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Oak Mountain High School January 29, 2013 April Brand, AP Coordinator. Welcome to AP/Honors Night!. What is Advanced Placement?. Advanced Placement (AP) is a program run by the College Board, a non-profit group made up of member schools. OMHS is a member of the College Board.
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Oak Mountain High School January 29, 2013 April Brand, AP Coordinator Welcome to AP/Honors Night!
What is Advanced Placement? • Advanced Placement (AP) is a program run by the College Board, a non-profit group made up of member schools. • OMHS is a member of the College Board. • Students earn an extra quality point on their GPA with successful completion of an AP course. • OMHS plans to offer 18 AP courses in 2013-2014.
AP Courses Offered at OMHS Math • Calculus AB • Calculus BC • Statistics Science • Environmental Science • Chemistry • Biology • Physics B • Physics C English • Literature • Language Social Studies • Government & Politics • Macroeconomics • US History • European History Art • Studio Art: Drawing • Studio Art: 2D-Design Foreign Language • Latin: Vergil • Spanish Language • French Language
AP Expectations • AP coursework is usually more challenging and time consuming than non-AP coursework. • AP courses are college-level courses taught in high school. • Students should expect more work to be completed on their own time (outside of class). • AP coursework is usually more thought provoking and intellectually stimulating than non-AP coursework. • Students may find that AP coursework is more interesting because it challenges them to think in different ways than traditional high school courses.
AP Expectations • Once enrolled in an AP course, students will be expected to stay in the course. • Students will not be allowed to drop the course once they begin. • Our focus is on students learning the material. • Success in AP courses comes with hard work and perseverance.
AP Requirements • All students enrolled in AP courses must take the AP Exam for each course in which they are enrolled. • Exam fees for 2013 Exams are $89. • These fees are due in late February/early March. • What happens if a student does not take an AP Exam? • They lose the extra quality point. • They must take the teacher’s final exam in the course.
Should I Take AP Courses? Benefits of Taking AP Drawbacks of Taking AP More challenging coursework More outside work expected of students More stress and/or frustration over difficult work Faster pace of instruction Potential for lower overall grades than what could be earned in regular classes • More challenging coursework • Potential for college credit • College-level work in smaller class settings with more nurturing teachers • Possibility of a higher GPA • Students who take AP tend to have higher college graduation rates than those who do not take AP.
What is “Honors” at OMHS? • Honors courses prepare students to take AP courses at OMHS. • Honors courses have similar requirements and expectations as AP courses. • More challenging coursework • Faster pace of instruction • Preparation for college-level work • Honors courses receive .5 quality points extra towards the GPA.
Honors Courses Offered at OMHS Social Studies • World History Honors • US History to 1877 Honors • Foreign Language • Spanish III and IV Honors • French III and IV Honors • German III and IV Honors • Latin III Honors Math • Geometry Honors • Algebra II with Trigonometry Honors • Precalculus Honors Science • Chemistry Honors • Biology Honors English • Honors English 9 • Honors English 10
Once in Honors, Always in Honors? • Students can move from honors to regular from year to year. • Students are not “locked in” to the honors curriculum if they begin in honors. • Students are not “locked out” of honors if they begin in regular. • It is strongly recommended that students take honors before taking AP, but it is not required. • Once students are in honors/AP, they are expected to stay in honors/AP throughout the rest of the year.
How do I sign up for AP and honors classes? • Choose the appropriate course on the course selection sheet. • Get the appropriate teacher to initial the course selection sheet. • EX: Current math teacher initials next to the AP/honors math choice. • If the teacher will NOT provide initials, and you still want your child to take the course, get a “Parent Override” letter from the counselors. • “Parent Override” means that you acknowledge that the teacher does NOT endorse the course choice.
What’s Next? • Meet & Greet • Meet our AP and Honors teachers in the cafeteria immediately following this program. • The Meet & Greet will end at 7:00pm. • If you choose AP, you will receive the Advanced Placement Program – Program Agreement • Required by Shelby County Schools • Return with your Pre-Registration Packet in Mid-February.
Contact Us for More Information! • April Brand • Assistant Principal and AP Coordinator • Grade-level guidance counselors • Ms. Holder (L-Z – Juniors and Seniors) • Mr. Deavers (A-K – Juniors and Seniors) • Ms. Payne (Sophomores) • Ms. Wade (Freshmen)