Kennesaw Mountain High School

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Kennesaw Mountain High School
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Agenda for Tonights Meeting

• Dr. Mimi Dyer
• Advancing Academics
• AVID
• Honors Courses
• Advanced Placement Program

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Entire presentation on the KMHS
website http//www.cobbk12.org/kennesawmountain/

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Advancing Academics
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Program designed to encourage students to
participate in honors and AP courses

• College admissions counselors report that the
  best indicator of student success in college is
  the rigor of coursework undertaken in high
  school.
• . . . a student should map out the most rigorous
  curriculum available in high school.
  
• Michael Adams, President, UGA

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AVID

• Advancing Via Individual Determination
• College-prep program designed to prepare students
  in academic middle
• Challenges capable students
• Elective class includes academic instruction,
  tutorials, motivational activities

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KMHS Honors Courses

• English 9th Lit., American Lit., British Lit.
• Math ACC I, II, III
• Social Studies World Geography, US History,
  World History, Government/Econ.
• Science Biology, Chemistry, Physics,
  Anatomy/Physiology, Biology II, Earth Science,
  Chemistry II, Astrophysics

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KMHS Honors Participation

• 2003-4 35
• 2004-5 37
• 2005-6 41
• 2006-7 41.5
• 2007-8 45.9

At Kennesaw Mountain, its cool to be smart.
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The Advanced Placement Program

• Kennesaw Mountain
• High School

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• Advanced Placement courses give you a head start
  on college.
• Taking the end-of-course AP Exam sends a
  powerful message to colleges and universities
  that a student is ready for them, and can enable
  students to gain admission, college credit, and
  placement into advanced courses.

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Did you know . . .

• If you earn a high school diploma, youre likely
  to earn 7,000 more annually than students who
  dont complete high school.
• But if you earn a bachelors degree in college,
  youre likely to earn 22,000more annually.

Source U.S. Department of Education, 2000
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Prepare Now to Succeed in College

• A 1999 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 schooland AP courses in particular.
• Clifford Adelman, Answers in the Tool Box
  Academic Intensity, Attendance Patterns, and
  Bachelors Degree Attainment (1999), U.S.
  Department of Education.

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AP and College Success
Students who take AP courses and exams are much
more likely than their peers to complete a
bachelors degree in four years or less. Source
Camara, Wayne (2003). College Persistence,
Graduation, and Remediation. College Board
Research Notes (RN-19). New York, NY College
Board.
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Whats the Differencebetween AP and Honors?

• AP courses are designed and updated annually to
  reflect whats being taught in cutting-edge
  college courses.
• Students receive an external evaluationthe AP
  Examwhich is scored by college faculty from
  around the world who verify that the student has
  mastered college-level studies.

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Who Designs the AP Courses and Exams?

• AP committee members currently teach at dozens of
  the nations top colleges and universities,
  including
• Dartmouth College UCLA
• Duke University University of Texas at Austin
• Michigan State University University of
  Virginia
• Princeton University Agnes Scott College
• Spelman College Yale University

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Why Take the AP Exam?

• Most of the nations colleges and universities,
  plus colleges and universities in 24 other
  countries, grant students admission, credit,
  and/or placement for qualifying AP Exam grades.
• For example, students can use qualifyingAP Exam
  grades to
• Graduate in three or three-and-a-half years
• Enter upper-level courses
• Fulfill a foreign language requirement

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Whats the Differencebetween Credit and
Placement?

• Some colleges award credit for qualifyingAP
  Exam grades. This means you actuallyearn points
  toward your college degree.
• Others award advanced placement. This means you
  can skip introductory courses,enter higher-level
  classes, and/or fulfillgeneral education
  requirements.
• Check university websites for policy

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Why should a student takethe AP Exam?

• Colleges and universities give credit for
  qualifying AP Exam grades, not AP course grades.
• The confirmation that college-level learning
  took place is in the published results. The AP
  Exam grade is a national standard that I can
  understand and rely upon.
• Joellen L. Silberman, Dean of EnrollmentKalamazo
  o College

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Increase your options

• 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

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Save money

• If you earn a qualifying grade on an AP Exam, you
  can receive credit for the equivalent course at
  thousands of colleges and universities
• I took AP throughout high school because it was
  the most interesting and well-taught program
  offered. When I reached college, I realized that
  I had accumulated a years worth of credits. I
  graduated from Michigans undergraduate business
  school a full year early, saving 30,000 and a
  years time.
• Nikki Baker, University of Michigan

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Cost for one 3-Hour Course

• Kennesaw State University 372
• Southern Polytechnic 387
• Georgia Tech 510
• University of Georgia 513

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Why should I take the AP Exam even if Im not
looking to earn credit or placement?

• Stand out in the admissions process
• Earn academic scholarships and awards
• Experience a college-level test
• Be a step ahead

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Stand out in the admissions process

• One of the best standard predictors of academic
  success at Harvard is performance on Advanced
  Placement Examinations.
• William R. FitzsimmonsDean of Admissions,
  Harvard University
• AP Exams affirm the rigor of a students course
  work. Though admissions policies vary, if I were
  a student, I wouldnt assume that the college of
  my dreams didnt care about AP Exams in the
  admissions process.
• Bruce Walker, Director of Admissions University
  of Texas at Austin

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Earn Academic Scholarships Awards

• Some of the most competitive scholarship awards
  value AP Exam grades
• Having the AP Exam grade can make the difference
  when it comes down to awarding precious
  scholarship dollars.
• Edwina Harris Hamby, Dean of AdmissionFisk
  University

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Experience a College-level Test

• The intensity of college exams catches far too
  many freshmen by surprise
• Students who have prepared for and taken the AP
  Exams adapt more easily to taking college essay
  exams, and are especially skilled in including a
  thesis and a well-developed argument. They are
  also less intimidated by sophisticated,
  college-level multiple-choice questions that seek
  to test understanding over memorization.
• Robert Blackey, Professor of HistoryCSU, San
  Bernardino

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Be a Step Ahead

• I received a 3 on my AP English Exam, but since
  I love English and hope to take all the English
  courses that I can possibly get my hands on, I
  decided to take English 111 in college. My
  college class is covering the same material I
  studied in AP English. Thanks to my experience
  preparing for the free-response questions, my
  frequent essay exams are a breeze. By taking AP,
  Im a step ahead of the others in my class. I
  know the material and I know the process.
• Anne Elliott, University of Connecticut

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Kennesaw State University

• A student may receive up to 45 credit hours for
  AP exams
• http//www.kennesaw.edu/registrar/ap_course_equiva
  lents.shtml

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University of Georgia

• Each academic department annually reviews the
  placement and credit values for an AP score. Most
  departments use the scores of 4 and 5 for both
  credit and placement. The University realizes
  that students who challenge themselves in high
  school with the most rigorous courses available
  will do the best work in college. The Advanced
  Placement courses provide them with the challenge
  and preparation.
• http//www.uga.edu/honors/prospective/sat.html

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Georgia State University

• The specific courses and amount of credit
  depends on the scores.
• http//www.gsu.edu/images/Downloadables/Undergrad_
  06-07_catalog.pdf

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Georgia Tech

• Advanced Placement can be beneficial to students
  who are already well prepared in basic course
  requirements in chemistry, physics, math,
  English, social sciences, and humanities. By
  demonstrating knowledge of a subject, students
  may exempt designated courses for academic credit
  or advanced class standing.
• http//www.admiss.gatech.edu/images/pdf/AP_Flyer.p
  df

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Auburn University

• Both advanced standing and credit are given
  depending on the individual scores.
• http//www.auburn.edu/administration/registrar/hel
  pful-resources/enrollment/ap-ib-clep-information.h
  tml

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KMHS Graduates

• Tyler Williams 37 credit hours to Clemson
• Kevin Hord 47 credit hours to UGA

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Who should take APCourses and Exams?

• KMHS uses the AP Programs official policy for AP
  enrollment, which indicates that all willing
  students should be considered for admission to AP
  courses.

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AP Equity Policy Statement

• The College Board and the Advanced Placement
  Program encourage teachers, AP Coordinators, and
  school administrators to make equitable access a
  guiding principle for their AP programs. The
  College Board is committed to the principle that
  all students deserve an opportunity to
  participate in rigorous and academically
  challenging courses and programs. (continued)

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AP Equity Policy Statement

• All students who are willing to accept the
  challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum
  should be considered for admission to AP courses.
  The Board encourages the elimination of barriers
  that restrict access to AP courses for students
  from ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic groups
  that have been traditionally underrepresented in
  the AP Program. Schools should make every effort
  to ensure that their AP classes reflect the
  diversity of their student population.

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AP Course Offerings at KMHS (24)

• Art History Computer Science
• Drawing Economics
• 2-D and 3-D Design English Language
• Biology English Literature
• Calculus AB and BC Environmental Science
• Chemistry

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AP Course Offerings at KMHScontinued

• French Language Psychology
• Government Spanish
• Human Geography Statistics
• Latin US History
• Music Theory World History
• Physics

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KMHS AP Exam Participation

• 2003 120 5 student body
• 2004 185 6.7
• 2005 286 9.6
• 2006 323 10.3
• 2007 361 11.5 (76.8 of all enrolled)
• 2008 458 15.5 (90.5 of all enrolled)

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Number of AP Examswith 3 or Higher

• 2004 185/250 (74.0)
• 2005 286/354 (80.8)
• 2006 323/505 (75.2)
• 2007 361/589 (77.1)
• 2008 458/838 (70)
• 2007 National Average 62

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Whats the Cost of Taking an AP course?

• AP courses and exams are developed and scored by
  the College Board, a not-for-profit membership
  association dedicated to helping students connect
  to college success and opportunity.
• There is NO fee to take an AP course.

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AP Exam Scores

• 5 Extremely well qualified
• 4 Well qualified
• 3 Qualified
• 2 Possibly qualified
• 1 No recommendation

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AP Exam Fees

• There is an 84 fee for each AP Exam, which the
  College Board uses to
• 1) develop, print, ship, and score the exams
• 2) subsidize teacher training
• 3) develop classroom resources
• 4) support educational initiatives

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AP Exam Fees

• For students with financial need, the College
  Board reduces the exam fee.
• The state of Georgia pays all but 20.00 for
  students FIRST AP Exam
• KMHS students may earn credit toward AP exam fees
  by tutoring younger students

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Cost for one 3-Hour Course

• Kennesaw State University 372
• Southern Polytechnic 387
• Georgia Tech 510
• University of Georgia 513

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AP Credit and PlacementPolicy Information

• Colleges and universities throughout the world
  offer credit and/or placement for qualifying
  Advanced Placement Exam scores. Information about
  AP credit and placement policies at many colleges
  and universities is now available on the College
  Boards Web site
• http//collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcreditpoli
  cy/index.jsp

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AP Credit and PlacementPolicy Information

• Go to http//collegesearch.collegeboard.com/apcred
  itpolicy/index.jsp
• 2. Type in the name of the college or
  university whose AP policy you want to view (or
  browse by letter of the alphabet).
• You will see two things for each school that has
  provided their AP credit policy info
• A link to the colleges own Web page that details
  its AP credit and placement policies.
• A statement by the college or university about
  its AP policy.

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At UGA, a score of 4 or 5 on English
Literature exam earns students six credit hours
(English 1101 and 1102) At Georgia Southern, a
Chemistry score of 3 or higher earns students
six credits (Chemistry 1146 and 1147)
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What can we do to prepare students?

• Help them develop good study habits.
• Encourage and demand excellence.
• Challenge them to stretch academically.
• Reinforce Reading is fundamental.
• Require a commitment to learning.