Glendale Union High School District Honors / Advanced Placement - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Honors / Advanced Placement

Information Night

Glendale Union High School District

Our Schools

Apollo High School Cortez High School Glendale High School Greenway High School Independence High School Moon Valley High School Sunnyslope High School Thunderbird High School Washington High School

About Our Schools

“Excelling” schools for the past eight years Schools have been featured in U.S. News

and World Report

Highly qualified and certified teachers A focus on technology and literacy A nationally recognized learning system that

focuses on student achievement and preparedness for college

About Our Schools

A personal connection with parents, students, and

the community

School populations range from approximately 1400-

1800 students

Over 70 different clubs, sports, and activities No “pay to play or pay to participate” program Award winning Fine Arts programs A wide variety of elective programs A focus on 9th grade transition

The Advanced Placement Program

The Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take rigorous courses during their high school years in

• rder to gain college credits as well as

prepare them for the challenges of higher education.

Similarities between AP and International Baccalaureate

Both are rigorous and dedicated to educational

excellence for students and teachers

Both involve dedicated and creative teachers Both attract highly motivated students who

wish to excel academically and attend the most selective universities

Both articulate with the junior high and middle

schools

Similarities between AP and International Baccalaureate

Both have attracted the attention of

international educators and the general public on ways to improve education

Both value programs that require research,

thinking, and writing

Both offer extensive professional

development opportunities for teachers

Why Choose AP

More North American Universities accept AP

exam scores than IB exam scores

AP allows more flexibility in choosing classes AP programs cost less which results in more

money in the classroom

The Benefits of the Advanced Placement Program

Provides students with a head start on college Assists students in obtaining college admission Allows students the opportunity to earn college

credits

Enter upper-level courses in college

The Benefits of the Advanced Placement Program

Fulfill a foreign language requirement Save money on college Earn academic scholarships and awards Experience college-level exams Increased chance for success

Why take AP classes

College credit can allow you to move into upper-level college courses sooner, pursue a double major, and gain time to study and travel abroad: “As a freshman, I was able to skip general ed requirements and head straight into the higher-level classes I wanted to take. Taking AP Exams literally saved me semesters of time.”

—Brent Wiese, University of Iowa

Why take AP classes

A U.S. Department of Education study found that the strongest predictor of college graduation is something students do before they ever go to college: Participate in rigorous, college-level courses in high school—and AP courses in particular.

Clifford Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box: Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and Bachelor’s Degree Attainment (1999), U.S. Department of Education.

Standing Out in the Admission Process “One of the best standard predictors of academic success at Harvard is performance on Advanced Placement Examinations.”

—William R. Fitzsimmons Dean of Admissions, Harvard University

Cost of Taking AP Courses

There is an $82 fee for each AP Exam, which the College Board uses to:

1) subsidize teacher training 2) develop classroom resources

GUHSD covers the cost of this exam

Dual Enrollment

Students have the opportunity to

earn college credit while completing the high school requirement. Dual enrollment courses are offered through many AP classes.

Many of our Career and Technical Ed

classes also offer the opportunity to gain dual credit.

Dual Enrollment Core Courses

AP English – 6 credits AP Government – 6 credits AP US History – 6 credits Honors Pre-Calculus – 5 credits College Algebra – 4 credits AP Biology – 8 credits AP Physics – 8 credits Honors French or Spanish – 8 credits AP French or Spanish – 8 credits

Dual Enrollment Savings

A total of 59 credits through GUHSD dual enrollment courses could cost you A total of 59 credits through Glendale Community College could cost you A total of 59 credits through Arizona State University could cost you

$4,189 $4,189 + the cost of books and lab fees $35,400 + the cost of books and lab fees

Dual Enrollment Scholarships

Gateway Community College grants scholarships to Glendale Union High School District students every semester. For the fall 2010 semester $66,183 in grant monies were distributed to 190 students across our district.

Diploma Choices GUHSD offers 3 Diploma options: Standard Diploma Advanced Diploma Honors Diploma

Honors Diploma

The Honors Diploma requires a student to do the following:

Earn 24 credits Successfully complete six Honors/AP

courses with four of the six during the junior and senior year

Maintain a GPA of 3.0 or rank in the top 25% “Exceed” on at least two of the AIMS exams

Honors Diploma

Courses requirements:

– 4 credits of Language Arts – 3 credits of Social Studies – 3 credits of Science – 4 credits of Mathematics – 2 credits of Foreign Language – 1 credit of Fine Arts – 1 credit of Physical Education – 6 Elective credits

Student Selection

Student selection for the Honors/AP program is based on the following:

1.

Student grades and performance in elementary and middle school

2.

Performance on state mandated tests

3.

Performance on placement exams

4.

Teacher recommendation

Typical Honors/AP Track

Freshman Year: Honors English 1-2 Honors Algebra 1/Geometry Honors Biology Physical Education Spanish 1-2, French 1-2, or Elective Elective of your choice Sophomore Year: Honors English 3-4 Honors Algebra 2 Honors Chemistry Honors World History Spanish 3-4, French 3-4, or Elective Elective of your choice

Typical Honors/AP Track

Junior Year: Honors English 5-6 Honors Pre-Calculus AP Biology AP US History Honors Spanish 5-6, Honors French 5-6, or Elective Elective of your choice Senior Year: AP English AP Calculus AP Physics AP Government AP Spanish, AP French, or Elective Elective of your choice

Graduate Recognition

Top graduates speak at graduation and

march at the front of the class

Medallions and chords are given for

academic achievements

Honors and Awards ceremonies honoring

student accomplishments

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• n your home school

Thank you for coming!