Advanced Placement Courses

1
Advanced Placement Courses AP

• The Who, What,
• When and Why

2
The AP Program Accept the Challenge

• Advanced Placement (AP) courses allow high school
  students the opportunity to acquire college level
  content knowledge.
• Through AP exams students have the chance to earn
  credit in more than 90 of colleges and
  universities in the US and Canada.

3
About APThe Why

• Achievement
• Preparation
• Confidence

4
Question

• What is the best preparation for scoring well on
  the ACT?
• What happens in the classroom day in and day out?

5
Benefits of taking AP Exams

• Earn college credit and advanced placement
• Earn AP scholar awards
• Learn what professors are looking for
• Success in AP leads to success in college

6
AP Exam Grades

• AP Exam grades are a combination of scores from a
  multiple choice and a free response section. The
  final grade is reported on a 5 point scale
• 5 extremely well qualified
• 4 well qualified
• 3 qualified
• 2 possibly qualified
• 1 no recommendation

7
AP Course Options

• There are 37 courses and exams across 22 subject
  areas - AP offers something for everyone.
• RCS offers 16 AP courses which may be taken
  during a students years at RHS.
• Students may elect to take exams in any area not
  offered.

8
RHS AP Course Offerings

• English Language
• English Literature
• French V AP
• German V AP
• Spanish V AP
• Studio Art

9
RHS AP Course Offerings

• United States History
• United States Government and Politics
• Psychology
• Calculus AB
• Calculus BC
• Statistics

10
RHS AP Course Offerings

• Biology
• Environmental Science
• Chemistry
• Physics

11
(No Transcript)
12
(No Transcript)
13
(No Transcript)
14
Indicators of AP Success

• Explore composite score, PSAT scores
• Part of the progression in the RHS curriculum
• Students who are willing to make a commitment to
  academic excellence
• Students with the study habits to tackle rigorous
  course work
• Students with a strong interest in the given
  content area

15
Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS)
EXPLORE 8th and 9th grade (score range 1
to 25) PLAN 10th grade (score
range 1 to 32) ACT 11th and 12th grade
(score range 1 to 36)
16
ACT College-Readiness Benchmarks
9th 14 18 16 20
8th 13 17 15 20
15 19 17 21
18 22 21 24
17
AP Pass Rate by Entering EXPLORE Composite Score
18
Predictive Relationship Between AP Enrollment and
Performance and College Readiness as a Success
Measure

• For students who took no AP classes in high
  school
• 17 will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in
  college
• For students who took at least one AP course but
  did not take an AP exam
• 37 will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in
  college

19
Predictive Relationship Between AP Enrollment and
Performance and College Readiness as a Success
Measure

• For students who took at least one AP course,
  took the exam, but did not pass the exam (scored
  a 1 or 2)
• 42 will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in
  college
• For students who took at least one AP course,
  took the exam, and passed the exam (scored a 3,
  4, or 5)
• 64 will graduate within 5 years of enrollment in
  college

20
AP The University Perspective

• Sally Lindsley
• The Senior Associate Director of Undergraduate
  Admissions from the University of Michigan

21
Additional Resources

• The College Board Website has a special resource-
  Bulletin for AP Students and Parents
• http//www.collegeboard.com/student/testing/ap/abo
  ut.html

22
Advanced Placement Use in Admissions Review and
Placement at the University of Michigan

• Sally Lindsley
• Senior Associate Director
• Office of Undergraduate Admissions
• University of Michigan
• Rochester High School
• February 25, 2009

23
Benefits of AP as Part of High School Curriculum

• Demonstrated rigor
• Selective colleges and institutions evaluate
  candidates for admissions based on rigor of
  curriculum offered in their respective high
  schools.
• Curriculum Nationally normed AP curriculum
• Assists school districts with limited funding for
  curriculum development to provide for students to
  be challenged in their areas of academic strength
  offers a standard template for teachers to use
  in developing their individual curriculum AP
  workshops made available during the summer to
  enhance instruction.
• Michigan Virtual High School allows students to
  enroll in 2 AP online classes per year provides
  academic opportunities for students from
  secondary school districts with small enrollments
  to take advantage of the AP program.

24
Advanced Placement Selection and Review Process

• Multiple, Comprehensive, Holistic Admissions
  Process
• AP scores can help corroborate excellent grades
  on a transcript, and weak scores can illuminate
  potential areas of concern
• of AP courses taken and grades received by
  student
• All courses do not carry an equal weight in the
  admissions process.  We expect successful
  applicants to have attempted the toughest
  curriculum available to them at their HS AP is
  one way to demonstrate rigor on the transcript
• E.g., College of Engineering student s advised
  to enroll in highest levels of math and science
  offered - AP Calculus, AP statistics, AP
  Chemistry, and/or AP Physics.
• Retention of the Student correlated to Rigor in
  HS

25
Use of AP in Application Evaluations

• University of Michigan Freshman Undergraduate
  Admissions Review Guidelines
• From Michigans evaluation process guidelines
• Category Academic Achievement, Quality, and
  Potential
• Curriculum
• The transcript is extremely important in noting
  the grades the applicant has achieved as well as
  the rigor and quality of the curriculum. Given
  the wide disparity in high school course
  selection and offerings, it is imperative that
  the choice of strong courses, particularly those
  courses clearly identified as honors and AP/IB
  should be considered in the context of that
  particular high school. What is the quality and
  strength of courses offered? Has the applicant
  taken advanced and/or challenging classes? Does
  the high school have strict prerequisites for
  entrance into these courses? What are the
  applicants curricular interests and strengths?
  Did the applicant dual enroll? Or, has the
  applicant extensively studied a particular
  subject?
• Reviewers will also have the flexibility to give
  an outstanding rating to applicants who took
  college-level courses in academic subjects and
  received excellent to outstanding grades.
  Reviewers may exercise their judgment when giving
  below average, average, good, excellent, or
  outstanding ratings to curriculum, as part of the
  overall academic achievement rating.
• http//www.admissions.umich.edu/prospective/prospe
  ctivefreshmen/eval_categories.phpAcademic

26
Decision Categories

• HA High Admit
• Consistent outstanding evaluation (show strong
  evidence of taking challenging courses offered at
  school)
• Students who would be considered for top merit
  scholarship programs
• A Admit
• Consistent outstanding or excellent evaluation
  (show evidence of taking some challenging courses
  offered at school)
• No deficiencies
• AR Admit with Reservation
• Mostly outstanding / excellent evaluations,
  possibly good in select areas
• A single deficiency, or very few minor
  deficiencies
• Student is competitive for admission
• DR Deny with Reservation
• Consistent good or average evaluation (school
  offers challenging courses and no evidence of
  student having taken any rigor)
• Several deficiencies, or a major deficiency
• Student is qualified for admission
• D Deny
• Consistent average or below average ratings
• Student is not qualified for admission

27
Entering Class of 2008
Freshmen 2008 2007 2006
Applications 29,814 27,774 25,806
Admits 12,566 (42.1) 13,828 (49.8) 12,248 (47.4)
Paids 5,881 6198 5,654
Target 5,700 5,600 5,413
Enrollment 5,763 5,998 5,399
Note Includes Spring, Summer, and Fall terms.
28
Profile of 2008 Admitted Freshman Students (all
units middle 50)
GPA 3.7-4.0
SAT I 1300-1460
SAT-V 630-710
SAT-M 670-750
ACT 28-32
ACT-E 27-33
ACT-M 27-33
TOP 20 99
29
Policies Regarding Granting College Credit

• Who determines credit at post-secondary
  institutions
• Typically faculty within a department will
  determine credit policy for an AP exam. Strictly
  a local decision no national guidelines.
• U-M Office of Undergraduate Admissions requests
  yearly updates each spring from faculty in the
  individual colleges and departments.
• Provide analysis to the six undergraduate
  schools/colleges on enrolling classs reported
  examination scores and number of credits awarded.

30
Policies Vary at Different Institutions

• No Credit nor any Placement
• No Credit but advanced placement in next level
  courses
• A Mix of Credit or Placement
• No Credit below 5
• No Credit below 4
• No Credit below 3
• Different Schools / Colleges / Departments want
  different scores

31
University of Michigan Policy

• 4 or 5 yields course equivalent or departmental
  credit
• 3 in some departments yields course equivalent or
  departmental credit
• Approximately 63 of the enrolling freshman class
  for 2008 received credit for their reported
  scores.

32
of Freshman Cohort Granted AP Credits, 1998-2008
33
AP at U-M

• May 2008 score reports
• U-M received 13,832 AP exam scores
• 81 were a 3 or higher
• 57 were 4 or 5
• 2,748 were for English AP exams Eng. Lang
  Comp 1,020 and Eng. Lit. Comp. 1,728
• 2,562 were for Calculus AP exams Calculus AB
  1,684 and Calculus BC 878

34
AP at U-M

• 6,265 students reported 13,832 total test scores
  to U-M in all 37 tests administered in 22
  subjects areas in May 2008
• Majority of students were enrolling freshman
  Fall 2008
• Top 5 tests by number of scores reported
• English Language Literature 1,728
• Calculus AB 1,684
• US Government Politics 1,042
• English Language Composition 1,020
• Biology 953
• Highest number of test scores reported
• Score of 5
• Calculus AB 585
• Calculus BC 494
• Biology 344
• Psychology 318
• US Government Politics 272
• Score of 4
• English Language Literature 609
• Calculus AB 446
• English Language Composition 320

35
Average AP credits, 1998-2008
36
Average AP Subjects for U-M Freshman, 1998-2008
37
Top 5 AP Subjects per Freshmen Cohort Year
Cohort Year Test Component of
Freshmen 2003 EL 1617 2003 CALAB 1580 2003 AMHI
S 1415 2003 CH 1221 2003 ENGL 1077 2004 CALAB
1639 2004 EL 1638 2004 AMHIS 1509 2004 CH 1321
2004 ENGL 1167 2005 EL 1745 2005 CALAB 1660 20
05 AMHIS 1598 2005 CH 1431 2005 ENGL 1232 2006
CALAB 1558 2006 EL 1522 2006 CH 1435 2006 AMH
IS 1411 2006 ENGL 1182 2007 EL 1791 2007 CALAB
1772 2007 CH 1770 2007 AMHIS 1604 2007 ENGL 1
331 2008 CH 1766 2008 CALAB 1750 2008 EL 1601
2008 AMHIS 1550 2008 ENGL 1268

• Cohort Year Test Component of Freshmen
• 1998 CALSB 1409
• 1998 I NTEN 1201
• 1998 PHYSM 775
• 1998 EH 636
• 1998 BY 608
• 1999 CALSB 1583
• 1999 INTEN 1284
• 1999 PHYSM 955
• 1999 CH 823
• 1999 BY 811
• 2000 EL 1611
• 2000 CALAB 1500
• 2000 AMHIS 1167
• 2000 CH 1138
• 2000 ENGL 881

38
University of Michigan Policy (contd)
Some University of Michigan departments grant
credit and placement for a score of 3 or above.
(Subscores from Calculus and Music Theory are not
used.)
Examinations requiring a score of 4 or 5 include

• Calculus AB and BC
• Computer Science
• Economics
• English Language Composition
• English Literature Composition
• Environmental Science
• French Language Literature

• American, European, World History
• History of Art
• Human Geography
• Latin Vergil and Latin Literature
• Music Theory
• Psychology
• Spanish Language Literature
• Statistics

39
University of Michigan Policy (contd)

• The amount of credit given for some exams
  differs. To receive credit for Chemistry, the
  College of Engineering requires a score of 4 or
  5. The College of Literature, Science, and the
  Arts requires a score of 3 for Chemistry if the
  student placed into Chemistry 210 and 211 based
  on results from placement exam taken during
  orientation. Also, students enrolling in some
  honors math courses may have credit adjusted
  after completing the honors courses.
• Newest AP exams in Chinese Language and Culture
  and Japanese Language and Culture U-M Asian
  Languages and Cultures Department opted to follow
  existing practice Orientation placement test to
  be placed into a Japanese or Chinese course.
  Chinese also allowed taking Chinese proficiency
  test (HSK) to be placed out of the 4-semester
  language requirement.

40
Chemistry College of Engineering and College of
Literature, Science, and the Arts
AP Examination Score Credit for Course Credit Hours Placement (Eligible to enroll in)
Chemistry College of Engineering 4 Chemistry 130 3
5 Chemistry 125 (1)/126 (1) Chemistry 130(3) 5
Chemistry College of Literature, Science, and the Arts 3 3 hours for Chemistry 130 and 2 hours for Chemistry 125 (1)/126 (1) 5 Chem 210, 211
3 No credit if not placed into Chem 210, 211 by taking placement exam during orientation 0 Chem 125/126 (if prehealth profession) 130
4 or 5 Chemistry 125 (1)/ 126 (1) Chemistry 130 (3) 5 All students with an AP score of 4 or 5 are eligible to elect Chem 210, 211.
41
University of Michigan Policy (contd)

• Credit earned through Advance Placement enables
  students to take courses at a more challenging
  level and counts toward graduation requirements.
  However, AP credit cannot be used to fulfill Area
  Distribution requirements in the College of
  Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA).
• LSA Curriculum committee periodically reviews the
  overall transfer credit policies for the college
  including AP, IB and dual enrollment courses.
• Students cannot receive credit more than once for
  the same course, nor can they receive credit by
  taking a course at a level lower than indicated
  by a placement exam. Courses elected at U-M must
  be at a more advanced level (usually a higher
  number) than what they would receive through
  Advanced Placement. 
• http//www.admissions.umich.edu/academics/apguidel
  ines.html

42
Concerns/Issues

• Is Advanced Placement rigorous enough?
• Can a high school teacher develop a college level
  course that is at least as rigorous as AP?
• Can class discussion in a high school class
  replicate class discussion in a college class?
• Can a high school lab experience replicate a
  college lab experience?
• Does a score of 3 or 4 or even 5 equate to the
  breadth and depth of the subject covered in our
  college course?

43
More . . .

• Will students enter with AP credits and
• 1. Graduate early?
• 2. Take light academic load senior year?
• 3. Be ready for the next course in
  the sequence of classes?

44
Rochester High School

• Advanced Placement Program
• Christopher Green, Coordinator

There are no secrets to success Dont waste
time looking for them. Success is the result of
perfection, hard work, learning from failureand
persistence. - Colin Powell
45
The Classes

• AP courses are the only ones actually designed
  by teams of college professors who work alongside
  expert secondary school teachers. Plus, college
  faculty participate in the scoring of the AP Exam
  youll take at the end of your course, comparing
  you to their own college students, verifying your
  mastery of the same level of curriculum.
  College Board
• Provides rigor colleges and the business world
  demands.
• Prepares students for the challenges of a college
  course
• Challenges the students to meet or exceed their
  ability and potential.
• Helps improve your reading and writing skills.

46
Scheduling

• All AP classes are full year (2 semester classes)
• Offered in 10th -12th grades.
• Are based on the proven ability of the student
  and teacher recommendation.
• Should be in the area of student career or
  academic interest.
• The number of AP classes taken each year should
  be made with common sense.

47
Testing

• Purpose of taking the course is to prepare
  students for taking the AP test.
• Occurs in May of each year.
• Each test is typically 3 hours and involves
  multiple-choice and essays or problems.
• All or a portion of test costs can be paid for
  based on student financial need.
• Earn credit or advanced placement or both at most
  Universities with a score of 3 and above.