is why we recommend
students take as many Pre-AP classes as they can in 9th and 10th grade. Beyond the fact that they gain critical skills in
preparation for future AP-level and college courses, they also keep their options open for possible specializations with
the AP Academy Diploma. In addition, a C in that class does not preclude a student from earning the AP Distinguished
Scholar designation or Honors Diploma if they complete all of the other requirements for the program. Since the "B or
above" requirement for "additional AP courses" only applies to those taken in 11th and 12th grade, a C in AP Human
Geography would not affect them.
5)
My student wants to get the AP Academy Distinguished Scholar Diploma, but doesn’t want to take AP English Literature
their senior year, can they still get the diploma?
Yes, the only requirement to get the Distinguished Scholar Diploma is to complete one AP course in each of the four
core areas during their final two years in high school, have a total of 8 AP-level courses over four years, complete their
senior capstone project, and maintain a GPA of 3.3 or above.
Hypothetical Situation: Student takes AP Human Geography in 9th grade and AP World History in 10th grade. In their
junior year, they take AP English Language, AP U.S. History, AP Chemistry, and Pre-Calculus. As they enter their
senior year, they have already completed 5 of the 8 AP courses. Thus, the student has the flexibility to choose the three
AP courses that best fit their academic interests, but one of them will need to be in math, since they have not completed
that core area yet. So, in their senior year, they could choose to take AP Calculus (or AP Statistics), another AP science,
and AP Government/Honors Economics to fulfill their requirements. In addition, this student could replace one of those
core classes (other than math) with an elective class like AP Spanish or AP Art Studio.
6)
Can my student quit the academy if they are no longer interested?
Yes. In fact, the AP Academy is an opt-in/opt-out program. During registration each spring, students fill out a special
AP Academy course pick-list for the following academy year. A student interested in continuing in the AP Academy will
simply choose to fill out the AP Academy pick-list. In addition to signing up for the appropriate classes, they will need to
sign an AP Academy contract containing the expectations of the academy including academic integrity and behavior. If
a student is no longer interested in participating in the academy, they can simply not fill out the pick-list and contract.
7)
I just enrolled at Flagstaff high school and didn't know about the AP Academy. Can I sign up later?
Yes. If you have taken the appropriate coursework in the past with grades consistent with the program requirements,
you can simply ask for an AP Academy pick-list at spring registration and you will be in the program the following year.
You can also petition of the chair of the AP Academy for admission immediately.
8)
What if my student transfers to FHS from a school that didn’t have honors classes available or is identified in 9th grade
by their teacher of having been misplaced in non-honors classes and are capable of higher level academic success?
These students will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The students would meet with the chair of the AP Academy
and the administrative liaison and based on an examination of their previous academic success (GPA, test scores) and
other indicators may be offered the opportunity to join the academy, and may be given alternative routes to reaching
the three diploma options.
9)
Can students get two specializations?
A student completing all of the Pre-AP/AP level courses in two core areas, with a minimum of a B in each course, will
have by default have qualified for the AP Academy Honors Diploma with specialization, and would be very close to
qualifying for the AP Academy Distinguished Scholar Diploma. In this scenario, we would encourage the student to go
for that highest distinction their senior year. But, if that is not their choice to pursue, they will need to choose only one
specialization of their liking for the diploma.
10) How do I know which tier my student is in?
Students keep track of their goals by registering for the next year's classes each spring. If they decide to aim for the
highest distinction, then signing up for as many Pre-AP/AP classes as possible at each grade level is their best
approach. If they have decided to focus on the specialization, then they make that decision when registering for
classes. Students can also seek the advice of the chair of the AP Academy at any time.
11) How do students know which distinction they will be awarded at graduation?
During the spring of their senior year, they will fill out a "Petition for Graduation with an AP Academy Diploma". This
form will ask students to indicate which of the three distinctions they are requesting, which coursework they are
claiming for qualification of that status, and to attach a transcript. Assuming all information is accurate and meets the
AP Academy requirements, they will be so honored at graduation.