Woodcreek High School Spring AP Night

Goals of the Evening: Inform parents and students of changes to AP program and courses; Provide specific AP course information; Answer parents’ and students’ questions.

AP and College Success™ Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years or less. Source: Camara, Wayne (2003). College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation. College Board Research Notes (RN-19). New York, NY: College Board.

Who should take AP courses? Students who are… Proficient in reading, writing, or other prerequisite skills; Managing their time well in regular level courses; Self-directed, motivated workers.

A Note About Prerequisites… Grades in previous courses are strong predictors of success in AP courses AP English, Social Science, and Environmental Science courses are heavy in writing. Students’ grades in previous English classes should indicate whether they are prepared for this requirement Courses like AP Chemistry and AP Physics are math-dependent A cumulative academic GPA of 3.0 is required to enroll in any AP course

AP Courses Offered at WHS AP European History (10th grade) AP US History (11th grade) AP US Government (12th grade) AP Language/Comp (11th grade) AP Literature/Comp (12th grade) AP Spanish Language AP Calculus AB/BC AP Statistics AP Environmental Science AP Chemistry AP Biology AP Physics C AP Psychology AP Human Geography AP Studio Art

AP Exams What you need to know: Exams take place the first two weeks in May Each exam is 3-4 hours long Exams include selected-response and free-response sections Scores are available online in early July Questions about AP scores? Call College Board

AP Exams are in Revision AP is working to align to the Common Core Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards Expect fewer multiple-choice questions and more reading and writing Teachers are getting trained and are adjusting curriculum

Corresponding Changes to Instruction Teachers will spend less class time presenting information Higher levels of thinking will be required You may not be able to “find the answer in the book” Argumentation and inquiry will increase in all subjects

How many AP courses should students take? It depends on the student. Consider what your child can handle both academically and emotionally. Also consider how competitive your child needs to be for the college he/she wants to attend. Colleges want to see students who are active outside the classroom in addition to taking a rigorous course load.

Dropping AP Classes New in 2013-14: Students WILL NOT be moved to regular-level courses if they decide to drop an AP course. Dropping an AP course after the 2nd week of the term will result in a drop “F” on the transcript.

Blocked Courses Lottery system –72 spots All other students will be offered 18-week option

Credit & Placement for Qualifying AP Grades Ninety percent of four-year U.S. colleges and universities grant credit or advanced placement. College Board: AP Credit Policy Info

The AP Program at Woodcreek Support for Students: See your teacher BEFORE you fall behind Ask your teacher or counselor about tutoring Attend after-school tutoring in the library

Resources for Parents College Board for Parents