Honors/Advanced Placement Night Dublin High School February 15, 2012

Advanced/Honors/Advanced Placement Courses at DHS English – English 1 Advanced, English 2 Advanced, English 3 H, AP English Language (grade 11), AP English Literature (grade 12) World Language – French 4 H, Spanish 4 H, AP French Language, AP Spanish Language.

Advanced Placement/Honors Courses Mathematics – AP Statistics, AP Calculus (AB and BC) Science – Honors Chemistry, AP Chemistry, AP Biology, AP Physics C, AP Environmental Science

Advanced Placement and Honors Courses Social Studies – AP European History, AP United States History, AP United States Government and Politics, AP Microeconomics, AP Psychology

Selection Factors for College Admission #1 – GPA in college prep classes #2 – SAT/ACT scores #3 – Number, content of and performance in academic courses beyond the minimum “a-g” requirements #4 – Number of and performance in Honors, AP and college courses #5 – Quality of senior year program, as measured by the type and number of academic courses in progress or planned

Additional Factors #6 – Quality of the academic performance relative to the educational opportunities available at our high school. #7 – Outstanding performance in one or more academic subject areas. #8 – Special talents, achievements and awards or special skills or interests.

In other words…. It is better to take a strong set of classes and do well than over-commit and not do as well as possible. In general terms, no more than 3 Honors/AP courses are recommended. Each student is an individual; each family needs to take into account family and friend time, sports/volunteering/clubs and leadership activities, etc. Students subject to stress need to carefully consider their course selections.

Are entrance tests required? For English/Language Arts classes only Only students who are seriously considering enrolling in courses that require a placement test are encouraged to do so. Students who take placement tests with no real interest in taking the class may take away a spot for a student who would like to be in the class. Please see the Advanced, Honors and AP rubric for further information about testing dates and times.

Pros and Cons of Honors/AP Coursework Pros Appealing to colleges and universities if grades are good Colleges/universities will allow up to 8 semesters of Honors/AP work to “bump up” GPA. Many students exceed 8 semesters of Honors/AP work. Cons Level of rigor is higher than our already rigorous college preparatory classes Requires significant time/study commitment

Pros and Cons of Honors/AP Coursework Pros Excellent for students wishing to challenge themselves For AP courses, depending on the score earned on the AP exam, students may earn college credit. College credit is determined by each post-secondary institution. Cons A poor grade in an Honors or AP course does not “weight up” the grade. Nothing below a “C” counts. May not be possible to transfer out to equivalent grade level course or other elective.

Pros and Cons of Honors/AP Coursework Pros Students are encouraged to take Honors/AP courses in area where they have a real passion for the subject – not to look “good for college”. As a result, students in Honors/AP courses truly want to be there, have a strong work ethic and an interest in the material. Cons A strong showing in all academic courses is what will interest colleges/ universities the most. Higher grades in carefully selected courses show that a student can handle the rigor of the schedule. Lower grades in challenging courses may indicate that a student is not a good fit for this type of rigor.

Other considerations: Does the student have the time to commit to their classes? Does the student have good study skills and time management? Is the student taking this course for the right reason? Has your family had a discussion about whether this is a good fit for your student?

Placement in Honors/AP Courses STAR test scores, grades, attendance, prior preparation in area of study are considerations. AP/Honors contract

Highlights of Honors/AP Contract Some teachers may have their own contract in addition to the universal contract. Students turn in an individual contract to each Advanced, Honors or AP teacher by June 1. Students pay for AP test donations in Student Activities. It is preferred that students do so at the start of the school year. Students must inform counselor and the teacher of Advanced/ AP/Honors course if they wish to drop by June 1. After that, they are held to their course signups. Not doing summer work is not an acceptable reason to drop an Honors/AP course.