Westmont High School

An Introduction to the Advanced Placement Program®

Westmont is committed to every student’s success.

We believe access to rigorous course work such as Advanced Placement® (AP®) plays an important role in that success.

Welcome

•What are Advanced Placement® Courses?

•The Benefits

•AP® Exams

•Next Steps: The Process

•Course Presentations by Teachers

•Q & A

What We'll Cover

What Are Advanced Placement® Courses?

• AP® courses are college-level courses offered in high school

• Students take AP Exams at the end of the course, measuring their mastery of college-level work

• A score of 3 or higher on an AP exam can typically earn students college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college

Advanced Placement ®: The Basics

• Arts: Studio Art: 2-D Design Portfolio

• English: English Language and Composition, English Literature and Composition

• History and Social Sciences: Psychology, United States Government and Politics, United States History, World History

• Mathematics and Computer Science: Calculus AB, Calculus BC, Computer Science A, Statistics

• Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Science, Physics 1, Physics 2

• World languages: French Language and Culture, Spanish Language

Our AP® Courses

• In the 2013-2014 school year 351 students took 650 exams.

This is up from 266 students and 577 exams in 2012-2013

• 44 Westmont students received the distinction of AP scholar.

•AP Scholars demonstrate superior college-level achievement through AP courses and exams. They receive an award certificate, and this achievement is acknowledged on any AP score report that is sent to colleges the following fall.

• Additionally, Westmont has created a summer AP Boot Camp to help support students who are taking on an AP class for the first time.

AP® at Westmont

AP® Myths & Realities

Myth RealityAP courses are for students who always get good grades. AP courses are for any students who are academically

prepared and motivated to take college-level courses.

AP courses are too stressful. It's no secret that AP courses are challenging. But the support you receive from your classmates and teachers can help you manage the work load.

I don't think I will score high enough on the AP Exam to get college credit.

You don’t need to score a 5. Many colleges grant credit — and placement as well — based on a 3 or higher on an AP Exam.

Taking AP courses could hurt my GPA. Students who take AP courses and earn a C- or higher will receive an additional GPA point. Taking AP courses shows colleges that you’re willing to challenge yourself academically.

I can’t take AP because no one has recommended me. If you think you’re ready to take an AP course, then you’re ready to advocate for yourself — just talk to a teacher or counselor.

AP®: The Benefits

• Students learn rigorous college-level content and skills

• Taking AP is valued in the college admission process

• AP courses are interesting and rewarding academic experiences

• Opportunity to earn valuable credit and placement in college

AP®: The Benefits

• 85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admission decisions*

• Colleges rank grades in college-preparatory courses and strength of curriculum as the two top factors in the admission decision

• AP courses tell college admission officials that students are challenging themselves and preparing for the rigors they'll encounter in their college careers

*Unpublished institutional research, Crux Research Inc., March 2007

AP® from the College Admissions Perspective

• Taking an AP course helps students build critical thinking skills, confidence, and the essential time management and study skills needed for college success

• Nationally, research shows that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam typically earn higher grade point averages in college and have higher graduation rates than their non-AP peers*

*2009, The College Board, “The Relationship Between AP Exam Performance and College Outcomes"

AP®: Skills & Advantages that Last a Lifetime

Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely to complete a college degree on time.* Graduating in four years represents a significant savings on the cost of college.

• Only 1 in 4 college students completes a bachelor’s degree in 4 years.

• The average cost of college for a single year is $21,500** for in-state schools (tuition, fees, room/board, misc. expenses).

*College Outcomes Comparisons by AP and Non-AP High School Experiences, The College Board, 2008 **The College Board, Trends in College Pricing 2011, Figure 1

AP® Helps Students Graduate on Time & Save Money

Each college and university has its own policies regarding AP® credit and placement. The College Board offers information about AP credit at thousands of college and universities at www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy.

Credit and Placement Opportunities

• Search by school name or alphabetically

• Data for each school includes a direct link to that school’s Web page detailing AP credit and placement policies

• A statement from the college or university about its AP policy

AP® Exams

AP® Exams

AP Exams are administered by schools worldwide on set dates in May each year.

• Exams are typically 2–3 hours and include:• Multiple-choice questions• Free-response items such as essays, problem solving,

document-based questions and oral response

• The exam fee for 2015 is $91 per exam.

• Assistance is available for eligible students with financial need as determined by “Free & Reduced Lunch” status.

AP® Exam Fees

Next Steps: The Process

Important AP Dates and Meetings

AP Commitment• Requires that you acknowledge that an

AP course is a year-long class, and that both the student and parent sign, indicating that both understand the commitment the student is making.

• Requires that you talk to the teacher who currently teachers the course in order to understand what will be expected of you.

• Due to Counselors no later than January 30th

• Any student who does not make the January 30th deadline will be removed from any AP class(es) they have signed up for.

• AP information: apstudent.collegeboard.org

• College and Career Planning: bigfuture.org

• Personalized feedback, practice and college planning based on your PSAT/NMSQT® results: My College QuickStart™ www.collegeboard.org/quickstart

• AP credit policy information from colleges and universities: www.collegeboard.org/apcreditpolicy

AP®: Resources Worth Exploring for Students and Families

Hear From Our Teachers

English Department

AP Language and Composition

For Juniors (Class of 2017)

College level analysis of

rhetoric

The art of manipulating language to create a distinct effect on a reader or audience

Reading: non-fiction texts!

Writing:

Thorough analysis

Persuasion

Synthesis of sources and insight, information and rhetoric.

AP Language & Composition

AP Literature & CompositionOpen to students currently in English 3, English 3 Honors, and AP Language

-College-level survey course of English literature 1600-Contemporaryfeaturing a wide range of essays, novels, plays and poetry-Students will explore universal themes as they apply to their own lives and in 12 literary works including Hamlet, Candide, Heart of Darkness, Pride and PrejudiceThe Stranger, Death of a Salesman and The Kite Runner.-Course work involves small group discussion, small group assignments, oral presentations, whole class discussion including Socratic seminars, use of technology (slide shows, video summaries, blogs). -Students will have 15 timed literary analysis essays based on previous AP Literature essay topics.-Students will take several timed multiple choice tests using previous AP Literature tests.-Students will examine the style of authors: use of punctuation, syntax, diction, literary terms.

Social Studies Department

• Sophomore Course• No prerequisites• Satisfies general education

requirement at most colleges

• Emphasis on analysis, writing, and critical thinking skills

AP World History

AP United States History

• Junior-year course, with no prerequisites• More students nation-wide take this AP

class/test than any other• Satisfies general education requirement at

most colleges• Highlights critical reading and thinking skills• Focuses on the ability to articulate higher-level

analysis, both verbally and in writing

“The content is probably one of the most immediately useful of any class in high school.” – current student

AP Government & Politics

• Senior year of high school• No prerequisites• Satisfies both government and economics

requirements for high school graduation• Satisfies political science general education

requirement at most colleges• Provides in-depth knowledge of structure and

function of the U.S. political system

- This is a year-long course equivalent to a college psychology course

- Senior year course- The course covers multiple

approaches to understanding human behavior and mental processes

AP Psychology

Art Department

What is AP Studio Art?-Students submit actual artwork and digital slides for review-Portfolio Requirements: Quality, Breadth, Concentration

What are the Prerequisites?-Students who have taken Art 1, 2, and 3

-Because of the rigorous quality and quantity of work required for the portfolio submission, students should take a two-course block: AP Art & Art 4

AP Studio Art

Examples of AP Studio Art

For the final portfolio that is submitted electronically in May, AP student's are to have completed between 20-24 works of art. This is the main rationale for the pre-

requisites of previous Art 1-3 classes.

Math Department

Students can choose to take one or both, as long as they have taken the prerequisites.

Calculus vs. Statistics

AP Calculus Students… AP Statistics Students…

Are you thinking about majoring Are you thinking about majoringin science, engineering, math, in a language, history, psychology, economics, pre-med, etc.? business, pre-law, etc.?

Were you successful in Trig? Were you successful in Algebra II?Are you willing to spend time Are you willing to spend timesolving problems that require analyzing problems that requiremany computational steps? written explanations?

Why Calculus? Because it makes Physics make sense…And because everyone should know why the volume of a sphere is 4πr3/3!

Calculus AB vs. Calculus BC

AP Calculus AB AP Calculus BC• Covers one semester of • Covers an entire year of college-level Calculus. college-level Calculus.

• Pacing is comparable to Trig. • Pacing moves faster than Trig.

• A great place for anyone who • A great place for anyone who did well in Trig but had to did really well in Trig without work hard doing it. needing to work really hard.

• A great place for people who • A great place for people who want to be doctors. want to be engineers

Why Statistics? Because it makes the news make sense …

AP Statistics

• Covers one semester of college-level Statistics.

• Pacing is comparable to Trig.

• A great place for anyone who did well in Algebra II and wants more of a challenge.

• A great place for people who want to be engineers, politicians, psychologists, entrepreneurs …or just about anything.

• The topics for AP Statistics are divided into four major themes:exploratory analysis planning conducting a study probability statistical inference.

• Learn to think like Mr. Spock• Not just for future programmers• Critical thinking, analysis, design• Many varied applications in all

domains of human endeavor• A liberal art

AP Computer Science

• Excellent math skills (trig or more)

• Patience, diligence, attention to detail

• Good time management skills

AP CS Prerequisites

World Languages Department

•Reviews and builds on Spanish 3 skills 3rd year college level course•Conducted in Spanish•Daily paired/group work•Students encouraged and expected to speak Spanish

AP Spanish Language¡Que viva el español

AP Exam Format• 65 multiple choice reading and listening questions• 2 written compositions (letter and analytical essay)• 2 oral presentations

Summer homework• Weekly reading, writing and listening in order to

maintain skills over the long vacation

During the semester • 1-2 hours of homework between classes • 1 hour a week additional listening diary to be

completed outside the classroom• AP workbook

AP Spanish Language Expected Homework

Science Department

AP Biology• Inquiry-based Investigations• 5-10 hours/weekly outside of

class• Prior Preparation: Biology,

Chemistry, Algebra II• Comprehensive reading:

textbook, current science articles & published research.

• Successful AP Biology students come to class prepared, use study hall, ask for help, work with their peers & fully engage in discussions and labs.

Activities• Building models of systems• Acting out processes• Designing & carrying out experiments • Discussions on real world applications• Dissection• Field Trip: Intertidal & Sand Crabs

Topics in AP Biology

• Evolution• Organism regulation of energy & its systems

(kidney, brain, liver)• Disease• Communication: nervous, immune & endocrine

systems• Genetics & Genetic Engineering• Interactions at the cellular level and within an

ecosystem• Real World Applications

AP Bio Summer Assignment

• Field notebook with detailed observations on physical traits and/or behaviors

• Photos• Sketches• Specimens (plants, animal evidence, etc.)• Summary relating observations with background research

Key Points:- Includes 16 full-length labs.- Exams require careful application of

multiple concepts simultaneously.- Math skills are frequently used.- Regular Chemistry is a mandatory

prerequisite.

AP Chemistry

Notable Concepts:- Molecular Geometry

- Intermolecular Forces- Reaction Kinetics- Acid/Base Equilibria- Electrochemistry

AP Chemistry

Course name

Prerequisites

Take with Homework per class session

Regular Physics

None. Integrated 2 15 – 30 mins

AP Physics 1

None. Integrated 3 45 – 90 mins

AP Physics 2 – 2nd year

AP Physics 1 Integrated 3+/Calculus

45 – 90 mins

3 Levels of Physics

AP Physics 1• Foundation for ALL Engineering and Science majors• No prerequisites • Best taken concurrently with Trig/PreCalculus• Fewer topics but more in-depth than old AP

Physics B Topics:• Kinematics• Newton’s Laws• Work and Energy• Momentum

• Rotation• Circular Motion• Waves• Introduction to electric

circuits

AP Physics 2

Topics:• Fluid statics• Fluid dynamics• Thermodynamics• Electrostatics

• Circuits• Magnetism• Optics• Topics in modern

physics

• Foundation for ALL Engineering and Science majors• Prerequisites: AP Physics 1• Best taken concurrently with Trig/PreCalculus• Fewer topics but more in-depth than old AP

Physics B

AP Physics 1 & 2You can expect:• Lots of hands-on activities.• To use lots of math, especially trig.• To do independent studying and research outside

of class.• Lots of discussing and sharing with peers.

AP Physics 1 & 2

Student Survey: What advice would you give someone thinking about taking AP Physics 1?

• “It is a fun class but requires dedication.”

• “Definitely be enrolled in trig or higher because there is more math in Physics than in Chemistry or Biology.  Give Physics a chance.  It took me a while to warm up to it, but now its one of my favorite classes.”

• “Make sure you have a solid background of trig/pre-calc.”

AP Physics 1 & 2

Reality Check• 1 in 5 people in the world do not have clean water• 1 in 5 struggle to survive on less than one dollar per

Day• In 2013, Bay Area commuters spent an average of

56 hrs in traffic along Highway 101, Interstate 280 and within the city itself.

• Each day, Americans waste approx. 3.8 mil. gal. of gasoline by voluntarily idling their cars

• California still needs 11 trillion gallons of water to end the drought (Ryan Koronowski – “Climate Progress”)

• What does this mean. The surface area of California is approximately 163,695mi2. To get us out of the drought we need to cover 3 inches above the entire surface of California (KLIV 1/5/15, Santa Clara Counter Water District)

AP Environmental Science (APES)

• To provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems and their risks, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving or preventing them.

• The content of this course is multi-disciplinary, encompassing geology, biology, chemistry, physics, sociology, economics, and political science. This course is intended to challenge the students to examine their thinking and assumptions, provide students with problem-solving skills, and increase your understanding of “local and global environmental issues”.

The goal…

• 8-Month Creek Survey using Vernier digital probe ware

• 5-Week Eco-column• 5-7 day Green Food Challenge• Reuse Project• Solar Egg Project• Sustainable Gardening (Food to Table)• Year long Independent Research Project• Field Trip to Monterey Bay Aquarium, Natural

Bridges Santa Cruz, SF Academy of Science• And more…

Major Activities

Questions and Answers