The AP

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The AP Program

• at ARAB HIGH SCHOOL

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College and Career Readiness

• 93 of our 2013 graduates pursued post-secondary
  education.
• 34 enrolled in four year colleges
• 59 enrolled in two year colleges
• In addition to our core curriculum, we teach 72
  Career Technical Education courses at Arab High
  School.

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Why offer Pre/AP and AP Courses?

• The new college and career readiness standards
  better align with ACT and AP courses.
• A desire to become more competitive (scholarship
  and curriculum) with schools already teaching AP.
• To raise ACT scores. (The average ACT score of
  our students currently enrolled in AP classes is
  26).

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A College and Career Readiness Grant

• We received a 3-year grant to assist in the
  implementation of Pre/AP and AP courses.
• The grant provides financial assistance,
  professional development for teachers, 3 study
  sessions for students, and monetary incentives
  for teachers and students.
• Any student scoring a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam
  will receive a 100.

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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
  Examsstandardized 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.

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The Benefits of AP Courses

• AP courses can be challenging, but its work that
  pays off.
• AP courses are often the most interesting and
  fulfilling courses a student takes in high
  school.
• Students develop confidence, and learn the study
  habits and time management skills essential for
  success in college.

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AP and College Admission

• Colleges rank Grades in college prep courses
  and Strength of curriculum as one of the top
  factors in the admission decision.
• 85 of selective colleges and universities report
  that a students 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
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What Are AP Courses Like?

• AP courses typically demand more of students than
  regular 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.

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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)

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AP Exam Fees

• AP Exam fee is 87 per exam.
• The A College and Career Readiness Grant pays a
  portion of the cost of the exam through next year
  (2015).
• Arab High School has assumed the remaining cost
  of the exam for this school year. Next school
  year, the students will pay for their portion of
  the exam. (Est. 50)

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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.
• Credit Students earn credit toward their college
  degrees.
• Advanced placement Students can skip
  introductory courses and move directly into
  higher-level classes, and/or fulfill general
  education requirements.
• Arab High School students taking AP courses are
  required to take the AP exam.

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AP Credit Policy Information
Information about AP credit and placement
policies at many colleges and universities is
available at www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy.

• Search by college or university name or by letter
  of the alphabet
• You will see two things for each school
• A link to the colleges own Web page that details
  its AP credit and placement policies.
• A statement by the college or university about
  its AP policy.

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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 bachelors 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.
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and Save Money

• Students who take five years or more to graduate
  can spend 8,000-27,000 for each additional year
  in college.
• The typical college cost per year for a four-year
  public institution is 8,142 for in-state
  students and 19,670 for out-of-state students.
• Students attending private institutions might
  expect to incur 27,389 for each additional year
  it takes to earn a bachelors degree.

Costs include tuition, fees, and books and
supplies only, and do not include room, board,
and other living expenses. Average Estimated
Undergraduate Budgets, 2009-10 (Enrollment-Weighte
d). The College Board, Trends in College
Pricing, 2009.
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AP Boosts Eligibility for Scholarships

• 31 of colleges and universities consider a
  students 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
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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
Krista Mattern, Emily Shaw, and Xinhui Xiong,
The Relationship Between AP Exam Performance and
College Outcomes (2009), The College Board.
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PRE/AP Courses Offered at Arab High School

• Pre-AP English 9
• Pre-AP English 10
• Pre-AP Geometry (9th Grade Only)
• Pre-AP Algebra 2 w/Trig (10th Grade Only)
• Pre-Calculus
• Pre-AP Spanish
• Pre-AP Biology Pre-AP Chemistry
• New Courses 2014-2015
• Pre-AP U.S. History 1

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AP Courses Offered at Arab High School

• AP Language and Composition (11TH Grade)
• AP English Literature (12TH Grade)
• AP Chemistry AP Biology AP Physics
• AP Statistics AP Calculus
• AP World History
• AP Spanish Language
• New Courses 2014-2015
• AP Government/Economics (ACCESS ONLINE)

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Expectations for Students Enrolling in AP classes

• Students are required to attend the 3 Saturday
  study sessions (Only students participating in an
  Arab High School extracurricular activity are
  excused).
• Students must take the AP mock exam and final
  exam to receive credit for the course (These
  exams are not tied to the course grade).
• Students will not be allowed to drop the course
  mid year.

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WEIGHTED CREDIT

• ALL Pre-AP Course are weighted 1.1
• Example
• Student 1 Student 2
• English 9 Pre-AP English 9
• Grade 91 Avg. Grade 85
• 3.55 GPA 3.58 GPA
• SEE GPA SCALE FOR AHS

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WEIGHTED CREDIT

• ALL AP Courses are weighted 1.2
• Example
• Student 1 Student 2
• English 11 AP English 11
• Grade 90 Avg. Grade 79
• 3.50 GPA 3.54 GPA
• SEE GPA SCALE FOR AHS

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1st Semester Class Averages for PRE/AP

• Grade Weight Corresponding GPA
• 84 1.1 3.52 (Equivalent to 90)
• 83 1.1 3.47 (Equivalent to 89)
• 82 1.1 3.41 (Equivalent to 88)
• 85 1.1 3.58 (Equivalent to 91)
• 80 1.1 3.30 (Equivalent to 86)
• 87 1.1 3.69 (Equivalent to 93)

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1st Semester Class Averages for AP

• Grade Weight Corresponding GPA
• 83 1.2 3.78 (Equivalent to 95)
• 82 1.2 3.72 (Equivalent to 94)
• 82 1.2 3.72 (Equivalent to 94)
• 92 1.2 4.32 (Equivalent to gt 100)
• 94 1.2 4.44 (Equivalent to gt 100)
• 91 1.2 4.26 (Equivalent to gt 100)
• 84 1.2 3.84 (Equivalent to 97)
• 91 1.2 4.26 (Equivalent to gt 100)

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The 4.0 MYTH

• Student A Student B
• GPA 3.94 3.75
• Career Bs 2 3
• Career Cs 0 2
• Career Ds 0 1 (69)
• 10th Grade ACT 26 26
• 12th Grade ACT 26 30
• No Scholarship Full Scholarship

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Why NOT to take Pre-AP / AP Classes?

• To be with friends
• To earn the additional Carnegie unit and raise
  GPA
• If nothing but As are desired or deemed
  acceptable.

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BENCHMARK SCORES FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS
AND AP APTITUDE

• Explore Scores Plan Scores
• English 13 15
• Reading 16 18
• Math 17 19
• Science 18 20

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Should We?, Shouldnt We, or How Many?

1. Look at your childs Explore or Plan Data
2. Evaluate all the factors- Extra-curricular
   (sports, clubs, band, AMT, work, outside
   interest, work ethic, etc.
3. Is this a transition year?
4. Our students consistently report that 9th grade
   is the most difficult year academically due
   mainly to the transition.
5. A 9th grade student that is highly involved might
   want to be selective with the number of Pre-AP
   classes
6. Sit down with guidance counselor or principal

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