Jefferson West AP Program Welcome

Congratulations!! You are here because your son or daughter has risen to the challenge of taking an advanced placement class.

Advanced Placement (AP) Largest credit by exam program in the world Began in 1950’s Dramatically expanded through 1990’s & 2000’s as the gold standard of academic excellence Jeff West has had AP classes since In 2009 there were 2,168,185 exams taken across the nation. 33 Exams were taken at Jefferson West.

enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. Based on their performance on a rigorous AP examination, students can earn credit, advanced placement, or both, for college. The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program (AP)

AP Courses are designed by a committee of leaders in their fields who bring cutting edge content knowledge and expert teaching practices to the development of AP courses, which are reviewed and revised annually. AP committee members currently teach at dozens of the nation’s top colleges, universities, and secondary schools.

What do AP Programs do for High Schools? Provide a challenging academic program for motivated students Provide a rewarding professional development opportunity for teachers Demonstrates a school’s strong commitment to high academic standards Enhances a school’s overall academic reputation

Prepare Now to Succeed in College A 1999 U.S. Department of Education study found that the strongest predictor of college graduation is something students do before they ever go to college: Participate in rigorous, college- level courses in high school— and AP courses in particular. Clifford Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor’s Degree Attainment (1999), U.S. Department of Education.

AP Program 38 courses offered in 19 subject areas JEFF WEST currently offers 7 courses

AP Course Offerings Art HistoryBiologyCalculus ABCalculus BCChemistryChinese Lang. and Culture Computer Science A Computer Science AB English Lang. and Comp. English Lit. and Comp. Environmental Science European History French Language French Literature German Language Government & Politics: Comp. Government & Politics: U.S. Human Geography Italian Lang. and Culture Japanese Lang. and Culture Latin LanguageLatin: VergilMacro- Economics Micro- Economics Music TheoryPhysics BPhysics C: Electricity & Magnetism Physics C: Mechanics PsychologyRussian Lang. and Culture* Spanish Language Spanish Literature StatisticsStudio Art: 2D Design Studio Art: 3D Design Studio Art: Drawing United States History World History

AP Program Facts Over 60% of U.S. high schools participate Over 90% of U.S. colleges & universities have AP policy granting credit, placement, or both, for qualifying AP Exam grades

Responsibilities of AP ® Students A willingness to actively engage with sophisticated concepts A willingness to be judged by rigorous, college-level standards A willingness to complete longer and more complex nightly assignments A willingness to complete the AP examination in May

Cost of taking an AP Course There are no fees for an AP course There is a fee for the exam at the end of the course if the student chooses to take the exam. This year the cost will be $86.00 per exam.

Should my child take the exam at the end?  This is decision that you and your child need to sit down and discuss.  There are benefits from AP classes whether or not they take the exam, however the only way to receive credit or placement is to take the exam.

outperforming their peers when placed into advanced courses are more likely to take advanced courses in their AP subject areas are more likely to choose challenging majors are more likely to graduate with a double major are twice as likely to go into advanced studies Benefits from AP classes even without taking the exam at the end include….

Factors Influencing Admission Decisions – 2001 NACAC Bulletin – November 2001

Stand out in the admissions process “One of the best standard predictors of academic success at Harvard is performance on Advanced Placement Examinations.” —William R. Fitzsimmons Dean of Admissions, Harvard University “AP Exams affirm the rigor of a student’s course work. Though admissions policies vary, if I were a student, I wouldn’t assume that the college of my dreams didn’t care about AP Exams in the admissions process.” —Bruce Walker, Director of Admissions University of Texas at Austin

AP and College Success Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a bachelor’s degree in four years or less. Source: Camara, Wayne. (2003). College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation. College Board Research Notes (RN-19). New York, NY: College Board.

If they do take the exam they have the previous benefits plus...

Taking the end-of-course AP Exam sends a powerful message to colleges and universities that you’re ready for them, and can enable your son or daughter to gain admission, college credit and placement into advanced courses.

Credit versus Placement Some give credit some give placement Credit – actually earn college hours toward your college degree Placement- allows you to skip introductory courses, enter higher level classes, and/or fulfill general education requirements (thus skipping some classes that you will not have to take and pay for).

Why Colleges Grant Credit for AP Grades College faculty participate in development of course descriptions and examinations College faculty set standards for and participate in AP Reading AP courses and exams are updated regularly College comparability studies are conducted Benefits of participating in AP are supported by research

AP Examinations Administered in May Approximately three hours long Composed of multiple-choice and free-response questions AP Examination grades range from 1 to 5 Cost- $86.00 per exam

AP Examination Grades ‘ 5 - Extremely Well Qualified ‘ Statistically equates to high As in the comparable ‘ college course ‘ 4 - Well Qualified ‘ Statistically equates to low As and high Bs in the ‘ comparable college course ‘ 3 – Qualified ‘ Statistically equates to low Bs and high Cs in the ‘ comparable college course ‘ 2 - Possibly Qualified ‘ Statistically equates to low Cs and high Ds in the ‘ comparable college course ‘ 1 - No Recommendation

To get credit or placement they will have to score a 3 or higher- so just taking the test does not guarantee credit or placement.

How do I know if the college my son or daughter is planning on attending gives credit or placement? For the most up to date information, check directly with college or university office of admissions. Can also go to:

Last year of the 33 exams taken at Jeff West, 19 of them (57%) scored a 3 or higher.

Is it worth the $86.00? College credit hours currently run: $ KU WU so a 3 hour course at college will cost somewhere in the $ – $ range- this year. Passing the $86.00 for 3 credit hours is quite a savings.

But remember, if you start saving now- $86.00 won’t be so hard to afford in May. One last thing to consider: If they are putting in all the time and work, why not reap the benefits? Please consider all the facts and make a decision that is best for your family.

Whichever route you decide to go…. Your child is going to benefit. Your child is going to benefit. They are going to need to set aside some extra time for their AP classes They are going to need to set aside some extra time for their AP classes They will have more outside class work than they have in a regular h.s. class They will have more outside class work than they have in a regular h.s. class They will be pushing themselves to achieve more than the average student They will be pushing themselves to achieve more than the average student They will be getting the rigor of a college course before they go to college while at the same time having excellent teachers and resources here to assist them. They will be getting the rigor of a college course before they go to college while at the same time having excellent teachers and resources here to assist them.

TAKING AN AP CLASS IS A WIN - WIN SITUATION… They will be a better student for the experience.