Discover what AP at SHS has to offer you!

1. @ Seagoville High School
An Introduction to the
Advanced PlacementProgram®

2. Seagoville High School 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

3. • What are Advanced Placement® Courses?
• The Benefits
• AP® Exams
• What Is It Like to Take AP?
• Next Steps: Help Your Child Make the Best Choices
• Q & A
What We’ll Cover

4. What Are Advanced Placement®
Courses?

5. • AP® courses are college courses offered in high
school
• Courses reflect what is taught in top introductory
college courses
• 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

6. A score of 3 on the AP
exam at Seagoville High
School is just as good as a
3 on an AP exam at any
high school in America.
A 3 is a 3!
6

7. • English:
Ms. Lori Bivens - English Language and Composition,
English Literature and Composition
• History and Social Sciences:
Mr. Taff Pechal - European History,
Mr. Mark Harrington - Macroeconomics, United States
Government and Politics, United States History
Mr. Ray Fairley - Psychology
Our AP® Courses

8. • Mathematics and Computer Science:
Mr. Lawrence Chank - Calculus AB, Calculus BC
Mr. Ken Grantham - Statistics
• Sciences:
Mr. Jason Hogan - Biology
Mr. Anthony Guerrero - Chemistry
• World languages:
Ms. Ana Hernandez-Moreno - Spanish Language and Culture
Ms. Rosa Puente - Spanish Literature and Culture
Our AP® Courses

9. • SHS Students took 331 exams in May 2016. Our AP
Student population is a diverse group with a full range
of interests.
• SHS had 5 students who earned the AP Scholar
designation in 2016 (Granted to students who receive
scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams).
• According to the College Board’s 5 year Score
Summary Report, the percentage of the total number
of AP Students earning a 3+ on an AP exam nearly
doubled from last year.
AP® at Seagoville High School

10. AP courses engage and challenge students to work and
participate at a higher level:
• Opportunities to explore topics in depth
• More time in and out of the classroom required to
complete reading, assignments, and projects
• High expectations for critical thinking, analysis,
synthesis, evidence, multiple perspectives, and clear
written and verbal communications
• Parents in partnership to support student success
AP®: Expectations

11. • Ms. Roberts RODM-Z
LavRoberts@dallasisd.org
• Ms. Rice F-LON
BiRice@dallasisd.org
• Ms. Easterling A-E
KEasterling@dallasisd.org
• Ms. Jefferson LOP-RODL
LyJefferson@dallasisd.org
AP® from the Counselor’s Perspective

12. • How should I decide which AP courses I
really need?
• How do I request AP courses?
• How do I exit an AP course if I decide it’s
not right for me?
AP® from the Counselor’s Perspective

13. Ms. Beth Menzies
jmenzies@dallasisd.org
Our website:
http://www.dallasisd.org/Page/39040
Dallas ISD’s Advanced Academics Website:
http://www.dallasisd.org/Domain/105
AP® Coordinator/Gifted Talented Manager

14. AP®: The Benefits

15. AP®: The Benefits

16. • 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

17. • 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

18. • 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* - even students
earning lower than a 3 still had a higher rate
*2009, The College Board, “The Relationship Between AP Exam Performance and College Outcomes"
AP®: Skills & Advantages that Last a Lifetime

19. • 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
$23,410** 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 2014, Figure 1
AP® Helps Students Graduate on Time & Save Money

20. AP® Expands Students’ Options
When students earn college credit through AP Exams,
their options and opportunities expand:
• Move to upper-level college courses sooner
• Pursue a double major
• Gain time to study and travel abroad

21. If you earn a high school diploma, you’re likely
to earn $331,000 more over a lifetime than
students who don’t complete high school.
But if you earn a bachelor’s degree in college,
you’re likely to earn $964,000
more over a lifetime.
And if you earn a Master’s degree in college,
you’re likely to earn $1,367,000
more over a lifetime.
AP®: Skills & Advantages that Last a Lifetime
Source: The College Payoff: Education, Occupations, Lifetime Earnings, Georgetown University, 2009

22. AP® Exams

23. AP® Exams
AP Exams are administered by schools worldwide on set
dates in May each year. This year’s dates are May 1-5, & 8-12
• 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

24. Sample Essay Prompt (students must write three essays
in two hours):
Critic Roland Barthes has said, “Literature is the
question minus the answer.” Choose a novel or play
and, considering Barthes’ observation, write an
essay in which you analyze a central question the
work raises and the extent to which it offers any
answers. Explain how the author’s treatment of this
question affects your understanding of the work as a
whole. Avoid plot summary.
AP English Literature and Composition® Exam

25. Sample Free Response Prompt :
Describe how a plasmid can be genetically
modified to include a piece of foreign DNA
that alters the phenotype of bacterial cells
transformed with the modified plasmid.
Describe a procedure to determine which
bacterial cells have been successfully
transformed.
AP Biology® Exam

26. Sample Free Response Question:
AP Calculus® Exam

27. • There is an $0 fee for each AP Exam,
because Dallas ISD covers the ENTIRE cost
of AP Exams. The normal exam fee for
2016 is $91 per exam.
• Plus, in Dallas ISD, any student who earns
a 3 or above will receive a check for $100
through Dallas ISD’s AP Incentive Program.
AP® Exam Fees

28. 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

29. Next Steps: Help Your Child
Make the Best Choices

30. Our school offers these resources and programs to
support our AP students:
• AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) for
students who qualify for the program
• AP Incentive Program Districtwide Saturday Study
Sessions
• Local Afterschool and Saturday AP Prep
• Extended Library/Computer Hours
Seagoville High Offers Support for AP® Students

31. • Talk with your child and set the goal of college as a priority
• Set aside a time and place for reading and studying
• Ensure your child is progressing academically by reviewing
and discussing report cards with your child
• Communicate with teachers
• Support, encourage, and listen to your teenager as they take
their first college classes
• Help your child understand that while learning may be a
struggle, if he or she puts in the effort, success is
possible.
• Focus on effort and growth – help students cope with the
pressures of performance.
AP®: Start the Conversation

32. • 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

33. Questions and Answers