Welcome to AP/Honors Night! Oak Mountain High School January 29, 2013 April Brand, AP Coordinator

What is Advanced Placement? Advanced Placement (AP) is a program run by the College Board, a non-profit group made up of member schools. OMHS is a member of the College Board. Students earn an extra quality point on their GPA with successful completion of an AP course. OMHS plans to offer 18 AP courses in 2013-2014.

AP Courses Offered at OMHS Math Calculus AB Calculus BC Statistics Science Environmental Science Chemistry Biology Physics B Physics C English Literature Language Social Studies Government & Politics Macroeconomics US History European History Art Studio Art: Drawing Studio Art: 2D-Design Foreign Language Latin: Vergil Spanish Language French Language

AP Expectations AP coursework is usually more challenging and time consuming than non-AP coursework. AP courses are college-level courses taught in high school. Students should expect more work to be completed on their own time (outside of class). AP coursework is usually more thought provoking and intellectually stimulating than non-AP coursework. Students may find that AP coursework is more interesting because it challenges them to think in different ways than traditional high school courses.

AP Expectations Once enrolled in an AP course, students will be expected to stay in the course. Students will not be allowed to drop the course once they begin. Our focus is on students learning the material. Success in AP courses comes with hard work and perseverance.

AP Requirements All students enrolled in AP courses must take the AP Exam for each course in which they are enrolled. Exam fees for 2013 Exams are $89. These fees are due in late February/early March. What happens if a student does not take an AP Exam? They lose the extra quality point. They must take the teacher’s final exam in the course.

Should I Take AP Courses? Benefits of Taking AP Drawbacks of Taking AP More challenging coursework Potential for college credit College-level work in smaller class settings with more nurturing teachers Possibility of a higher GPA Students who take AP tend to have higher college graduation rates than those who do not take AP. More challenging coursework More outside work expected of students More stress and/or frustration over difficult work Faster pace of instruction Potential for lower overall grades than what could be earned in regular classes

What is “Honors” at OMHS? Honors courses prepare students to take AP courses at OMHS. Honors courses have similar requirements and expectations as AP courses. More challenging coursework Faster pace of instruction Preparation for college-level work Honors courses receive .5 quality points extra towards the GPA.

Honors Courses Offered at OMHS Math Geometry Honors Algebra II with Trigonometry Honors Precalculus Honors Science Chemistry Honors Biology Honors English Honors English 9 Honors English 10 Social Studies World History Honors US History to 1877 Honors Foreign Language Spanish III and IV Honors French III and IV Honors German III and IV Honors Latin III Honors

Once in Honors, Always in Honors? Students can move from honors to regular from year to year. Students are not “locked in” to the honors curriculum if they begin in honors. Students are not “locked out” of honors if they begin in regular. It is strongly recommended that students take honors before taking AP, but it is not required. Once students are in honors/AP, they are expected to stay in honors/AP throughout the rest of the year.

How do I sign up for AP and honors classes? Choose the appropriate course on the course selection sheet. Get the appropriate teacher to initial the course selection sheet. EX: Current math teacher initials next to the AP/honors math choice. If the teacher will NOT provide initials, and you still want your child to take the course, get a “Parent Override” letter from the counselors. “Parent Override” means that you acknowledge that the teacher does NOT endorse the course choice.

What’s Next? Meet & Greet Meet our AP and Honors teachers in the cafeteria immediately following this program. The Meet & Greet will end at 7:00pm. If you choose AP, you will receive the Advanced Placement Program – Program Agreement Required by Shelby County Schools Return with your Pre-Registration Packet in Mid-February.

Contact Us for More Information! April Brand Assistant Principal and AP Coordinator Grade-level guidance counselors Ms. Holder (L-Z – Juniors and Seniors) Mr. Deavers (A-K – Juniors and Seniors) Ms. Payne (Sophomores) Ms. Wade (Freshmen)