Advanced Placement (AP), College Prep, and College Ready Courses Boaz High School Assistant Principal – Kristi Hopper Boaz Middle School Instructional Coach – Jenny Franks

Welcome Boaz City Schools are committed to every student’s success More challenging course work plays an important role in that success

What We Will Cover What are AP courses? What are the benefits of AP courses? AP Exams How can I help my child make the best choices? What are college prep courses? What are college ready courses?

What are AP courses AP courses are college-level courses offered in high school Students are given the opportunity to learn how to handle the challenges of college-level courses Students take AP exams at the end of the course to measure their mastery (score 1-5) Most colleges will allow credit for a qualifying score on AP exams (typically a 3, but colleges differ in their requirements)

AP Courses Offered at BHS English AP English Language and Composition (11th Grade) AP English Literature and Composition (12th Grade) History AP US History (11th Grade) AP US Government and Politics (12th Grade) Mathematics AP Calculus AB Science AP Chemistry AP Biology AP Computer Science Principles has been offered in the past – subject to student interest

AP at Boaz High School. Received the A+ College Ready Grant in 2016 AP at Boaz High School *Received the A+ College Ready Grant in 2016 *Grant provided teacher training and student incentives

Benefits Students learn to handle the demands of challenging course work Students learn college-level content and skills with support from high school teachers Opportunity to ear valuable credit and placement in college Some colleges view AP courses favorably when making admission decisions

Added Benefits AP courses support career pathway choices Taking an AP course helps students build critical thinking skills, confidence, and essential time management and study skills needed for college $$$ - A+ College Ready Grant provides monetary incentives to students scoring at least a 3 on AP exams (A+ awarded $100 for each qualifying score – BHS students earned a total of $2400 for scores on last year’s exams. One student received $300 for qualifying scores earned in 3 AP courses Grant ends in May 2019

Support Opportunities Specialized Teacher Training – Teachers spend a week during the summer to learn strategies to support students Saturday Study Sessions for valuable support from a different perspective Mock Exams – Students experience a practice exam to help guide their study efforts

AP Exams Exams are taken at school Typically 2-3 hours with multiple choice questions and free response items Each student will take an exam to measure mastery in AP courses These exams are not graded on a pass/fail scale and will not be averaged into their GPA Exams are scored on a 1-5 scale

AP Exams Each college has their own policy for awarding credit for AP courses. Some colleges will award college credit for a score of 3 on an AP exam. Students will be given instructions for gaining access to their scores during the exam registration process at school

AP Exam Fees The cost of the exam is $92 per course The A+ College Ready Grant will pay half the exam fee - BHS students pay $46 Grant ends in May 2019

Helping My Child Make the Best Choice Discuss the career possibilities Discuss college goals Support your child in more challenging courses – grades AP courses are designed to help students handle the challenges of high levels of thinking – most students will benefit from this type of instruction

College (and Career) Prep Courses Courses are designed to help students prepare for more challenging coursework found in career pathways and AP courses Teachers receive specialized training to help support students Students gain valuable experience in problem solving and application Offered in grades 9-10 (11th grade – Pre Calculus)

College (and Career) Ready Courses Offered in grades 6-8 Teachers receive specialized training

Questions ?