Advanced Placement Program in Belton ISD Past, Present, and Future

What is Advanced Placement? The College Board designed exams in academic areas to allow high school students to earn college credit for courses. The AP exams are developed by college professors and high school teachers to measure a student’s knowledge in specific academic areas.

The History of AP in Belton Belton High School has offered AP courses to students since the 1980’s to help prepare students to perform well on AP exams. The AP exams are scored on a number scale of 1 through 5 with 5 being the highest possible score. Most exams are considered “qualifying for college credit” with a score of 3 or higher.

AP Grade Explanation according to the College Board AP GradeQualification 5Extremely Well Qualified 4Well Qualified 3Qualified 2Possibly Qualified 1No Recommendation

Student Interest in AP courses The AP courses have been offered as an alternative to regular level classes in the core academic areas such as English and math since the 1980’s. Student interest in more specific courses such as European History, Physics B and C, Calculus BC, and Statistics has propelled Belton High School into creating and offering these specialized courses.

Courses Presently Offered at Belton High School AP English Literature AP English Language and Composition AP Statistics AP Calculus AB and BC AP Government AP U.S. History AP European History AP Biology AP Chemistry AP Physics B and C AP French AP Spanish AP German

Students Scoring 3 or higher

Number of Students Taking the AP Exams

Students Taking AP Courses Students Taking AP-Level Courses from 1999 to 2005 Year Number of Students Enrolled in AP Courses Number of Students Enrolled in All Courses Percentage of Students Enrolled in AP Courses % % % % % % %

What percent of BHS students are enrolled in at least one AP level course? Seniors – 45% (based on AP Government and/or AP English IV) Juniors – 44% (based on AP US History and/or English III) Sophomores – 43% (based on Pre-AP English II, Pre-AP Chemistry, Pre-AP World History, and/or Pre-AP Algebra II) Freshmen – 48% (based on Pre-AP English I, Pre-AP Biology, and/or Pre-AP Geometry)

Growth of AP Program AP classes are steadily growing in enrollment AP test scores do not have much fluctuation over the past 4 years AP test takers fluctuate yet there is an increase overall

Present Need for AP Program More students taking the AP exams after completing the course More students scoring 3 or higher Common understanding of the purpose for enrolling in the AP and Pre-AP courses to take the exam Common understanding of teachers as to the ultimate goal of Belton students qualifying for college credit on the AP exams All subjects equally performing at high levels

Present Endeavors to Advance the AP Program AP Audit Vertical Alignment Collaboration Sessions have been ongoing throughout the 2005 Fall semester to align the Pre- AP coursework offered at middle schools as well as the high school to the AP exam requirements specific to the academic area taught.

Present Endeavors to Advance the AP Program (cont.) Pre-AP teachers are attending training designed for vertical alignment in conjunction with the College Board and its affiliates, AP Strategies Organization. Discussions with various districts are ongoing focused on past and present experiences with AP Programs.

Future Aims for the AP Program Using the BISD curriculum guides and AP resources, create a vertical alignment for Pre- AP and AP classes that ensures student success on the AP exams while remaining focused on increasing TAKS scores. Have a unified goal for Pre-AP and AP students and teachers that is appropriate for individual grade levels while keeping the end in mind (i.e. the AP exams).