Advanced Placement (AP) Courses

All AP information is taken from the AP Program Guide by the College Board. College Board, Advanced Placement Program, and AP are registered trademarks of the College Entrance Examination Board. AP Central is a trademark owned by the College Entrance Examination Board.

The Advanced Placement Program is sponsored by the College Board, a non-profit membership association. The College Board contracts with Educational Testing Service (ETS), an independent, non-profit organization, for technical and operational services. College Board's website is http://www.collegeboard.com

William Henry Spencer High School's Goals for AP are:

• To increase the number of AP offerings to our students.
• To increase the number and percentage of traditionally-underrepresented students taking AP classes.
• To increase the number and percentage of traditionally-underrepresented students taking the exams and earning a score of 3 or better.

Sixty percent of U.S. high schools currently participate in the AP Program. Many colleges and universities in the United States and other countries have an AP policy granting incoming students credit, advanced placement, or both, on the basis of their AP Exam grades. Many of these institutions grant up to a full year of college credit (sophomore standing) to students who earn a sufficient number of qualifying AP grades.

For each AP course, an AP exam is administered. Except for Studio Art, which is a portfolio assessment, all exams contain a free response section (either essay or problem solving) and a section of multiple choice questions. The modern language exams also have a speaking component, and the Music Theory exams include a sight-singing task.

An Overview of AP Exam Grades:
Each AP exam grade is a weighted combination of the student’s score on the multiple-choice section and on the 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

Click here for official AP test dates

W. H. Spencer High School exam dates

How AP Benefits Students:
Students who take AP courses derive many benefits. AP often helps steer toward college or advanced studies students who are unsure about their future plans. AP courses give high school students the opportunity to participate in classes that are invariably more rigorous and in-depth than most other high school offerings. To participate in an AP class is to enter a world of intense discussion and thought, a class in which students are given the intellectual responsibility to think for themselves and to learn to reason, analyze, and understand. Such intellectual training inevitably helps students succeed in college, where these skills are essential.

AP can change your life. Through college-level AP courses, you enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise remain unexplored in high school; through AP Exams, you have the opportunity to earn credit or advanced standing at most of the nation's colleges and universities. For more information, check out the current AP bulletin: 2009-10 Bulletin for AP Students and Parents.

Research demonstrates that AP Exam grades are valid predictors of college success. A 2005 study conducted for the National Center for Educational Accountability found that students who earned a score of 3 or higher on one or more AP Exams in the areas of English, mathematics, science, or social studies were more likely to graduate from college in five years or less compared to non-AP students. Additionally, students who receive advanced placement or college credit typically continue to take more, not fewer, courses in the discipline for which they've received AP credit. For more information, see the 2000 research study, AP Students in College: An Investigation of Their Course-Taking Patterns and College Majors.

Why take an Advanced Placement course?

Gain the Edge in College Preparation:

• Get a head start on college-level work
• Improve your writing skills and sharpen your problem-solving techniques.
• Develop the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous course work.

Stand Out in the College Admissions Process:

• Demonstrate your maturity and readiness for college.
• Show your willingness to push yourself to the limit.
• Emphasize your commitment to academic excellence.

Broaden Your Intellectual Horizons:

• Explore the world from a variety of perspectives, most importantly your own.
• Study subjects in greater depth and detail.
• Assume the responsibility of reasoning, analyzing, and understanding for yourself.

How Do I Enroll?

• Make an appointment with your counselor.
• Come by and see the AP Coordinator - Mrs. Kim Boynton.
• Converse with the Academy Coordinator - Mrs. Toni Webb.
• Make an appointment with the Graduation Coach - Ms. Sonja Parker.
• Consult with the Assistant Principal of Curriculum and Instruction - Mrs. Miranda Banks.
• Consult with the Proud Principal - Mr. Reginald Griffin.