BURNABY MOUNTAIN SECONDARY SCHOOL

An Introduction to the Advanced Placement Program®

Started in 1955, the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program enables students to pursue college-level studies while in high school.

Based on their performance on rigorous AP Examinations, students can earn credit, advanced placement, or both, for college.

What is AP®?

AP® courses are college-level 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 4 or higher on an AP exam can typically earn students college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college

Advanced Placement ®: The Basics

AP® Globally

140 Countries 21,853 Schools

2.6 million Students

4.7 million Exams

34 University-Level Courses and Exams

4,000+ Participating Universities and Colleges

AP® in Canada

18,406 students

28,715 AP exams in Canada

596 Canadian Schools with AP exams in May, 2016

More than 300,000 Canadian students have written AP exams

since 1989

100+ Canadian Universities received 16,000+ AP exams

AP® in Burnaby

Burnaby has the largest AP program in the country

AP US History and AP Literature are the two most

popular AP courses in the world, followed by Calculus,

Chemistry, and Biology

50-60% of 1st year UBC students have taken at least ONE

AP course

BC has the highest AP grades in the world

AP® in Burnaby

# of Schools

# of Exams# of

Students

% with 3+

World-wide

2016 21,853 4.5 million 2.6 million 58.0%

2015 21,471 4.5 million 2.5 million 58.0%

2014 19,493 4.2 million 2.3 million 58.8%

2013 18,868 3.9 million 2.2 million 59.0%

Canada

2016 619 27,675 17,870 76.9%

2015 619 27,675 17,870 76.8%

2014 565 26,553 17,363 77.1%

2013 564 26,670 17,311 76.8%

B.C.

2016 164 9,793 6015 80.6%

2015 164 9,793 6015 81.0%

2014 160 9,610 6,053 83.0%

2013 155 9,621 5,980 82.1%

Burnaby

2016 8 1,853 1032 85%

2015 8 1,853 1032 79.5%

2014 8 1,620 714 81.9%

2013 8 1,815 936 85.3%

AP® Capstone Program in Burnaby

An innovative program that allows students to engage in the

rigorous development of skills critical for success in university and

beyond including inquiry, research, collaboration, and writing.

AP Capstone complements the in-depth subject-specific rigor of

our current Advanced Placement Program.

District Program offered at two Burnaby sites in September

2014 – Burnaby North and Burnaby South Secondary Schools

Advanced Placement®

and University

AP® in Canada (2012)

AP® & Canadian Universities

AP® Grades

BC University Grade ConversionsAP Grades and % Equivalent

5 = 96%4 = 86%3 = 80%2 = 70%

AP® Transfer Credits

Some examples of how to transfer AP exams schools into tuition credits

1. UBC AP Biology = 8 credits (BIOL 111, 121, 140) AP English Lit & Composition = 6 credits (ENGL 112, 1XX) AP Psychology = 6 credits (PSYC 100)

2. SFU AP Chemistry = 6 credits (CHEM 121, 122) AP Statistics = 3 credits (STAT 101) AP Human Geography = 3 credits (GEOG 100)

3. McGill AP Chinese Language & Culture = 6 credits (EAST 1XX) AP European History = 6 credits (HIST 1XX)

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 between $10,000- $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

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

AP courses 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 assignments and projects

High expectations for critical thinking, analysis, synthesis, evidence, multiple perspectives, and clear written and verbal communications

AP®: A More Engaging Learning Experience

Advanced Placement® at Burnaby Mountain

English: English Literature and Composition

History and Social Sciences: Art History, European History, Human Geography, Microeconomics, Macroeconomics, Psychology

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

Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics 1 and 2

World languages: Chinese Language and Culture, French

AP® Courses at Mountain

2016 AP® Statistics at Mountain

Total Number of Exams Completed 245 Total Number of Students 139 Average Exams per student 1.7

Levels of Achievement24% of exam marks were a score of 5

52% of exam marks were a score of 4 or higher78% of exam marks were a score of 3 or higher

AP® Scholar Awards

National AP Scholar

9 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

AP Scholar with

Distinction

15 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

AP Scholar with Honor

3 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 15 Granted to students who receive scores of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams

AP® Grades

Students receive grades on their report cards for both the AP course

and the BC Ministry equivalent.

ie. AP Biology and Biology 12.

For university admission and final admission calculations in BC

requirements the highest mark between the AP course and the BC

Ministry course is used.

AP courses that do not have a BC Ministry equivalent may also be

used for admission purposes.

ie AP Statistics