Advanced Placement (AP)

Hello AP Students, Parents and Families,

Fall Registration Timeline/AP Classroom:

This year the AP Exam registration deadline for all full year AP classes is November 12th, 2021. Students who register and pay for their AP exam fees before the November 12th deadline will pay $60 for each exam. After the November 5th deadline, all exams will cost students $90 per exam. This is due to a late registration fee, which was instituted by the College Board two years ago. 

AP exam registration is a two step process: 

** Step One: Each student joins the AP Classroom section for their AP class. This allows me to order them an exam, via the College Board registration and ordering system. This needs to be taken care of before November 12th, 2021.  Students who join their AP Classroom after the November 12th deadline will be subject to the late fee mentioned above. 

NOTE: STEP ONE WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF AT SCHOOL BY THE AP STUDENT/TEACHER. 

** Step Two: Each student must have a parent/guardian/person who is paying for the exam, sign in to their Parent/Guardian Infinite Campus account and pay the fees for each exam. Students do not have access to the School Store function on their Infinite Campus accounts so they can not pay the fee. To pay by credit card, visit your parent account on Infinite Campus and select the School Store tab from the options on the left side of the screen. Click “View” on the Armstrong High School icon, and then select the AP Testing option. Add each appropriate AP Exam to your cart, and complete your transaction. If you run into any issues, please reach out to me via email. 

*** LINK TO AHS Campus School Store: https://ahs.rdale.org/families/chromebooks-parent-portals ***

If you have issues logging into your parent Infinite Campus account, please contact Dina Lucas at the district office. Email:Dina_Lucas@rdale.org

Students in AP classes which begin 2nd semester:

You will have until mid-March 2022 to complete Step One and Two above, and to decide if you want to take the exam or cancel your registration. If you decide to cancel by the March deadline, your fees will be refunded. 

Why do we take AP exams?

The expectation for students in AP classes is that you take the AP test in May for several reasons:

1. It provides an end goal for you as you learn about your subject(s).
2. It is an opportunity to earn college credit or placement at many universities. Credit policies of all colleges and universities are on the College Board website: https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/creditandplacement/search-credit-policies 
3. Most importantly, the rigor you experience while preparing for the exam will prepare you to get into college, and thrive once you’re there. At AHS, we want you to get into the college of your dreams and succeed!

How much does the exam cost?

This year we are able to offer exams for $60 each. Students who qualify for F/R Lunch status will pay a reduced portion of that fee, $15. Students needing financial assistance can contact me directly to work out those details. Again, students who register and pay before the November 5th deadline will pay $60 per exam. Those registering and paying after the deadline will pay $90 per exam. 

Why does the test cost so much?

The College Board sets the price of the test and the actual cost is $94 per exam. Fortunately, the state of Minnesota subsidizes around $35 per exam to reduce the cost. Yes, the test costs a lot of money, but if you compare that to 4 credits at $500 each at a typical state school, you are spending approximately $60 to potentially earn thousands of dollars worth of college credit.

Please email me if you have any questions regarding anything AP related.

– Mr. Dotter

paul_dotter@rdale.org

AP Capstone is a way for students to develop a rich foundation for future academic studies and recognizes students for their research, writing and critical thinking abilities. In order to earn the AP Capstone Diploma, students take the courses AP Seminar and AP Research, and earn at least a 3 out of 5 for their exam or project in the course. Additionally, students take at least four additional AP exams and earn at least 3 or higher in each.

Students who complete AP Seminar and AP Research and earn a 3 in both are eligible for the AP Research Certificate without taking additional AP exams. Both classes follow the QUEST pedagogy, which stands for Questioning, Understanding, Evaluating, Synthesizing and Teaming/Telling. The classes are an excellent opportunity for students to explore real-world issues from multiple perspectives (cultural, historical, environmental, scientific, artistic, etc.) and to become a critical thinker ready to thrive in a global society. Students will read a variety of texts, from non-fiction to historical and literary throughout the course. 

More information about these courses can be found on the AP College Board website.

Much like a seminar course for a first-year college student, this course focuses heavily on understanding and analyzing a wide variety of texts and pushing critical thinking through discussion, reflection and writing. Students are assessed by a group presentation, an individual presentation and their performance on the AP exam for the course in the spring. This course fulfills the English requirement for 11th grade.

More information about these courses can be found on the AP College Board website.

This course furthers the work done in AP Seminar and again explores a variety of texts from multiple perspectives. The culminating project in the course is an individual research paper of 20+ pages and an oral defense of that work to an academic panel. 

More information about these courses can be found on the AP College Board website.

Why should my student take AP courses?

AP courses:

• Give you an edge on your college application.

• Saves you money on college tuition.
• Helps you develop your potential in the classroom and beyond. 
• Helps you build good study habits. 
• Helps you improve your writing skills. 
• Helps you shape your goals.
• Challenges you, but also makes you realize you can excel if you put your mind to it. 
   

Is AP only for a select group of students?

The truth is, AP classes are harder than regular classes. They involve deeper concentration, and more time and energy, and students must meet higher expectations. Anyone who is willing to accept the challenge and work hard can succeed in AP.
 

How will I know if I am prepared for an AP course?

Before signing up, have a good idea of whether you can handle the extra work. AP classes move rapidly and cover lots of ground. Your record of accomplishment in other courses will provide a guideline for gauging your AP potential. “If you’re strong in a particular subject, then don’t be afraid, go ahead,” an AP student advised, “because you can rely on your background skills to perform well in an AP class.”
 

How many AP courses should I take?

Let common sense be your guide. Take the number of AP courses you think you can handle. Remember: AP homework is more demanding. “An AP class maybe won’t give you an hour of busywork,” an AP student said. “The AP teacher will expect you to spend that hour thinking instead—on top of the time you need to complete an assignment.”
 

What is the AP Exam?

AP Exams are taken in May. They typically last three hours and involve multiple-choice questions and essays or problems. The exams measure reasoning skills and your ability to analyze facts and data, synthesize information, think critically about complex issues, negotiate competing perspectives, and write clearly and concisely.
 

Do I have to take the AP Exam if I take the course?

AP Exams are not a requirement at all schools, but most AP students do take them. There’s a good chance you can earn college credit by scoring well, so it pays to invest a few hours and the exam fee, which can possibly be reduced or waived. Many students do well on the exams and become eligible for credit or placement at thousands of colleges and universities worldwide. And if you’re thinking of studying abroad, more than 600 universities in more than 40 other countries recognize AP Exams.

Each AP Exam is scored using a five-point scale:
5 – Extremely well qualified
4 – Well qualified
3 – Qualified
2 – Possibly qualified
1 – No recommendation

An AP Exam grade of 3 or higher can qualify you for college credit at most U.S. colleges and universities. 

Most of the exams take two to three hours to complete. For subjects that correspond to half-year college courses, the exam is closer to two hours in length.

Students who score exceptionally well on AP exams may be eligible to earn an AP Scholar designation from the College Board. AP Scholar designations are the College Board's way of recognizing students who have "demonstrated college-level achievement through AP courses and exams," according to the AP website. "Although there is no monetary award, in addition to receiving an award certificate, this achievement is acknowledged on any AP Grade Report that is sent to colleges the following fall." There are five different achievement levels:

• AP Scholar: Granted to students who receive grades of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.
• AP Scholar with Honor: Granted to students who receive an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
• AP Scholar with Distinction: Granted to students who receive an average grade of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.
• National AP Scholar: Granted to students in the United States who receive an average grade of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and grades of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

Work with the teacher and Mr. Dotter and complete the multi-step, 2-4 week process of AP Academic Interventions. Once the process has been completed, based on the results of the AP Academic Interventions, scheduling modifications may be considered.

Administrative Drop
** Any student wishing to drop an AP Class without completing the AP Academic Intervention process will receive a “W” [withdrawn] and the course name on their official transcript. **

Students may make changes to their AP course schedule prior to the Armstrong building schedule being finalized. Once the school year begins, students seeking to drop an AP course must complete the academic intervention process, as defined above. After the first three weeks of a semester the student will not be dropped unless extenuating circumstances exist.