The College Board’s Advanced Placement ® Program At Brookwood High School

What is the AP ® Program? The College Board developed the international AP Program as a method to raise educational standards in It is based on a commitment to academic rigor and the premise that college-level material can be taught successfully to motivated high school students

When is an advanced class not just an advanced class?... when it’s a... when it’s a College Board Advanced Placement ® class. Advanced Placement ® class.

The College Board mission: to connect students to college success and opportunity. Excellence Equity College Readiness

AP ® Program Advanced Placement classes use College Board course guides and college textbooks approved by the College Board. The College Board requires each AP teacher to submit a syllabus for approval. AP students take national AP exams in May. Qualifying scores earn college as well as high school credit.

What is an AP ® course? College-level coursework completed at the secondary level College-level coursework completed at the secondary level Opportunity to earn college credit through national AP Exams: one or two course credits Opportunity to earn college credit through national AP Exams: one or two course credits Preparation for the national AP Exams Preparation for the national AP Exams Superior college preparation Superior college preparation Development of habits of mind necessary for college success Development of habits of mind necessary for college success Classes taught by College Board trained teachers Classes taught by College Board trained teachers

Earn academic scholarships or awards Some of the most competitive scholarship awards value AP Exam grades: “Having the AP Exam grade can make the difference when it comes down to awarding precious scholarship dollars.” —Edwina Harris Hamby, Dean of Admission Fisk University

Be a step ahead “I received a 3 on my AP English Exam and could have exempted English 111 at my college, but I decided to take English 111. My college class is covering the same material I studied in AP English. Thanks to my experience preparing for the free-response questions, my frequent essay exams are a breeze. By taking AP, I’m a step ahead of the others in my class. I know the material and I know the process.” —Anne Elliott, University of Connecticut

Newsweek reported, “The Science Academy of South Texas, a public school that draws students from rural counties, has sent a number of migrant workers’ children to high-tech colleges by exposing them to difficult AP assignments.” Newsweek and other national media rank high schools by the percentage of total students taking AP, the percentage of students from different economic levels taking AP, and the number of exams taken.

What do college faculty have to say about AP? “We observe a difference between students without any AP experience and AP students who have developed time management skills and the discipline to do the type of time-consuming intellectual work that is required to be successful in college.” Stephen A. Benson Director, Center for Teaching Excellence University of Maryland

Success Save $ by earning enough AP Credits to graduate early or save time and do a double major. Go to med school early!

Why take an AP © course? College Admission College Admission College Transition College Transition College Success College Success

College preparation, not simply college admission, is our goal. Get in... Stay in... Graduate. College preparation, not simply college admission, is our goal. Get in... Stay in... Graduate.

College Admission Rigor of Schedule has increased in importance in college admission decisions. Rigor of Schedule has increased in importance in college admission decisions. BHS students compete for admission and scholarships with students from all over the U.S. who have multiple AP ® classes on transcripts as well as strong SAT scores, activities, and honors. BHS students compete for admission and scholarships with students from all over the U.S. who have multiple AP ® classes on transcripts as well as strong SAT scores, activities, and honors.

What is Rigor of Schedule? The most challenging courses available in a specific high school The most challenging courses available in a specific high school College admissions offices receive a list of every class offered at a specific high school and can see if a student has enrolled in the most demanding classes available or not College admissions offices receive a list of every class offered at a specific high school and can see if a student has enrolled in the most demanding classes available or not Difficulty of courses taken in high school corresponds to higher college GPA and much greater chance that student will actually finish college. (U.S. Department of Education, Edlemann report, 1999/2011.) Difficulty of courses taken in high school corresponds to higher college GPA and much greater chance that student will actually finish college. (U.S. Department of Education, Edlemann report, 1999/2011.)

Factors Influencing Admission Decisions NACAC Admission Trends Survey, 2013

Average number of AP classes on transcripts of freshman class at UGA 5 Source: Admission Director’s Speech to AP Summer Institute at UGA, 2008

Average number of AP classes on transcripts of students waitlisted at UGA 2

Habits of Mind Time Management AP students have an easier transition to college.

Research U.S. Dept. of Education published a landmark study Answers in the Toolbox in 1999 and updated in This longitudinal study showed that the rigor of courses of “academic intensity and quality” found in AP and IB classes were the single most powerful predictors of bachelor’s degree completion, much more accurate than GPA or test scores.

Only 45% of students entering college complete a degree program and graduate. Center for College Readiness, 2014

Center for College Readiness AP Students more likely to graduate from college graduate in 4 years or less have higher GPA in a study of over 220,000 students ( Hargrove, Grodin, &Dodd, 2007; Dougherty, Mellor, & Jian, 2005) AP Students outperform non-AP students who took introductory level university courses non-AP students who did dual enrollment as seniors (Mattern, Shaw, & Xiong, 2009) non-AP students who took standard high school courses in all college outcomes (Hargrove, Godin, & Dodd, 2007)

Research A study at Yale found that AP students performed better than non-AP students. Compared to classmates of similar ability, AP students were more likely in college to maintain a B average or higher and to graduate with honors.

About 70% of students lose the Hope Scholarship after the first semester of college. source: Atlanta Journal-Constitution AP students have a higher incidence of maintaining a 3.0 or higher in college than non-AP students. source: Yale Study and Morgan/Klaric (2007)

Research Largest study to date (27 colleges, including University of Georgia) AP students with AP grades of 4 and 5 did extremely well in initial advanced level college coursework after earning AP credit for introductory college courses. AP students who scored 3 or higher on AP Exams outperformed similar college students who did not take AP courses. (Morgan and Ramist, 1998; Morgan and Klaric, 2007))

Brookwood High School AP Program BHS offers over 20 AP © courses. BHS offers over 20 AP © courses. English Literature and Composition English Literature and Composition English Language and Composition English Language and Composition Spanish, Latin, French Spanish, Latin, French American History, European History, World History, Psychology, Government, Economics, Geography American History, European History, World History, Psychology, Government, Economics, Geography Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science Computer Science Computer Science Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC Statistics, Calculus AB, Calculus BC Art History, Studio Art, and Music Theory Art History, Studio Art, and Music Theory

How many courses per year? Ninth grade: AP Human Geography Ninth grade: AP Human Geography Tenth grade: AP World History Tenth grade: AP World History Most other AP courses are 11 th and 12 th grade courses. Most other AP courses are 11 th and 12 th grade courses. Students often take two or three per year. Students often take two or three per year. A few well-organized and highly motivated students take as many as five or six per year. A few well-organized and highly motivated students take as many as five or six per year.

AP Grades with Bonus Points To encourage students to take these challenging courses, GCPS Board of Education policy awards 10 bonus points to report card grades. To encourage students to take these challenging courses, GCPS Board of Education policy awards 10 bonus points to report card grades. Example: = = 103

Reach for Higher Academic Goals * An easier class load may produce a higher grade point average in high school, but it also produces a student who enters college less prepared than his peers who have taken more challenging classes. * An easier class load may produce a higher grade point average in high school, but it also produces a student who enters college less prepared than his peers who have taken more challenging classes. Representatives of Representatives of UGA, Georgia Tech, Georgia State, and Georgia Southern

A Tradition of Excellence When asked why he was having his team play a tougher schedule than he had to, a winning high school football coach said, “We don’t get any better “We don’t get any better if we play easy teams.” - Coach Dave Hunter - Coach Dave Hunter Retired BHS Athletic Director Retired BHS Athletic Director

The Brookwood Way AP students don’t play easy teams either. They improve by stepping up to the challenge of college-level learning. Taking less challenging classes does not serve students well in a highly competitive, global world. AP students don’t play easy teams either. They improve by stepping up to the challenge of college-level learning. Taking less challenging classes does not serve students well in a highly competitive, global world.

In sports or academics The Brookwood Way continues the tradition of excellence by choosing rigor over rigor mortis and challenge over complacency.

A Tradition of Excellence “A man’s reach should exceed his grasp, or what’s a heaven for?” Robert Browning

Choose Challenge.

Visit the College Board website to examine the research.