WATERTOWN HIGH SCHOOL Advanced Placement Program Purpose of

WATERTOWN HIGH SCHOOL Advanced Placement Program

Purpose of AP @ WHS § At Watertown High School we are creating a rigorous and accepting place of learning for all students. § We believe that our students will leave us better prepared for any success or challenge (WHS Core Values). Part of providing this rigorous and challenging curriculum includes our Advanced Placement courses. “Each year, students around the world who want to learn and achieve at the highest level become AP students. Through AP's college-level courses and exams, students can earn college credit and advanced placement, stand out in the admissions process, and learn from some of the most skilled, dedicated, and inspiring teachers in the world” (College. Board).

Benefits of AP Courses § Competitive advantage in college admissions Eighty-five percent of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions. § College credit for qualifying AP Exam scores Find colleges and universities that offer credit or placement for AP using the AP Credit Policy Search at www. collegeboard. org. § Financial benefits Research shows that students who take AP are much more likely than their peers to complete a college degree on time. § Greater course depth Students have the opportunity to dig deeper into subjects that interest them, develop advanced research and communication skills, and learn to tap their creative, problem-solving, and analytical potential. § Preparation for college-level work AP courses give students access to rigorous college-level work. AP students build confidence and learn the essential time management and study skills needed for college and career success.

Science AP Courses Offered § ADVANCED PLACEMENT / UCONN ECE CHEMISTRY #430 § Grades 11 – 12 (2 AP Credits) Prerequisite: Honors Geometry and Honors Algebra II (teacher rec. ), Teacher Recommendation § ADVANCED PLACEMENT BIOLOGY #420 § Grades 12 (2 AP Credits) Prerequisite: Honors Biology (teacher recommendation), Honors or AP Chemistry (teacher recommendation), Recommended: College Preparatory or AP Statistics Co. Requisite: Human Anatomy and Physiology § ADVANCED PLACEMENT PHYSICS 1 #450 § Grades 11 – 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Honors Algebra II and Teacher Recommendation

Math AP Courses Offered § ADVANCED PLACEMENT STATISTICS #363 § Grades 11 – 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Algebra II Honors or Precalculus § ADVANCED PLACEMENT CALCULUS AB #380 § Grade 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Precalculus: Teacher Recommendation § ADVANCED PLACEMENT CALCULUS BC #1302 § Grade 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: A. P. Calculus AB and Teacher Recommendation

Math AP Courses Offered § ADVANCED PLACEMENT COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES #399 § Grades 10 – 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Honors Algebra I or Instructor Approval § ADVANCED PLACEMENT COMPUTER SCIENCE A (JAVA) #394 § Grades 10 – 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Honors Algebra II or Instructor Approval

Social Studies AP Courses Offered § ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY #250 § Grade 11 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Global Issues and the United States History I sequence § ADVANCED PLACEMENT U. S. GOVERNMENT & POLITICS #270 § Grade 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: United States History I Sequence and United States History II.

Social Studies AP Courses Offered § ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY #256 § Grade 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for AP World History, however students must be able to read a college level textbook, have developed writing skills, and receive recommendation of instructor. § ADVANCED PLACEMENT PSYCHOLOGY #280 § Grades 11 – 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: There are no prerequisites for AP Psychology, however students must be able to read a college-level textbook and have developed writing skills and recommendation of instructor. (Science or History)

English AP Courses Offered § ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LANGUAGE & COMPOSITION #131 § Grade 11 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation § ADVANCED PLACEMENT ENGLISH LITERATURE & COMPOSITION #130 § Grade 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Teacher Recommendation

Foreign Language AP Courses Offered § FRENCH IV #530/AP FRENCH #531 § Grade 11 -12 (1 H Credit/ 1 AP Credit) § Prerequisite: Honors French III and teacher recommendation. This course is suggested as a two year cycle, with rotating curriculum, in order to best prepare motivated students for the AP Exam. Students do have the option of taking on Honors French IV, but only students taking the second year will be eligible to earn an AP credit and take the AP Exam. § SPANISH V #582, UCONN ECE § Grade 12 (1 H Credit) § Prerequisite: Honors Spanish IV, Teacher recommendation, and acceptance by UCONN

Art/Music AP Courses Offered § ADVANCED PLACEMENT STUDIO ART (DRAWING) #1803 § Grade 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Minimum of Art 3: Intermediate Drawing & Painting (812), and Teacher Recommendation It is also recommended that a student has five quality art pieces prior to the course. § ADVANCED PLACEMENT MUSIC THEORY #775 § Grades 10 – 12 (1 AP Credit) Prerequisite: Music Theory 1 or Permission of Instructor

AP Contract AP Academic Expectations: Enrollment in AP courses requires students to critically analyze and process academic information at a collegiate level. Courses may require summer assignments to be completed before enrollment. Extra learning sessions may be offered on Saturdays and after school. These will be explained at the start of the course. It is important that students communicate their academic concerns with teachers quickly to maintain the faster pace of course work in order to understand the more rigorous course content. AP Exam Expectation: College credit in AP courses requires that the student take and score at a certain level on the AP exam. At Watertown High School we highly recommend that students take the AP exams for both the possible credit and the collegiate experience. Per the Program of Studies, students receive 20 bonus GPA points for AP level courses. In order to properly plan the best academic experience for students, we believe in using assessment data to drive instructional practices. Therefore, students who do not take the AP exam will be required to take a final exam in the course during the end of year exam period. There will be no exemption for this final.

AP Contract § AP Exam Payment: Students are responsible to pay for the AP Exam. Currently, each exam costs around $93. 00 and there is an additional fee charged by the College Board for each AP exam registered for, but not taken (This fee will be $15. 00 or greater). A student who is ill the day of the AP Exam must call the AP Coordinator by 8 A. M. that day or no make-up exam will be ordered. Students with financial hardships will be supported by the school. Students who need assistance paying for exams should speak to their counselors for confidential assistance. § Student Withdrawal From AP Course: Students may withdraw from AP courses, without penalty, if withdrawal is submitted on or before three weeks (3 weeks) after the start of the AP class. Students enrolled in an AP course who withdraw from that course after that date will receive a grade of W/ and whatever their grade was at the time of withdrawal (W/D, W/C, W/B or W/A) on their school academic transcript. PLEASE NOTE: Student withdrawals may result in an inability to enroll in other replacement courses of choice, as the general population has already completed their course registrations. In such conditions, the students may be faced with a lower level of course credits being taken, or other undesirable course schedule adjustments being required.

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