Advanced Placement Courses | Distance Learning Systems (DLSI)

The Advantages of Advanced Placement Courses

One important decision to make in high school is whether or not to take advanced placement courses, college-level classes taught in high school. According to Allen Grove, a college admissions expert, you should take advantage of the courses offered in your school. Taking advanced placement courses will benefit you in both the college application process and undergraduate life.

In a world where entering college is a challenge, taking the AP courses will give you that boost among other college applicants. Your academic record is the most important part of college application thus, succeeding in difficult courses is the surest sign of your preparedness for college which will then impress college admissions counselors.

Advanced placement courses require high-level calculation and critical thinking that you’ll encounter in your first year of college. Therefore, if you’ve successfully passed an AP course, you have developed college-level academic skills which in turn will lead you to a fruitful college life.

If you take enough AP courses, this will help you in saving money in the long run. You can potentially graduate a semester or even a year early which is a good idea for students who are not receiving financial aid. Instead of spending tens of thousands of dollars for another semester or year, graduating early is a great option.

Choosing a major sooner is also one of the benefits in taking advanced placement courses. Each course provides in-depth introduction to a specific subject area and a high score on an AP exam often fulfills one of a college’s general education requirements. Therefore, it will give you ample time to explore different academic fields.

Colleges also honor credits earned from taking advanced placement courses. With this, you can take more elective classes that serve your interests like glass blowing or the occult. You can also add a minor or second major more easily because AP credits will make it more feasible.

The Advanced Placement Courses & Exams

Advanced Placement (AP) courses, created by the Unites States College Board, are college-level curricula offered by universities or colleges to high school students. Grant placement and course credit is often given to those who obtain high scores on the examinations. Currently, there are more than 30 existing Advance Placement courses on multiple subject matters offered.

The Advanced Placement Courses had a long history. It started after the Second World War the program was pioneered by prep schools until them issues a report allowing high school seniors to study college-level material and take an achievement exam that allows college credit for high scorers. A pilot program was run during 1952. Ever since, millions and millions of students each year take Advance Placement examinations to qualify.

The College Board allows students to take any exam no matter what course he is participating under. This means that students studying online and those from schools without Advance Placement courses can equally take the examination.

AS of 2015, each exam costs $91, though financial support is given by local and state programs. For students who qualify, they are given discounts. Additional reduction depends by state. The number of AP exams keep on climbing up each year.

Wondering about the exam structure, the questions and time to finish the exam depends on the subject. The test consist of multiple choices, essay, and questions with short answers. The score rate is from 1 to 5. AP credits vary from school to school. Some offer Advanced Placement Courses for a rating of at least 3. Taking the exam does not mean you have to take the AP courses. If you consider sitting for the AP exam, you can register from your school coordinator. This person will tell you the cost and venue of the exam.

What is an Advanced Placement Courses?

The Advanced Placement courses are only found in the United States and Canada. This program is created by the College Board to offer a college-level curriculum and examinations for students in high school. The program provides credits to students who have advanced knowledge and skills in certain subjects. If the students finish the program and passed the examination, the colleges and universities supporting the program will grant placement and course credit.

Various subjects included in the program and examination has a specific AP curriculum designed by the College Board. The board is composed of highly competent individuals who work as college educators with specific expertise. Advanced Placement courses are college-level courses that can be taken by students in high school. Usually, the school offers these courses to students who are in their honor’s program, to those who have completed all the high school courses or to anyone who have high scores during the examination. These courses are usually courses in English and mathematics; however they can be any subject.

The courses are more meticulous as compared to high school courses since they are usually offered in college. As long as the students are able to finish the course with good grades, they will receive college credit for taking the courses. However, not all colleges grant students college credit for the courses. Some say that the AP courses only add stress to high school students. But you can’t take away the benefit the student will get once they finish the course. They will get a credit and will likely pay less when they go to college as well as save time. The Advanced Placement Courses are a great program and provides many opportunities and experiences for many high school students.

The Value of Advanced Placement Courses

An AP exam costs $89 these days and when learners take lots of these classes, cost can really load up. Advanced placement course are rich with possibilities. They offer dissatisfied honor students with a more challenging intellectual environment. They allow college candidates to happily litter their transcript and resumes with courses considered extensive by admission authorities. They can even permit learners with great ratings on the AP examinations to earn college credit in high school, saving money and time later.

But with those opportunities comes a price. Not a monetary cost, but a price in terms of time, tolerance, and peace of mind. To succeed in advanced placement courses, learners have to be entirely dedicated to achieving their goals in such a class and be willing to read voraciously, write regularly and study industriously. These objectives result in lost time, eagerness (and even anger) and pressure at different degrees throughout the course. That being said, AP is totally beneficial. Not for their college credit opportunities or their appeal on programs, but for the intellectual stimulation they offer for the future. Advanced placement courses reveal learners to the level of reading, writing, studying and thinking that will ultimately be expected while attending college and the pressure that will go along with the academic work.

Regardless of the school credit that one actually gets, AP programs undoubtedly will assist learners in their pursuit for a degree; they minimize the shock of college expectations. The AP experience can be extended beyond college study. The close evaluation of relevant details in each AP discipline better shows learners of how the world works. For instance, teachers’ labor unions immediately remind you of socialist reforms in response to British industrialism. Education and learning improves one’s life experience and the College Board has provided an outlet for learners to receive an excellent education at an earlier age.

Advanced Placement Courses Restriction

The Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and North America designed by the College Board, providing college-level courses and exams to kids. United States universities often allow placement and course credit to learners who acquire high grades above a certain number on the exams. The AP program for the various topics is designed for the College Board by a panel of professionals and college-level teachers in each topic. For a secondary school course to have the AP status, the course must be audited by the College Board to determine it meets the AP program. If the course is accepted, the university may use the AP status and the course will be openly listed on the AP Ledger.

Walter Fields and his spouse are extremely pleased of their little girl, a sophomore at Columbia High School in Maplewood, New Jersey, an excellent mathematics student, scoring proficiency on state assessments and making an A in 8th grade geometry. However, she was not recommended for 9th grade geometry, a course that would keep her on track for Advanced Placement calculus on her senior year. With a heavy sports schedule, she did not do as well in Algebra the next year and her instructor recommended she choose sports or math, informing her mother and father, she does not “get it.”

The Fields, well-educated African Americans, believe the college has restricted their little girl’s improvement because of competition and, with other parents, are planning a court action. Fifty six percent of Columbia’s learners are black, yet only 14.4% took Advanced Placement Courses in Calculus. The Washington Post reviews that some educational institutions limit Advanced Placement courses access to show a high rate of success, while some good students in math, science and engineering are losing out.

Taking a Look at Advanced Placement Courses

More and more learners are getting Advance Placement courses. Most of them are unable to pass the tests. Is that progress? Should more New Haven children get the opportunity to be a part of the college-going track? At the invites of New Haven’s educational institutions superintendent, high school students on the citywide student council are trying to answer those questions. They are getting a wide look at Advance Placement courses, courses for which learners can get college credit if they score at least a 3 out of 5 on a standardized end-of-year examination.

Students first came to Superintendent Garth Harries with an issue that the region would quit spending for the AP tests. Harries pushed them to analyze larger concerns, including: How are children recognized for AP classes? Do all learners have an equivalent probability to take them? And what is the part of advanced placement courses in placing children on a successful college-going track? Harries said he is also meeting with instructors and other employees to talk about how the school district markets sources between AP and non-AP courses, such as the class size and the quality and seniority of the instructors. The evaluation occurs as some teachers are rethinking the part of AP programs in high schools. School district employees shared some early results in a meeting with the citywide student council at Cooperative Arts and Humanities Magnet High School on College Street.

More and more town children are taking AP tests. The number of New Haven public students who took AP tests increased from 415 in 2006 to 724 in 2013, according to the district. The number of examinations taken has nearly more than doubled, to 1,208, during that same time frame. In New Haven, every student who takes an AP class has to sign an agreement accepting to take the examination.

Advanced Placement Courses in Other States

Possibilities keep increasing for kids to have greater access to college-level advanced placement courses throughout Des Moines, as the school district will be providing new programs at Central Academy while continuing other AP programs available at all five extensive great academic institutions. These changes result from significant registration increases the school district has seen recently in advanced placement courses as both learners and instructors have stepped up to meet the task of this college-level program.

DMPS is pleased to declare, for the first time ever, four new AP programs to be provided to Des Moines learners through Central Academy beginning with the 2014-15 school year: AP Art History, AP Computer Science, AP Microeconomics, and AP Spanish Literature. These new AP promotions are unique, specific programs that will be available only at Central Academy to be able to provide access to all DMPS learners. (Previously, AP Art History and AP Microeconomics were available only to learners at Roosevelt High School.) In order to accomplish the growth of their advanced placement program at Central Academy, DMPS will reduce some replication of AP programs. From 2014-15, AP Environmental Science, AP Statistics, and AP US Government will no longer be provided at Central Academy but will continue to be provided at all five comprehensive high schools.

“Des Moines Public Schools is a leader in Iowa and the country when it comes to providing learners access to high-level academic programs, such as Advanced Placement and our learners are to be recommended for taking on these world-class academic opportunities,” said Superintendent Tom Ahart. “The school district’s effort to make advanced placement courses available to more and more learners throughout Des Moines is showing that our learners and instructors are stepping up to the task. We are providing thousands of learners access to class that will help prepare them for higher education and beyond.”

Advanced Placement Courses Empowerment

The College Board, a not-for-profit account company dedicated to quality and value in education with a goal to link students to college achievements and opportunity, lately granted 21 Sauk Prairie High School students for showing college-level accomplishment through advanced placement courses and examinations. Sixteen members from the class of 2013 and five members from the class of 2014 qualified for these distinctions.

Recipients of the AP Scholar award, granted to students who get grades of 3 or greater on three or more advanced placement examinations, are Casandra Bradley, Emma Kreitzmann, Abigail Liverseed and Andrew Stangl for the class of 2013, and Rachel Leege for the class of 2014. Recipients of the AP Scholar with Honor award, granted to students who get an average ranking of at least 3.25 on all advanced placement examinations taken and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these examinations, are Michaela Pfeiffer-Mundt and Brendan Sullivan for the class of 2013, and Sue Albers, Bailey Breunig and Lianna Mack for the class of 2014.

Recipients of the AP Scholar with Distinction award, provided to students who get an average ranking of at least 3.5 on all advanced placement examinations taken and ratings of 3 or greater on five or more of these examinations, include Dallas Breunig, Kassandra Hodges, Chloe Johnson, Tara Loether, Elizabeth Molitor, Angus Mossman, Anthony Renger and Zoey Shultz for the class of 2013, and Tyler Ballweg for the class of 2014.

The receiver of the National AP Scholar award, provided to students in the United States who get an average ranking of at least 4 on all examinations taken and ratings of 4 or greater on eight or more of the advanced placement examinations, is Anthony Renger for the class of 2013. Advanced Placement courses encourage students to get a feel for the rigors of college-level studies, while they are still reinforced in the Sauk Prairie High School environment. When students take AP programs, they illustrate university entrance authorities that they have sought out an academic experience that will prepare them for achievements while attending college and beyond.

Advanced Placement Courses for High School Students

Getting a full load of courses during college means late-night stuffing, regular assessments and lots of content to cover. But it can also mean studying in an advanced, less curriculum-driven atmosphere, while experiencing a break from the extracurricular actions that take over the schedule in high school. Scholars who are lucky enough to not have to work, have time each day to research and slack off, since their complete class time is about 15 hours less each week than that of a higher school student. But a good amount of kids are now using up to 10 advanced placement courses during their junior and senior years, balancing three periods of sports, group service, flute training, driving training and applying to college. School directors say advanced placement courses generally require 30 to 60 minutes of preparation per class per evening. And no high school student’s day begins with an 11 am class.

Why are kids placing themselves through this? And why do parents allow and even require this? There are a lot of explanations for your high school student to take advanced placement courses. Learners can generate college credit and may be able to save money by completing college a term or two early. Learners are also able to take electives previously in college, enabling them to try out new subject matter or even move on to more complex courses in their major more quickly. But not every college allows AP credits. And by the time your child finds out where she is going to college, she is mostly done taking courses.

My buddy who works as a college consultant for high school students says students really need to know themselves before signing up for several AP courses. If you think you can manage work and stress, staying up late and if the subject is an area in which you succeed, go for it. But there are other ways to help you take a stand out: Get into and win an essay competition, for example. But, she says, if a scholar’s objective is to get into an Ivy League university, she motivates him or her to take more APs, especially in a selected area, since the scholar’s “weighted” Grade Point Average will be higher than if he would have taken non-AP classes.

Increase in Advanced Placement Courses Enrollment

Jefferson County Public Schools is constantly on the pattern up-wards in the number of learners enrolled in Advanced Placement Courses and taking the associated examinations. In JCPS, about half of the AP assessments taken obtained ratings that allow learners to earn higher education and learning credit at many higher education and learning institutions, an advantage of the advanced placement course program, but the passing rate dropped this season after several years of benefits.

JCPS authorities say that is likely because the region has targeted on increasing the advanced placement course contribution of learners and now, it’ll need to focus on issues such as instructor planning that support learning within those programs. “Kids cannot do well on the test unless they take the class,” says Pam Royster, the district’s higher education and learning and career ready professional. The number of learners taking AP examinations improved 4.2% last school year from 4,952 this year to 5,160 in 2013. The number of assessments taken (one college student can be registered in several AP programs and take several AP exams) also improved 3.6% from 7,762 the season before to 8,043. But the passing rate reduced by 1.9 percentage points to 47.8% in 2013.

“We’ve definitely got some work to do to make sure we’re covering the content and we’re going deeply enough for kids to be successful on the test,” Royster says. Last school year, JCPS signed up with the state-wide Advance Kentucky effort that helps provide training and resources to instructors and schools to increase the number of AP contribution. That program has been recognized by the state and region as having had a significant effect on AP enhancement. Last year, Valley, Moore and Waggener high schools started participating in the Advance Kentucky. Fern Creek, Southern and Seneca high schools signed up with them this year. The system, says Royster, is a multi-year effort to develop instructors and supports, so it could take time to see its effect.