Advanced Placement
What are AP and Pre AP Courses, which ones are offered, and can any student enroll in them?
An Advanced Placement course is an opportunity for your student to take college-level studies while still in high school. Through this program, they may earn credit, advanced placement, or both, for college. For more information about the Advanced Placement Program, read the brochure "Facts about the Advanced Placement Program" or visit the College Board web-site at www.collegeboard.org and do a site search for AP and FAQ.
Pre-AP teachers are trained to employ strategies and materials that introduce skills, concepts, and assessment methods which in turn prepare students for success when they take AP and other challenging academic courses. In Yukon, AP strategies are used to strengthen and align the curriculum across grade levels, and to increase the academic challenge for all students.
A complete list of AP and Pre-AP courses offered each year is place in the Course Description Guide. While all AP and Pre-AP courses are "self-selected", there are recommendations given in the Course Description Guide regarding pre-requisite courses and/or a recommended grade point average.
How difficult are AP and Pre-AP courses?
Compared with regular high school courses, AP and Pre-AP courses are usually more demanding. Depending on the subject, you may read and writ4e more,
analyze material, synthesize ideas, solve problems, and evaluate. Most
AP classes are comparable to sophisticated college, so they aren't easy,
but they are not impossible either. The intellectual skills and interests
you can develop in AP courses-critical reading, analyzing data sets, synthesizing
evidence to develop new insights, etc.-will equip you for lifelong learning.
Your investment in any AP course is sure to provide many returns.
Why should I take a more difficult course and risk getting a lower
grade?
The grade you receive may be as good or better than one you would have
earned in an easier course, because many schools weight the grades given
in AP courses in order to compensate for the increased difficulty. Secondly,
college officials know that all courses are not equal. Their evaluation
of student grades focuses as much on the quality of the course as on the
grade received. Finally, an AP course gives you an opportunity to learn
a subject in greater depth and helps you develop skills that will be critically
important to successful study in college.
I'm not sure I'm interested in college credit or advanced placement.
Why should I take an AP course or a Pre-AP course?
Taking an AP or Pre-AP course provides you with extra learning opportunities.
The course gives you the kind of background and preparation that will
prove beneficial in your college courses; also, an AP grade shows your
college that you have learned college-level material and deserve credit
and/or advanced placement for meeting that challenge.
Advanced Placement courses are open to all students. They include:
PRE-AP ENGLISH I and II
AP LANGUAGE and COMPOSITION ENGLISH III
AP LITERATURE and COMPOSITION ENGLISH IV
PRE-AP ALGEBRA II
PRE-AP GEOMETRY
PRE-AP CALCULUS
AP CALCULUS
PRE-AP BIOLOGY
AP BIOLOGY
PRE-AP PHYSICAL SCIENCE
PRE-AP CHEMISTRY I
AP CHEMISTRY II
AP PHYSICS
AP WORLD HISTORY
PRE-AP SPANISH III
PRE-AP SPANISH IV
AP SPANISH LANGUAGE
AP MACROECONOMICS
AP MICROECONOMICS
REQUIREMENTS FOR RECOGNITION AS AN OKLAHOMA ACADEMIC SCHOLAR*
Students who meet all the requirements below shall be recognized by the local school district and the State Board of Education as an Oklahoma Academic Scholar.
- Accumulate over grades 9, 10, 11, and the first semester of grade 12, a minimum grade point average of 3.7 on an unweighted four-point scale or be in the top 10% of their graduating class.
- Complete (or will complete) 22 units for graduation which consist of at least:
ENGLISH (4 units) - Grammar, Composition, LiteratureMATHEMATICS (3 units) - Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Analysis, Calculus
SCIENCE (3 units) - Biology I, AP-Biology II, Chemistry I, Chemistry II, Physical Science, Botany, Zoology, Physics, PhysiologySOCIAL STUDIES (3 units) - History, Government, Sociology, Psychology, Economics, Anthropology, Geography
- Score a 27 on the American College Test (ACT) or 1,180 combined score on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The SAT or ACT must have been taken on a national test date before the date of graduation.
*State of Oklahoma annually updates these requirements.
PRE-ADVANCED AND ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES
The Pre-Advanced Placement and Advanced Placement programs are for college-bound achievers who want a more comprehensive education. It is understood that a successful Pre-AP student may spend an average of 45 minutes each night per class in meaningful homework. An Advanced Placement student may spend an average of 90 minutes per night per class.
WHAT ARE ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSES?
Advanced Placement courses give students the opportunity to earn college credit while attending high school. Because the courses require college level performance, students who elect to take advanced placement must be realistic about their commitment. Such courses require self-discipline, above average ability, adequate time for homework and a willingness to see the course through to the final exam. In December of 1999, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education approved a policy where a student's GPA will be adjusted to reflect that they are taking advanced classes.
WHAT RETURN CAN A STUDENT EXPECT?
Students who elect to take Advanced Placement courses will have the challenge of participating in a class with other students who are motivated and share an appreciation for the value of academic achievement. They may be allowed a reduction in the time required to complete a college degree, along with potential savings of several thousand dollars. Also, they gain the possibility of earning scholarships because of high scores on college placement tests.We are pleased to offer this opportunity to the students of Yukon and encourage their participation in Pre-Advanced/Advanced Placement programs.
For more information on Advanced Placement Courses and Advanced Placement Testing, visit The College Board website or Yukon High Schools Counselor Page.
