The Advanced Placement (AP) Program at Richmond Hill High School

1. The Advanced Placement (AP) Program at Richmond Hill High School

2. ABOUT AP • Started in 1955, the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue College/University level studies while in high school. • The College Board is a not-for-profit organization that also offers SAT exams. While they are centered in the U.S., they now have an International presence (see next slide) • Richmond Hill HS was one of the first schools in the YRDSB to offer AP and has grown into one of Ontario’s leading AP schools 12 courses offered and over 200 students writing AP exams.

3. AP’s Global Presence (2013) 140Countries 18,000+Schools 2 million+Students Nearly 4 million Exams 34University-Level Courses and Exams Over 4,000 Participating Universities and Colleges

4. AP @ RHHS RHHS COURSES:AP EXAMS: Gr. 11 English English Language & Composition Gr. 12 English English Literature “ ” Biology (Gr. 11 & 12) Biology Physics (Gr.11 & 12) Physics B Chemistry (Gr. 11&12) Chemistry Calculus (Gr. 11 & 12) Calculus AB & BC Computer Science (Gr.11 & 12) Computer Science A Gr. 12 Data Management Statistics Gr. 12 Microeconomics Microeconomics Gr. 12 Psychology Psychology Gr. 12 World Issues Human Geography Gr. 12 French French *Requests to write AP exams not offered by our school are dealt with on a case by case basis.

5. Frequently Asked Questions About AP How Does a Student Take AP courses and Write AP Exams at RHHS? AP courses are offered in Grades 11 & 12. The AP Program is an extension of the Gifted program from Grades 9 & 10. Therefore, Gifted and Enriched students simply transition into AP courses, provided they maintain high grades. AP courses are not only for Gifted students, however. Any enrolled* RHHS student is eligible for AP courses (if space is available) and can write AP Exams. See next question for more details. Students then sign up for AP exams during the school year. AP exams are written in May and are separate from the exams students write in January and June. How Does a Student Apply for AP courses? Students will require Subject-specific teacher and Guidance approval before being accepted into an AP course. This occurs during the Course Selection process early in Semester 2. Any student who is enrolled in our school can request to take an AP course provided they have demonstrated an ability to perform in pre-requisite courses. • Please check with our Front Office or Guidance department to learn more about our school’s admission requirements.

6. Do students have to take all AP courses available in the school? No. Students are able to pick and choose the AP subjects they’d like to take; in other words, they are never forced to take an AP course. For example, Joe can take AP Chemistry, but not AP Biology. Do students need to take an AP course in order to write an AP exam? Yes. If our school offers the corresponding AP course, students must be enrolled in it in order to write its AP exam. However, students can write other AP exams that are available but that are not offered as courses at our school. In this case, they will need to self-study, hire a tutor, etc. Past RHHS students have requested to write additional AP exams such as US History, Physics C and Statistics. Do students need to write the AP exam once enrolled in the AP course? Students are highly encouraged to write the AP exam if they are taking the AP course. However, we are aware that from time to time students, parents and teachers will feel that this is not the best choice for them.

7. How much do AP Exams cost? Each AP Exam is $120, which covers the cost of the exam and fees for proctors who are hired to supervise. This cost is reviewed on an annual basis. When are AP Exams written and when are results received? AP Exams are typically written in the first two weeks of May – a schedule is distributed at the beginning of the school year. Students receive their results in early July. Exams scores are now available on-line; a student needs to simply create an account with AP. How do universities receive AP Exam results? Students are responsible for forwarding their AP Exam scores to universities once you receive them. RHHS is not involved in this. Universities handle this in their own way so it is up to students to understand the process for the schools to which they are applying. Remember, a student does not have to send results if unsatisfied with them.

8. BENEFITS OF TAKING AP COURSES AND WRITING AP EXAMS: • Credit Standing or Advanced Placement in University: Most major Canadian universities offer students credit standing for AP exams with scores of 4 or 5. For example, Sara writes the AP Psychology exam, receives a 4 and sends her result to York U. who then grants her a credit. This credit can then be used toward a first-year Psychology course or even toward an elective. The Admissions office of every university has their own guidelines for granting AP transfer credits. As with sending scores, it is a student’s responsibility to educate themselves of these policies. • Experience & Increased Confidence: Students who take AP courses and write AP Exams have already demonstrated an ability to handle university level academic material before stepping into a university classroom. • University Success: Year after year, data proves that AP students achieve a higher level of University success than non-AP students. * STUDENTS APPLYING TO U.S.UNIVERSITIES/COLLEGES ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO WRITE AP EXAMS.

9. AP and College Success Students who take AP courses and exams are much more likely than their peers to complete a Bachelor’s Degree in four years or less. Source: Camara, Wayne. (2013). College Persistence, Graduation, and Remediation. College Board Research Notes (RN-19). New York, NY: College Board.

10. AP in Canada – Effective 2013 • 17,000+ students • More than 27,000 AP exams in Canada • Almost 600 Canadian high schools with AP exams • More than 325,000 Canadian students have written AP exams since 1989 • 100+ Canadian Universities received 17,000+ AP exams in 2013 • More than 300 Canadian Schools use Pre-AP Programs (similar to RHHS’ Gifted program)

11. AP Exams Grade Scale Ranges from 5 to 1 Grade Meaning 5 Extremely well qualified 4 Well qualified 3 Qualified 2 Possibly qualified 1 No recommendation More than 200 AP exams were written by RHHS students last year. 49% achieved a 5 score and 80% received 4 or better!

12. AP CANADA - Student Awards The AP Program offers several AP Scholar Awards to recognize high school students who have demonstrated college-level achievement through AP Exams. AP Scholar: Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams AP Scholar with Honour: Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams AP Scholar with Distinction: Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams National AP Scholar: Granted to students in Canada who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 4 or higher on five or more of these exams 44 RHHS students received an AP Award for exams written in 2013, including a very impressive 10 National Scholars – one of the best results for any high school in Canada!

13. Advanced Placement (AP) vs. International Baccalaureate (IB)

14. AP:IB: • Minimal Upfront Cost - High annual cost (to both ($120 / exam) parents and schools) • Learning Expectations - Expectations separate from complement Ontario curriculum Ontario curriculum • Freedom: students can select - Highly prescriptive courses and exams to write (regarding course options; and submit to Universities university submissions) • Advanced standing in University - Restrictive advanced standing • Acknowledged by almost 4000 - Acknowledged by approx. universities around the world 700 universities - 1.97 million students writing - 120,000 students writing 3.46 million exams 250,000 exams