Sacred Heart High School Pre-Advanced Placement Program

Agenda Welcome & Opening Prayer AP Math Fair - presentation Advanced Placement – an overview AP at SHHS AP benefits Questions

The Advanced Placement Program® The program began in 1955 in the United States and is offered in over 80 countries worldwide. In 2011, nearly 3.5 million AP exams were administered worldwide (up almost 250,000 from 2010) 18, 340 schools worldwide participate in the AP Program (up from 17, 861 in 2010) Data available through

The Advanced Placement Program® In Canada in 2011, 24,990 exams were written (compared to 23,757 in 2010). Nationally, the U of S ranked 7 th (up from 11 th in 2010) in terms of AP Examination Volume, with 377 exams recognized, while the U of R ranked 13 th with 223 recognized exams. In Saskatchewan, 884 exams were written in 30 schools (up from 811 exams in 28 schools in 2010). » Data available at

The College Board Mission Prepare, inspire, connect students to college success and opportunity with a commitment to quality, equity, and excellence.

The AP Program – An Overview The Advanced Placement Program of the College Board enables students to complete university-level studies during secondary school, thus serving as an “academic bridge” that helps smooth the transition from secondary school to university.

The Advanced Placement Program What is the AP Program?

The AP Program – An Overview The primary goals of the program are to enrich the secondary school experience of those students willing and able to apply themselves to university-level studies, and provide the means for universities to grant credit or placement or both to students who have successfully met the requirements.

The Advanced Placement Program® A cooperative educational endeavor between secondary schools and colleges and universities. Comprised of 37 rigorous courses / examinations offered in 22 subject areas. Committed to educational excellence and educational equity. An extensive system of teacher professional development.

The AP Program at SHHS – Objectives: To provide students a proven, viable, challenging program alternative for highly motivated, academically talented students. To provide programs that will challenge the critical thinking, organizational and writing skills of talented students, beyond what is possible in a regular classroom setting.

The AP Program at SHHS – Objectives: To provide successful students with the opportunity to receive credit and/or placement at participating universities for advanced academic work that they have accomplished while attending high school.To provide successful students with the opportunity to receive credit and/or placement at participating universities for advanced academic work that they have accomplished while attending high school. To provide a basis for a more meaningful relationship between high school and the universities, by allowing students to study university level work while they are still in high school.To provide a basis for a more meaningful relationship between high school and the universities, by allowing students to study university level work while they are still in high school.

The AP Program at SHHS – Objectives: Students gain university-level analytical, communication, and study skills as well as academic confidence. Students can earn university credit and/or advanced standing at over 4000 universities and colleges if they successfully complete an AP Examination. Students can gain national / international recognition.

The AP Program – Benefits for Students “Even though 70% of students are now enrolling in college soon after leaving high school, the percentage who actually wind up with bachelor degrees is about the same as it was in 1950 ( less than 20% ).” Education Week 4/11/01

The AP Program – Benefits for Students Boston College researchers found that AP students who earned even 1s and 2s on AP Exams developed stronger content mastery of advanced math and physics than U.S. students who had not taken AP courses. AP Calculus students – even those scoring 1s or 2s on the AP Exam – demonstrated calculus knowledge comparable to that of students from the top-performing country, France.

The AP Program – Benefits for Students The National Center for Educational Accountability found that a score of 3 or higher is a strong predictor of a student’s ability to persist in college and earn a bachelor’s degree.

The AP Program – Benefits for Students In June 1999, the U.S. Department of Education released a study by Clifford Adelman showing that by the time students enter college, the type of courses they took in high school is more important than test scores, class rank, or grade averages. Adelman found that students participating in AP courses were significantly more likely to attain a college degree than those without an AP experience.

The AP Program – Benefits for Students Chance of those going to university who finish and receive a Bachelor’s degree. 85% of those taking AP continue education beyond high school. AP courses related more to degree completion than mere entry into university.

The Keng and Dodd Study AP students earn higher GPAs in the advanced college courses into which their AP credit allowed them to place, compared to students with the same high school class rank and SAT scores who did not earn AP credit and who did not skip the entry-level college course. AP students who place directly into a higher-level college course take more college courses in that same subject area, on average, than students who did not take an AP Exam in that subject area in high school.

The Hargrove, Godin, and Dodd Study AP students statewide in Texas earn higher college GPAs and have higher four-year graduation rates when compared to students with similar SAT scores and socioeconomic backgrounds who did not take AP courses and exams.

Why Participate in AP Programming? Gain an Edge in University Preparation Get a head start on exactly the sort of work you will confront in university. Enhance your confidence and academic orientation. Improve your writing skills and sharpen your problem- solving techniques. Develop the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous coursework.

Why Participate in AP Programming? Stand Out in the University Admissions Process University admission personnel view AP experience as one indicator of future success at the university level. Taking an AP course offers an advantage to students wishing to attend a highly selective school. Demonstrate your maturity and readiness for university. Show your willingness to push yourself to the limit. Emphasize your commitment to academic excellence.

Why Participate in AP Programming? Broaden Your Intellectual Horizons Explore the world from a variety of perspectives, most importantly your own. Study subjects in greater depth and detail. Assume the responsibility of reasoning, analyzing, and understanding for yourself. Nurture a spirit of inquiry.

The AP Program – Benefits for Schools Provides challenging academic program for motivated students. Provides rewarding professional development opportunities for teachers. Demonstrates a school’s commitment to high academic standards. Provides a rationale and method for increasing expectations of all students. Provides useful data to guide school –reform.

Objectives of the Pre-AP Program at Sacred Heart To advance AP at Sacred Heart, by providing enrichment programming to highly motivated, academically talented students at grades 9 through 12. To form a vertical team of teachers who will support each other through collaborative, reflective, and collegial processes.

Objectives of the Pre-AP Program at Sacred Heart To sequence instruction to avoid unnecessary annual repetition, and to challenge talented learners to higher-level thinking with more in- depth application of knowledge and skills. Ultimately, the vertical team’s long-term objective is to prepare for success on the external AP examination.

Pre-AP Timetables: Mathematics Strand Math 9 Pre-AP Foundations of Math & Workplace & Apprenticeship 10 Pre-Calculus Pre-AP 10 OR Foundations of Math 20 Pre-Calculus 20 AP Pre-Calculus 30 AP Calculus 30 AP Calculus 30 AP Prep

Pre-AP Timetables: English Language Arts Strand ELA A9ELA B9 ELA 10 APAELA 10 APB ELA 20 APELA 30APA ELA 30APBELA AP Prep

AP at SHHS Registration process: Complete the Pre-AP Application form and return to your Gr. 8 teacher or to the SHHS Office by Friday, June 08. Ask your current English or Math (or both) teacher to complete the Pre-AP Teacher Recommendation Form. They will forward the completed forms to the SHHS Office by June 08. In your June report cards, you will receive notice of your application.

AP at SHHS In order to stay in the AP program, a student must maintain a minimum of a 70% average in that course. Following discussions with the student, the course instructor will contact parents if concerns with student progress arise. A student may transition to the regular program, generally done at one of the reporting periods.

Useful Links University of Saskatchewan University of Regina students/adv-placement.html AP Canada College Board