AP Advanced Placement

• What Is AP Capstone?
  
  • AP Capstone™ is a diploma program from College Board based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research.
  
  
• Why It's Different
  
  • Rather than teaching subject-specific content, these courses develop students’ skills in research, analysis, evidence-based arguments, collaboration, writing, and presenting. Students who complete the two-year program can earn one of two different AP Capstone awards, which are valued by colleges across the United States and around the world.
  
  
• How AP Capstone Works
  
  • AP Capstone™ is a diploma program based on two yearlong AP courses: AP Seminar and AP Research. These courses are designed to complement other AP courses that the AP Capstone student may take.
  • Instead of teaching specific subject knowledge, AP Seminar and AP Research use an interdisciplinary approach to develop the critical thinking, research, collaboration, time management, and presentation skills students need for college-level work.
  • College Board developed the AP Capstone Diploma program at the request of higher education professionals, who saw a need for a systematic way for high school students to begin mastering these skills before college.
  
  
• Program Details
  
  • Students typically take AP Seminar in grade 10 or 11, followed by AP Research. Each course is yearlong, and AP Seminar is a prerequisite for AP Research.
  • In both courses, students investigate a variety of topics in multiple disciplines. Students may choose to explore topics related to other AP courses they’re taking.
  • Both courses guide students through completing a research project, writing an academic paper, and making a presentation on their project.
  
  
• Awards
  
  • Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing receive the AP Capstone Diploma™. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate™.
  • Note: the AP Capstone Diploma and AP Seminar and Research Certificate are reported to colleges and universities as AP Scholar Awards and appear in Scholar Roster reports.
  
  

AP STUDIO ART
SPECIAL NOTE: A $25 donation is requested each semester.
The purpose of this course is to give advanced students the opportunity to develop quality, concentration, discipline, and breadth in drawing. The content should include, but not be limited to, the following: experiences in the development of skills in the perceptual and conceptual aspects of drawing, techniques of preparation, presentation, and evaluation of portfolio content.

AP ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION
The purpose of this course is to study and practice writing and to study literature. Students will learn to use the modes of discourse and recognize the assumptions underlying various rhetorical strategies. Students will also acquire an understanding of the literary technique and of the writer’s craft. They will develop critical standards for the appreciation of any literary work and increase their sensitivity to literature as a shared experience. The content should include, but not be limited to, the following: the content specified by the Advanced Placement Program.

AP PRE-CALCULUS
In this course, students explore everyday situations using mathematical tools and lenses. Through regular practice, students build deep mastery of modeling and functions, and they examine scenarios through multiple representations.  They will learn how to observe, explore, and build mathematical meaning from dynamic systems, an important practice for thriving in an ever-changing world. This course prepares students for other higher-level mathematics and science courses. The framework delineates content and skills common to college precalculus courses that are foundational for
careers in mathematics, physics, biology, health science, social science, and data science.

AP CALCULUS AB
PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of Pre-Calculus and teacher recommendation.
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If the student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

The purpose of this course is to study algebraic and transcendental functions and the general theory and techniques of calculus. The content should include, but not be limited to, the following: the content specified by the Advanced Placement Program. Graphing calculator needed. Recommend TI-84 or TI-89.

AP CALCULUS BC
PREREQUISITE: Successful completion of AP Calculus AB, or Pre-Calculus with an A or strong B, and teacher recommendation.
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If the student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

The purpose of this course is to provide an extensive study of the general theory and techniques of calculus. The content should include, but not be limited to, the content specified by the Advanced Placement Program. Graphing calculator
needed. Recommend TI-89.

AP STATISTICS
PREREQUISITE: Algebra II
SPECIAL NOTE: Credit in this course precludes credit in Probability and Statistics with Application. Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If a student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

The purpose of this course is to explore the concepts of statistics and data distribution. The content should include, but not be limited to the following: exploring data, including observing patterns and departures from patterns; planning a study, including deciding what and how to measure; anticipating patterns in advance, including producing models using probability and simulation; and statistical inference, including confirming models. Graphing calculator needed. Recommend TI-84

AP MUSIC THEORY
This course is an introductory college-level music theory course. Students cultivate their understanding of music theory through analyzing performed and notated music as they explore concepts like pitch, rhythm, form, and musical design.

AP BIOLOGY
PREREQUISITE: Biology Honors, Chemistry Honors, and teacher recommendation
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If the student does not take the exam, then Biology 2 Honors level credit will be assigned.
This course provides a study of the facts, principles, and processes of biology, and the collection, interpretation, and formulation of hypotheses from available data. The content includes, but is not limited to, that determined by the

Advanced Placement program. Laboratory investigations of selected topics in the content, which also include the use of the scientific method, measurement, laboratory apparatus and safety procedures, are an integral part of the course. This is a laboratory-oriented course.

AP CHEMISTRY
This course provides a study of the development and application of chemistry principles and concepts. The content includes, but is not limited to, that determined by the Advanced Placement Program. Laboratory investigations of selected topics in the content, which include the use of the scientific method, measurement, laboratory apparatus, and safety procedures, are an integral part of the course.
AP PHYSICS 1

The purpose of this course is to provide a systematic introduction to the main principles of classical and modern physics and emphasize the development of problem-solving ability. The content should include, but not be limited to the content specified by the Advanced Placement Program. Laboratory investigations of selected topics in the content, which also include the use of scientific method, measurement, laboratory apparatus, and safety procedures, are an integral part of this course.

AP UNITED STATES HISTORY
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If a student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

This course provides students with the opportunity to develop the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials of American historic development. Students will learn to weigh evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. The course emphasizes the assessment of historical materials with regard to given interpretive problems, their reliability, and their importance. A chronological presentation of the content will 30 cover a broad variety of topics in the specialized fields of political-constitutional and diplomatic history, economic history, cultural and intellectual history, and social history.

AP EUROPEAN HISTORY
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If a student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

The study of European history since 1450 introduces students to cultural, economic, political, and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they live. Without this knowledge, we would lack the context for understanding the development of contemporary institutions, the role of continuity and change in present-day society and politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse. In addition to providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of AP European History are to develop an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European history, an ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and an ability to express historical understanding in writing.

AP PSYCHOLOGY
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If a student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

Through the study of psychology, students acquire an understanding of and appreciation for human behavior, behavioral interaction and the progressive development of individuals. Content should include, but not be limited to, research methodology, the differences between learned and unlearned behavior, forces that influence the strength and direction of behavior, theories, methods and issues related to the assessment of human differences, the impact of social factors on behavior, the scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals, and the ethics psychologists use in their science and practice.

AP UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT & POLITICS
The purpose of AP United States Government and Politics is to introduce students to a critical perspective of politics and government in the United States. Students will learn general concepts used to interpret American politics and analyze specific case studies. Students also become familiar with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that constitute the American political perspective. The content should include, but not be limited to, federalism and the separation of powers, development of the Constitution, political processes, the nature of public opinion, the role of political parties and interest groups, major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power, and the development of civil liberties and civil rights.

AP COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If a student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned. This course does not fulfill the Government requirement for graduation.

The study of government and politics in Great Britain, France, China, Nigeria, Iran, and developing nations will allow students to understand the world’s diverse political structures and political practices. Emphasis is placed on general concepts used to interpret key political relationships found in almost all national politics. Content should include, but not be limited to, the following: nature and sources of government’s legitimacy; historical evolution of political traditions; transmission of political values; basis and institutional expression of social stratification; citizen’s role in political life; institutions of national government; roles of political parties and interest groups; sources, nature and consequences of political change; methods of comparative political analysis.

AP MICROECONOMICS
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If a student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

Students will discover the knowledge and decision-making tools necessary for understanding how society must organize its limited resources to satisfy its unlimited wants and learn factors that influence the economic system. Content should include, but not be limited to, the following: fundamental economic concepts, including scarcity, opportunity costs and trade-offs, productivity, economic systems and institutions, exchange, money, and interdependence. Additionally, analysis of microeconomic concepts, including markets and prices, supply and demand, competition and market structure, income distribution, market failure and the role of government.

AP SPANISH LANGUAGE
PREREQUISITE: AICE Spanish Language
SPECIAL NOTE: Students are required to take the standardized Advanced Placement exam in May in order to receive weighted academic credit. If a student does not take the exam, then regular level credit will be assigned.

The purpose of this course is to develop oral and written fluency in Spanish. The content should include, but not be limited to the content specified by the Advanced Placement Program.

AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES
Whether it’s 3-D animation, engineering, music, app development, medicine, visual design, and robotics, or political analysis, computer science is the engine that powers the technology, productivity, and innovation that drive the world.

Computer science experience has become imperative for today’s students and the workforce of tomorrow. The AP Program designed AP Computer Science Principles with the goal of creating leaders in computer science fields and attracting and engaging those who are traditionally underrepresented with essential computing tools and multidisciplinary opportunities.

AP COMPUTER SCIENCE A
PREREQUISITE; Computer Science Principles
Get familiar with the concepts and tools of computer science as you learn a subset of the Java programming language. You'll do hands-on work to design, write, and test computer programs that solve problems or accomplish tasks.

You can earn college credit, advanced placement, or both with your AP Exam scores, depending on the policy of the colleges you’re interested in. Here are the differences:

• Credit: You can graduate college early and save money on tuition by earning credit for qualifying AP scores. You need a certain number of credits (usually 120 for a bachelor’s degree), and more colleges than ever before offer credit for your AP scores.
• Advanced placement: You can skip certain introductory courses and gain placement in more advanced courses with qualifying AP scores.

Some colleges offer you the chance to earn credit and to skip a course (i.e., after gaining advanced placement) with a qualifying AP score.

Search colleges you’re interested in or planning to attend to find out about their credit and placement policies.

If you’re a senior, be sure to note the AP score deadlines for the college you’re planning to attend so you don’t lose the opportunity to send your scores. As a reminder, scores will start to be released in July.

To order AP Score Report: Go to Sending AP Scores

To get college credit, you need to send your official AP score report to the university you will be attending for college. Taking advantage of this opportunity each year allows more colleges and scholarship organizations to learn about how hard you've worked at college-level courses. Score reports include this year's and prior years' AP Exam scores.