 Advanced Placement Program ® (AP ® ) courses are college-level courses offered in high school. AP courses reflect what is taught in top introductory college courses  At the end of course, students take AP Exams— standardized exams that measure how well students have mastered college-level course work.  Students who do well on AP Exams can earn credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college. THE BASICS 2

WHAT ARE AP COURSES LIKE? AP courses typically demand more of students than regular or honors courses.  Classes tend to be fast-paced and cover more material than typical high school classes.  More time, inside and outside of the classroom, is required to complete lessons, assignments and homework.  AP teachers expect their students to think critically, analyze and synthesize facts and data, weigh competing perspectives, and write clearly and persuasively.  AP Courses are year-long commitments (with the exception of American Government and Macroeconomics, which are only one semester) and will be held to the same scheduling policies as all other FC courses. 3

AP CREDIT EXPANDS STUDENTS’ OPTIONS College credit earned through AP Exams allows students to move into upper-level college courses sooner, pursue a double major, and gain time to study and travel abroad. 4 “As a freshman, I was able to skip general education requirements and head straight into the higher-level classes I wanted to take. Taking AP Exams literally saved me semesters of time.”—Brent Wiese, University of Iowa

MULTI-YEAR SCHOOL SCORE SUMMARY '08 '09 '10 '11'12'13 # of AP Students Stud. Scoring # of Exams Taken The increased participation of minority and low-SES students has been the major contributing factor to the growth of FCHS’s AP program.

THE BENEFITS OF AP COURSES AP courses can be challenging, but it’s work that pays off.  AP courses are often the most interesting and fulfilling courses a student takes in high school.  AP teachers are among the most prepared, dedicated, and inspiring teachers at their schools.  Students develop confidence, and learn the study habits and time management skills essential for success in college. 7 At FCHS, AP and Pre-AP grades are weighted. This means that for each qualifying course where a student earns a C- or higher, he/she will receive an additional.6667 in his/her GPA.

Academic Honors 4 AP credits Corresponding exams 47 credits Franklin Central Honors 12 AP/Pre-AP credits Corresponding exams 47 credits DIPLOMA REQUIREMENTS Largely due to FC’s growing AP program, the number of students graduating with an Academic Honors diploma increased 35.3% from 2010 to 2013.

HOW DO WE RATE?  Franklin Central students participated in two new AP offerings in , World History and Computer Science, both of which expanded the population of potential AP students (included sophomores and tech-based students for the first time)  In 2013, Franklin Central students scored higher than the previous year in seven subject areas: Art History, Biology, Chemistry, English Language, English Literature, Physics B, and Spanish Language  Franklin Central students scored significantly higher than the national average in Calculus BC and Physics B in  2014 brings the first test in AP Psychology to FCHS; it is the largest test we will be giving this year (154 students)  Almost as many students passed AP exams with a 3 or higher in 2013 than merely attempted an AP test in 2010 !

PRE-AP AND AP OFFERINGS CORE CONTENT AREAS  English  Math  Science  Social Studies ELECTIVE AREAS  Performing Arts  Visual Arts  World Language  Business Increased AP sections 36 in in %27%

ENGLISH DEPARTMENT  Pre-AP English 9  Pre-AP English 10  AP English Language and Composition (Grade 11)  AP English Literature and Composition (Grade 12) Summer reading is a requirement of each offering. Lists will be available at registration and on the school’s website ( under the “Course Catalog” menu option.

MATH DEPARTMENT  Algebra II Pre-AP  Geometry Pre-AP  Pre-Calculus Pre-AP  AP Calculus AB  AP Calculus BC  AP Statistics

SCIENCE DEPARTMENT  Pre-AP Biology  AP Chemistry  AP Physics 1  AP Physics 2 in  AP Biology  AP Environmental Science

SOCIAL STUDIES DEPT.  Pre-AP Geography / History of the World  AP World History  AP United States History  AP Macroeconomics  AP United States Government  AP Psychology (New in !) *Students enrolled in AP Macro and/or AP US Government who are interested in taking the AP Micro and/or AP Comparative Government exams will have the opportunity to do so if they declare their intention by the end of Dec

FINE ARTS DEPARTMENT PERFORMING ARTS AP Music Theory VISUAL ARTS AP Art History AP Studio Art

WORLD LANGUAGES DEPT.  French III, Spanish III, German III Pre-AP  French IV, Spanish IV, German IV Pre-AP Students with extensive experience in a world language that has a corresponding AP exam may participate in testing if they declare their interest by the end of December 2014.

BUSINESS DEPARTMENT  AP Computer Science Provides a practical application of AP knowledge for Technical Honors diploma candidates Attracts students to AP that may not be interested in traditional AP subjects

EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE

SCHOOL SCHOLAR ROSTER 2013 ResultsAP Scholarw/Honorw/DistinctionNat’l Scholar # of Scholars Avg. Score Criteria Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams Granted to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams Based on 2014 test participation alone, FCHS will have 141 students eligible for AP Scholar status.

AP EXAMS AP Exams are administered by schools worldwide on set dates each May. Exams usually last around three hours. Each AP Exam contains:  Multiple-choice questions  Free-response questions (essay, problem-solving, oral response) 24

AP EXAM FEES AP Exam fee for is $89 per exam. For students with financial need, the College Board provides a $26 per exam fee reduction. The State of Indiana, through legislative action, typically covers the remaining exam costs for these students. In Indiana, additional state funding has historically provided for all math and science exams to be taken at no cost to the student. College Board sets the cost of the exams and reconsiders the amount annually. 25

WHY TAKE AP EXAMS? Most two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States offer credit or advanced placement for qualifying AP Exam scores. Indiana, state law mandates that any student scoring a 3 or higher on an AP exam must receive equivalent college credit at a state college or university. Advanced placement: Students can skip introductory courses and move directly into higher-level classes, and/or fulfill general education requirements. 26 Gavyn Gerbofsky, a 2013 FC grad, entered into Marian College with 39 college credits earned due to his AP experience. He was considered a second semester college sophomore as a result and is far ahead of schedule on his way to a pre- med degree!

AP AND COLLEGE SUCCESS A recent study* showed that students who earned a 3, 4, or 5 on the AP Exam had higher first-year college grade point averages and were more likely to return for the second year of college than non-AP students of similar ability. 27 *Krista Mattern, Emily Shaw, and Xinhui Xiong, “The Relationship Between AP Exam Performance and College Outcomes” (2009), The College Board. “One of the best standard predictors of academic success at Harvard is performance on Advanced Placement Examinations.” —William Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions & Financial Aid, Harvard University In December 2012, The Indianapolis Star published a feature article addressing the importance of an Academic Honors Diploma when preparing students for college success. AP courses were spotlighted as a significant contributing factor to that success.

AP AND COLLEGE ADMISSION Colleges rank “Grades in college prep courses” and “Strength of curriculum” as the top two factors in the admission decision.* 85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions.** 29 “ We look favorably on students who have taken AP courses. The presence of AP courses is a sign that a student has chosen to challenge him/herself.” —Admission Officer * 2009 State of College Admission, NACAC ** Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research Inc. March 2007

AP BOOSTS ELIGIBILITY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS 31% of colleges and universities consider a student’s AP experience when making decisions about which students will receive scholarships.* “Having the AP Exam score can make the difference when it comes down to awarding precious scholarship dollars.” —Edwina Harris Hamby, former Dean of Admission, Fisk University * Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research Inc. March

1.Search by college or university name or by letter of the alphabet 2.You will see two things for each school:  A link to the college’s own Web page that details its AP credit and placement policies.  A statement by the college or university about its AP policy. AP CREDIT POLICY INFORMATION Information about AP credit and placement policies at many colleges and universities is available at 31

AP HELPS STUDENTS GRADUATE ON TIME… Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a college degree on time.  Only one in four students who enter college complete a bachelor’s degree in four years.*  A recent study** showed that students taking AP courses and exams were much more likely to earn a college degree in four years.  For example, AP English Literature students had four-year college graduation rates that were 62% higher than students that had not taken AP English Literature. 33 * IPEDS database, 2008 ** Linda Hargrove, Donn Godin, and Barbara Dodd, “College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and Non-AP High School Experiences.” The College Board, 2008.

… AND SAVE MONEY Students who take five years or more to graduate can spend tens of thousands of dollars for each additional year in college.  The typical college cost per year for a four-year public institution is $21,500 for in-state students*  Students attending private institutions might expect to incur $32,600 for each additional year it takes to earn a bachelor’s degree** 34 *The College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2011, Figure 1 **

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? In 2013, 207 Franklin Central students earned 1,068 state college/university credits.  Those 1,068 credits come at a modest average cost of $350 per credit hour.  That means FCHS students saved $373,800 by participating in AP exams this year!  5 FCHS graduating seniors were eligible to start their first year at a state college or university as sophomores based upon credits earned through AP exams.  34 additional graduating seniors were eligible to start their first year at a state college or university as second semester freshmen.

LEARN MORE  More information about the AP program at Franklin Central High School is available in the course catalog. Please visit  For more information about AP courses and exams visit 36