Welcome to SPHS AP and Honors

Night 2015

Exploring High School AP and

Honors Course Curriculum

~AGENDA~•

• Welcome and

Introduction

• Understanding College

credit, High School GPAs

and Hope Scholarship

• Rigor and course content

• Realistic expectations

• Summer reading

assignments

• Announcements

Why should my son/daughter take Advanced

Placement (AP) or Honors Level Classes?

College perspective

of AP or Honors

courses

“Exhausting the

Curriculum”

College acceptance,

scholarships and

grants

What do the numbers mean?

AP

10 quality points added to

the grade

If the grade earned in the

class is an 84, then it will

appear as a 94 on your

transcript

This is to provide an

incentive for students to

take a more academically

challenging class

Honors

5 quality points added to

the grade

If the grade earned in the

class is an 84, then it will

appear as a 89 on your

transcript

This is to provide an

incentive for students to try

an advanced course

without committing to an

AP course

These points are not added until the final report card. No points are added if

your average is 69 or below.

Advanced Placement and AP

College Board All AP classes follow the extended curriculum of not only the State

of GA standards, but AP College Board standards as well

All AP classes have a Nationally Certified AP College Board Exam

at the end of the course in May

The scores on the exams are 1-5

5 Extremely qualified (receives college credit in most colleges)

4 Well qualified (receives college credit in some colleges)

3 Qualified (passing…still receives college credit in some

colleges)

2 Not Recommended for college credit

1 Not passing

Navigating AP Scores

University of Georgia

Fiscal Year 2014-2015

Tuition Rates per Semester

(Fall 2014 and Spring 2015)

In-State (Resident)

Undergraduate Rates (tuition

does not include fees)

6 hours or less $2,552

More than 6 hours $4,295

Cost savings per AP passing

course $1276

Ga Tech

Fiscal Year 2014-2015

Tuition Rates per Semester

(Fall 2014 and Spring 2015)

In-State (Resident)

Undergraduate Rates (tuition

does not include fees)

6 hours or less $2,675

More than 6 hours $4501

Cost savings per AP passing

course $1337

GPA & The Hope Scholarship

The weight for honors courses is removed for Hope

Scholarship purposes.

The weight for AP courses changes.

Instead of adding 10 points to the 100 point scale,

Hope adds .5 to the 4.0 scale.

For example, An 80 in AP Human Geography

(weighted to 90 in the local 100 point GPA) becomes

a 3.5 for Hope (80 = 3.0 then add.5)

A complete listing of HOPE Rigor courses may be found

at GACollege411.org. Click on HOPE Scholarship

Information and scroll down to rigor requirements link (in

blue).

Zell Miller Scholarship

Zell Miller 3.7 GPA + 1200 Math/Reading SAT Score

or 26 ACT

To Be Eligible for the HOPE Scholarship, and in

Addition to Grade Point Average and Other

Requirements:

Students Graduating after May 1, 2015 Must Have

Two Full Academic Credits (Rigorous courses)

Students Graduating after May 1, 2016 Must Have

Three Academic Credits (Rigorous Courses)

Students Graduating after May 1, 2017 Must Have

Four Full Academic Credits (Rigorous Courses)

Honors and AP Courses count as rigorous courses

What’s the Difference?

Honors

Higher order thinking

Increased content

knowledge

Application of concepts

More written/explanation

of assignments and

assessments

AP

Increased rigor and higher

order thinking

Expectation of level of

preparedness PRIOR to class

(i.e. reading and preparing of

material the night before)

Not only application of

concepts but analysis and

connections to other events or

concepts

Even more written/explanation

of assignments and

assessments

Rigor and Course Expectations Speed…as well as depth of knowledge

Anticipated homework—LOTS of reading,

writing and analysis

Anticipated participation—student engagement

and class discussion

Anticipated assessments—more explanation,

analysis, making connections, etc…more written

assessments

AP courses generally have not only the Ga State

Standards to cover, but the College Board

curriculum as well

AP & Honors – Rigorous

Curriculum

Students will read, write, and perform

calculations at a higher level than the

standard curriculum.

Students will have more frequent out-of-

class assignments.

Tests and quizzes will assess students at

a higher knowledge and/or skill level than

the regular curriculum.

What are the expectations for behavior in

advanced courses?

Classroom Behavior: Honors and AP courses are upper level courses, therefore, it is expected that all students behave in manner that reflects a higher level of maturity.

Honors and AP courses are not a place for disciplinary issues or disruptive behaviors.

Students with high rates of absenteeism generally do not perform well in advanced classes do to the speed of the course

The Advantages of AP & Honors

Students are cognitively challenged and

become more prepared for future courses.

Competitive colleges and universities look

for students who take these rigorous

courses in high school.

Students in these courses are typically

more motivated creating a more stable

learning environment.

More AP Advantages

Research shows that taking AP courses in

high school is related to future success.

AP Students graduate college on-time at a

higher rate.

AP students outperform their peers who did

not take AP.

For more information on the AP Program,

visit http://apcentral.collegeboard.com.

Realistic Expectations

Course loads

Grades

A “C” in an Honors/AP course is NOT the end

of the world!

Balancing extra-curricular with curriculum

Successful Students Motivated, Self-starters

Organized, Strong work ethic

Engaged in class participation and asks

questions

Takes advantage of teacher created

materials

Tutoring

Rubrics and study guides

Information on PPT

Teacher websites

Teacher/Student Challenges Lack of motivation

Unwillingness to accept personal

individual responsibility

Lacking a work ethic

Unaccustomed to work load, higher level

of learning

Not as many grades—less “fluff” grades

Lack of coping skills to manage stress

“The Dog Ate My Homework”Summer Reading Assignments are the “norm”—expect

them for most Honors/AP classes

Where can your student find them?

Individual teachers

SPHS Webpage

Paulding County Webpage

What if I don’t like it?

The class is a full year commitment.

You will not be able to drop the class---

decide now if you want to take this class!

How to Make Changes

Please send an email to your student’s counselor by this Monday, May 18th. All email addresses are @paulding.k12.ga.us 9th Christie Couch ccouch

10th Christie Couch ccouch

11th Ann Flowers aflowers

12th David Seawell dseawell

Any questions about the courses can be answered tonight by the department representatives after we dismiss from this session.