1. Bowie High School’s Pre-AP Classes
Welcome future Bulldawgs and Bulldawg parents!
As you enter high school, you can look forward to many fun and exciting experiences. We have several programs once you are here in August to help you navigate this transition to help make your 9th grade year fun and successful. Before you get here though, you and your parents will need to make some very important decisions. For the next few minutes, you will hear about the differences between Pre-AP and Academic courses at Bowie. Remember that we want you to be successful, so it is very important to choose what is right for YOU!
Bowie High School’s Pre-AP Classes

2. What is Pre-AP
Advanced Placement, or AP courses are college-level courses taken at the high school level. If a student is successful on an AP test, he or she can earn college credit.
Dual credit classes can be taken through ACC.
Pre-AP courses at the 9th and 10th grade level are designed to prepare students for the rigorous curriculum in the 11th and 12th grade AP courses.
Pre-AP courses and AP courses are weighted.
One of the biggest dilemmas you and your parents will face is whether to take your high school coursework at an Academic Level or at a Pre-AP Level.  AP courses are college level classes taken in your junior and senior year. In these College Board approved classes, a test is given in May. If you score high enough on this AP test, you can earn credit for a college level class that will transfer into many colleges or universities. Dual credit courses are ACC courses that count for high school credit and college credit. The main purpose of Pre-AP classes is to prepare you for these AP and dual credit classes, and that means a more challenging and deeper level of coursework, sometimes at a faster pace.
Also, Pre-AP courses are weighted which means that you receive an extra point on your GPA corresponding to the grade you earn in the Pre-AP course. Keep in mind that any grade below 70 is failing regardless of the level of the class and will not earn credit.

3. Which classes are offered as Pre-AP in the 9th grade?
English Language Arts I
Biology
World Geography
Algebra I and Geometry
jbhs.org Academics TabGuidance/Counseling
All 4 of the core content areas can be taken as Pre-AP or as Academic. Both Pre-AP and Academic will prepare you for college, career, and life. We take great pride that over 90% of Bowie graduates go straight into college and do very well! Rest assured that you will encounter rigorous curriculum in both Pre-AP and Academic classes. The biggest difference is that Pre-AP curriculum provides more rigorous curriculum at a higher level for those of you who will likely take college level classes in your junior and senior year. You can find out more details, such as the required summer work at jbhs.org on the Guidance and Counseling page under the Academics tab. Please make sure you carefully read the expectations for each Pre-AP course you select as some courses require you to read a novel over the summer or do research for a project over the summer. You should also consider time for homework when making your decision. You can expect an average of one to three hours of homework each week in each Pre-AP class you take. If you are involved in extra-curricular activities, you must carefully weigh the amount of time you have for homework with the demands of a Pre-AP class. Make sure you know what you are committing to before you choose!

4. Characteristics of a Pre-AP student
Works well independently.
Is creative in their approach to solving problems.
Readily applies learned principles to new situations.
Responds positively to challenging situations.
Has a strong intuitive sense for the subject matter.
You will now hear about personal and academic characteristics that indicate a level of preparedness for the rigor of Pre-AP courses.
Are you a self-starter? Can you work well independently and without frequent redirection?
Are you creative? Can you think of methods to try when faced with a problem situation? Can you analyze, generalize, and prove? Are you good at investigating relationships and alternative solutions?
Can you apply principles you have learned to new situations or to solve novel problems?
Do you respond positively to challenging situations and show persistence in searching for solutions? Do you find satisfaction in independently solving a problem rather than accepting another person's solution or help?
Do you have a strong intuitive sense for the subject matter you want to take as Pre-AP? Can sort out key relationships quickly?

5. Characteristics of a Pre-AP student
Shows a high degree of interest and motivation.
Has experienced high achievement in past courses.
Shows above average ability in critical reading skills, writing skills, and oral expression.
Shows above average maturity in relationship to classroom behaviors and critical thinking and application skills.
Are you a natural learner? Are you interested and motivated? Are you intellectually curious?
Have you experienced high achievement in past courses without undue stress?
Do you show above average ability in critical reading skills, writing skills, and oral expression?
Do you show above average maturity in relationship to classroom behaviors and in your critical thinking?
Please take some time to consider all of these personal and academic characteristics in making your decision about whether to take a class as Pre-AP or Academic

6. Questions to ask…
Do I have an interest in, or aptitude for, the course I want to take as Pre-AP?
Will I be okay making average grades in a course even if I am working way harder than I did in middle school?
Did I do well on the STAAR test in this area?
Am I willing to be challenged?
How much time do I have in the evenings for homework?
Finally, here are some important questions to ask yourself when making this important decision:
Do I have an interest in, or aptitude for, the course I want to take as Pre-AP? It is really hard to meet a challenge in a subject that doesn’t interest you.
Will I be okay making average grades in a course even if I am working way harder than I did in middle school? Many of our students become discouraged because they have always been “A” students and not had to work too hard. Beginning in high school, the work gets hard!
Did I do well on the STAAR test in this area? You should be strong in the subject or subjects you take as Pre-AP
Am I willing to be challenged? Remember, the word challenge means it’s not easy! This challenge starts before school even starts. If you enroll in a Pre-AP class, it is expected that you complete your summer work before school starts.
How much time do I have in the evenings for homework? If you are in band, play a sport, or do anything else that requires a lot of practice time, you must take this into consideration. 9th grade is one of the toughest transition years. We want you challenge yourself, but we also want you to be successful and to get enough sleep too!
Ultimately, only you and your parents can decide what is best. This is a decision that you should give a lot of thought as it is difficult to change. Our entire master schedule is based on what you choose, so there may or may not be room in another class. Bowie High School policy in the past has been that students applying for a level change must have turned in all assignments and attended tutoring sessions in the content area in which they are requesting the change before it is even considered. Level changes are difficult to make and often result in changing other classes as well.
We want your first year at Bowie to be wonderful. This starts with making the right schedule for YOU!