SRVHS
Parent Information Evening
March 2, 2004
Advanced
Honors
Advanced Placement
Introduction
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Welcome
What are advanced courses?
Why take advanced courses?
School-wide expectations
Student and Parent expectations
The College Board
UC and CSU
Course expectations
Panel Discussion
Parent Academic Nights
Dates to Remember
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March 23: incoming 12th grade
March 24: incoming 10th grade
March 25: incoming 11th grade
March 31: incoming 9th grade
Placement Tests Dates
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Math: done in class
Sign-ups in the Counseling Office for the following courses:
Social Studies
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A.P. U.S. History, March 11
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AP Euro March 15 after school in room B2
English (3:30 PM-> E-Wing)
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March 10th: current SRVHS students
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March 17th: incoming 9th graders
All other courses please check in course newspaper for prerequisites All waivers are due in the counseling office by
Monday April 5th by 3:30 PM
What is Accelerated,
Advanced, Honors or AP?
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Advanced/AP classes differ from the
regular college preparatory classes in
their:
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Pace (i.e., faster, more intense)
Depth and complexity of assignments
Higher standards of evaluation
Emphasis on product rather than process
What is Accelerated,
Advanced, Honors or AP?
Advanced or Accelerated (9th & 10th)
 Lower division courses that cover
more curriculum and moves at a faster
pace than College Prep courses.
 These courses do not receive
additional weighed points in student
GPA.
What is Accelerated,
Advanced, Honors or AP?
Accelerated and Advanced Course
offered at SRVHS:
 Advanced English 9 & 10
 Accelerated Biology
 Advanced Algebra 2
What is Accelerated,
Advanced, Honors or AP?
Honors Courses
 UC certified courses contain specialized and
extended content, and additional workload
intended to encourage students to take
demanding coursework in high school.
 Weighted grades
 Limited number of UC certified courses
permitted in 10th grade (4 semesters)
What is Accelerated,
Advanced, Honors or AP?
Honors courses offered at SRVHS:
 Honors Chemistry
 Honors Physics
 Honors Microbiology
 Honors Trig/ Math Analysis
 Honors French 4
 Honors Spanish 4
 Honors German 4
What is Accelerated,
Advanced, Honors or AP?
Advanced Placement
 College Level
 Access with Multiple Measures (prerequisites, tests,
prior course grades, teacher recommendations)
 AP Exams in May
 Fees ($90 each for the 2003 exams)
 Score range (3-5 passing and may receive
college credit)
 Universities will publish whether they accept
exams for credit. This fall check on-line at
www.collegeboard.com
What is Accelerated,
Advanced, Honors or AP?
AP courses offered at SRVHS:
AP Biology, Chemistry,
Physics B
AP Environmental
Science
AP Statistics
AP Econ, American
Government
AP English Language,
English Literature
AP Spanish, French
AP Studio Art
AP Calculus AB
AP European History,
US History
AP Psychology
Why take advanced courses?
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Challenging curriculum for the accelerated student
Prepares student for university work; the more
challenging the student's high school program, the
better prepared he or she will be for university work.
Makes student competitive in college selection
process
College Board research indicates it is not the high
school course grades or cumulative GPA that
determines success at the college level. It is the
rigor of courses taken in high school that is the best
predictor of success.
School-wide Expectations
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Highly motivated students
Highly qualified students (very
proficient readers, reading well above
grade level and critical thinkers)
Independent learners
Computer Savvy a big plus!
Take AP Exams
Student and Parents
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Student placement appropriate
Students encouraged to stretch
academically and artistically
Students have a fundamental interest in
learning that subject not just for the grade or
college applications
Parents and students should avoid overscheduling (maximum number of courses
per semester matched to student’s interest,
motivation, and adequate time).
The College Board
http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/students/index.html
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Internationally valid testing
Some universities do give credit, some do not, check on-line
The Value of AP — there's more to AP than trying to get a
"passing" grade on the exam; you'll work hard in an AP
course, but you'll get back a lot in return.
Sophomore Standing — a list of colleges that will let you start
college as a sophomore, if you meet their AP requirements.
Scholar Awards — the criteria used to grant awards in eight
different categories.
International Diploma — for students who are considering
applying to a college outside of the U.S. and Canada.
UC/CSU & Honors & AP courses
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Honors and AP courses are weighted at the
UC and CSU if taken in 10, 11,12 grade.
The university assigns extra points for up to
four units of university certified honors level
and advanced placement courses.
A maximum of two of the four units may be
taken in grade 10.
Grades of D are not assigned extra honors
points
English Courses
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Advanced English 9
Advanced English 10
AP English Language
(11)
AP English Literature
(12)
English Course Expectations
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Necessary Skills: In addition to fluency in English,
enjoying reading, and having strong work ethic,
advanced/AP English students demonstrate:
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Superior reading comprehension and writing skills
Self-discipline and self-motivation
Work that is detailed, precise, and thorough
Academic commitment as well as a commitment to the
class
Comfort with ambiguity
Adroit shifting between the literal and the abstract
Synthesis of textual information
Aptitude for the analysis of literature
English Course Expectations
Homework/time commitment:
Varies from instructor-toinstructor and throughout the
year.
Mathematics Courses
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Advanced Algebra 2
Honors Trig/Math Analysis
AP Calculus AB
AP Statistics
Advanced Algebra 2
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Class Content
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A rigorous college prep class
that includes all of the Algebra
2 concepts
Statistics and Probability
Trigonometry
Course Requirements
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Daily Homework
Tests
Semester Exams
Perseverance
Honors Trig/Math Analysis
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Course Content
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Requirements
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A rigorous college prep class that includes college algebra
and trigonometry
Daily homework
Tests
Semester Finals
We use a graphing calculator for demonstration
purposes.
A TI 83 or 83plus is recommended.
AP Calculus
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Most important is the desire to
succeed and a willingness to work
consistently throughout the year
We cover a little more than the
typical college first semester of
Calculus but take three quarters to
do it
We then review for a month and
have our final before the AP test in
May
The major topics are Differential and
Integral Calculus of one variable
Homework daily: 0.5-1 hour/day
AP Calculus:
What do we do after the AP test in May?
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A project
And on Wednesdays we play cricket!
Advanced Placement Statistics
Student Qualities and Requirements
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Self-motivation
Responsible
Analysis and Logical
Reasoning
Ability to integrate
new concepts and
processes, building
on previous
knowledge
AP Statistics Course Information
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A graphing calculator is
required (TI-83 Plus or TI-83
Silver Edition is
recommended).
Homework: approx. 30-45
minutes/day
A project is required in the
second semester including
research, a written report, and
an oral presentation
Foreign Language
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Honors Spanish 4
Honors French 4
Honors German 4
AP Spanish 5
AP French 5
Honors Spanish 4
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Requirements: Strong interest in speaking
Spanish, a C or better in Spanish 3, strong
command of basic grammatical structures and
beginning understanding of complex structures,
ability to skim reading selections for the gist of
the meaning without translating, and
recommendation of Spanish 3 teacher.
Homework is about 20-30 minutes per evening
Honors French 4
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Willing to speak only
French in the classroom
Able to communicate ideas
in writing
2nd semester French
Literature
Homework: 4 times/week
grammar/vocabulary;
questions about reading
assignments
Summer Assignment, read
French magazines, watch
French movies…
AP Spanish 5
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Requirements: Must be able to communicate in Spanish
comfortably, must have complete command of basic
grammatical structures and reasonable command of
complex structures, must have an understanding of the uses
of the subjunctive, must be able to read for understanding in
Spanish, must have at least a C in Spanish 4 but a B is
recommended, and must have the recommendation of the
Spanish 4 teacher.
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Homework is about 20-30 minutes per evening
AP French 5
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Class conducted entirely in French
High level of fluency in spontaneous
speaking
Knowledge of advanced vocabulary
Ability to read sophisticated material
Ability to write sophisticated essays
Homework: weekly or bimonthly
essays and tape recordings
Art
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Advanced Photography
AP Studio Art
Advanced Photography
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Pre-requisites: 2
semesters of
photography
Portfolio
preparation for AP
art and/or college
application with
portfolio
AP Studio Art
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Advanced Placement Studio:
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Students, for the most part, work independently
throughout the school year (although there are several
assigned projects and written assignments) to complete a
portfolio for submission to the AP College Review Board.
Students are graded individually by teacher critique
throughout the year and must complete the AP Studio
Portfolio Test to earn AP credit (Art 3 credit is earned for
students not completing the portfolio).
There are two portfolios available for completion in AP
Studio (Drawing and 2D); a minimum of 18 works is
required for each portfolio.
Science
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Accelerated Biology
Honors Chemistry
Honors Physics
AP Physics B
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
AP Environmental Science
Accelerated Biology
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Year long science fair project
Higher level textbook than regular biology
Independent learners, need organization skills,
enjoy torturing the instructor (just checking if
you’re actually reading this…)
Higher than grade level readers
Computer savvy (Email, Excel graphing, etc.)
Small summer assignment
Homework approx. 2-3 hours/week (if students
plan ahead and follow calendar)
Honors Physics
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Critical thinking, problem
solving, ability to apply former
knowledge to new situations,
perseverance
Study of everyday physical
environment, including
motion, light, optics, heat,
sound, nuclear physics and
more
Homework: 5 hours/week
AP Physics B
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Pre-requisites: B or better in
Trig/ Math Analysis;
recommended that students
concurrently enrolled in AP
Calculus AB
intended for students with an
interest in engineering,
science or the medical field
includes topics in both
classical and modern physics
The five general areas
covered include Newtonian
mechanics, fluid mechanics
and thermal physics, electricity
and magnetism, waves and
optics, and atomic and nuclear
physics are required by the
College Board
Homework appx. 5 hours per
week
AP Biology
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Freshman College Biology; meets UC/CSU
“d” requirement for lab science.
Uses Campbell 6th Edition Biology (widely
used textbook)
Summer Assignment (Ecology Unit- 6
chapters; due first day of school)
12 Required Laboratory Activities by College
Board
Homework: 5 hours/ week including extensive
reading, 10 formal lab write-ups; post-AP
Exam project.
AP Environmental Science
Course Description
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Equivalent of a one-semester,
introductory college course in
environmental science
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Interdisciplinary course embracing
topics from chemistry, biology, earth
science, population dynamics,
environmental quality, resource
policy and management, and the
environment and society
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Designed to satisfy University of
California and California State
University lab science requirements
An E2 Academy Class
APES Projects:
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Integrated pest management and
native species demonstration
garden
Water quality monitoring in San
Ramon Creek
Solar-powered cooking contest
Man-powered vehicle development
and racing.
School-wide energy audit with
proposed modifications/
conservation measures.
Atmospheric monitoring
Elementary/middle school docent
program
Onsite recycling program
Honors Chemistry
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Designed for high-achieving, scienceoriented students
Extensive quantitative component
Students should be highly skilled in
algebra and have passed geometry.
Most Honors Chemistry students are
concurrently enrolled in algebra 2.
Essential concepts (i.e. matter, atoms,
molecules, etc.)
Five topic areas/chapters per quarter
No summer assignment or chemistry
knowledge prerequisites.
Homework requirement – 4 to 5 hours
per week.
AP Chemistry
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Breadth and depth of curriculum requires
a high level of discipline and commitment
from the student.
Chemistry knowledge prerequisite
Students should have passed Honors
Chemistry with a “B” or better. A working
Knowledge of the basics of chemistry is
expected at the beginning of the course.
No summer assignment- however, in
order to cover all of the material
demanded by the AP exam, mandatory
work, such as, reading and problem
assignments, may be required over
school breaks and vacations.
Homework requirement – approx. 6
hours per week.
Social Studies
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AP European History
AP U.S. History
AP Psychology
AP Economics
AP American
Government
AP European History
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Students need
accelerated reading,
comprehension, note
taking and writing skills
In-depth look at
European History
Summer Assignment:
short book and essay
Homework; extensive
reading 4-7 hours per
week
AP U.S. History
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Study of American
History from the
colonial era to the
present
Strong reading,
comprehension, and
writing skills
Homework: 3-4 hours
per week
No summer
assignment
AP Psychology
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Comprehensive study of
general psychology
including research and
clinical psychology
Strong reading
comprehension and
critical thinking skills
Homework: 30-45
minutes per night
No summer assignment
AP American Government
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Commitment to excellence
Analytical skills, essay writing,
critical thinking skills, factual
recall ability
Lecture based course
Exams, quizzes, essays,
presentations, research
project
Homework, approximately 6
hours/week
AP Economics
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The necessary skills
are mathematical
reasoning and logical
thinking.
Homework is ½ hour
every night with one
test a week.
There is no summer
assignment.
Placement Agreements
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Parent and student signature required
Have up to 6 weeks to drop the course without a
grade appearing on the transcript (after 7 weeks;
WF)
No guarantee that a substitute course is available;
may be placed in study hall.
AP classes build on skills students should have
acquired already. The advanced classes do not
provide remediation for under-prepared students.
Master schedule will be very tight next year due to
budget constraints, PLEASE SELECT COURSES
CAREFULLY AND THOUGHTFULLY
Contact Information
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Counseling Office:
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552-3021 or 552-3016
Craig Ritts (A-Dr) 552-3025
Nancy Conti (Du-Lam) 552- 3027
Candice Brown (Lan-Rei) 552-3045
Vivian Srouji (Rej-Z) 552-3033
Panel Discussion
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Students: Ray Ochoa, Peter
Enzminger, Carol Dowty, Haley
Kenyon, Arthur and David Chen
Teachers: Robin Groch, Marge
Yeargan, Jeanne Mullowney, John
Walker, Leslie Dumas
Counselor: Vivian Srouji