Advanced Placement (AP)
Plano ISD offers many College Board approved, Advanced Placement (AP) courses courses beginning with AP Human Geography and AP World History in grades 9 and 10 respectively.
Advanced Placement (AP) participation offers a unique learning experience with a connection to post secondary success with special emphasis on:
- Earning college credit
- Standing out in the college admission process
- Expanding intellectual and academic skills
The primary goal of the AP Program is to enrich the secondary school experience of students ready to apply themselves to college-level courses. The College Board indicates that AP high school courses help students qualify for scholarships, improve skills necessary for college level work, and effectively compete in the college admissions process. AP participation promotes college readiness both in academics and maturity.
AP encourages critical and creative thought and fine-tunes analytical skills. It stretches students' reasoning ability. AP courses teach students how to manage their time while they learn how to deal with college-level work. The classes emphasize the development of independent study skills.
Students entering high school need to plan with their counselors to insure that any prerequisite courses are scheduled early enough to allow them to take the AP course(s) of their choice at the senior high level. Most AP courses are one hour in length, the exceptions being AP Studio Art, AP Biology, and AP Chemistry, which require two-hour blocks of time. Highly qualified teachers who have received advanced training through AP workshops, conferences, and university coursework teach these courses. The AP courses offered in Plano ISD include:
Art History |
Macroeconomics |
Art – Two Dimensional Design |
Microeconomics |
Art – Three Dimensional Design |
European History |
Art- Drawing Portfolio |
Government – Comparative |
Biology |
Government and Politics – U.S. |
Chemistry |
United States History |
Physics B |
World History |
Physics C |
Human Geography |
Environmental Science |
Psychology |
Computer Science A |
Spanish Language |
Calculus AB |
French Language |
Calculus BC |
German Language |
Statistics |
Latin – Vergil |
English Language and Composition |
Spanish Literature |
English Literature and Composition |
Chinese Language and Culture |
Music Theory |
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A limited number of Advanced Placement courses may be offered on the Grade 9-10 campuses. This "academic bridge" helps smooth the transition from high school to college.
AP Exams
Each AP course concludes with an opportunity for students to take an AP exam for possible college credit. Students are encouraged to take these exams. The examinations are structured to measure three areas - depth of knowledge, completeness of thought, and synthesis of ideas. Approximately 1,200 institutions award credit based on the student's AP examination scores. Exams are graded on a five-point scale with credit usually given for scores of 3 or higher.
- Students pay an AP Examination fee per test in early spring.
- College credit is determined by individual universities.
At the end of each AP course, students are eligible to take a test for the opportunity to earn college credit. Actual credit is awarded at university and college discretion, so be sure to communicate with colleges regarding which AP courses they accept and what scores are required for credit.
Resources
For more information, please contact the counseling center at your school.
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