AP InformationNight

Sacred Heart AcademyDecember 10, 2019

Presented by: Gina Christel

Assistant Principal of Academics and AP Teachers

What is Advanced Placement?

• AP is a program offering college level courses in high school.

• AP classes are taught by our NYS certified teachers who have been trained and endorsed by The College Board and have a passion for their subject area.

• Each AP course has a College Board exam given in the spring.

Why is it such a big deal?

• Scholarships: 31% of colleges and universities consider a student’s AP experience when making decisions.

• Admissions: 85% of selective colleges and universities report that a student’s AP experience favorably impacts admissions decisions.

• Choices: Sacred Heart Academy has an extensive Advanced Placement program with 17 course offerings from which to choose.

Why should I take APclasses?

• 97% of colleges and universities accept qualifying AP exam scores to grant credit, placement or both.

• College admissions officers want to see a challenging course load on your high school transcript.

• AP prepares you for success in college.• You decide which class(es) to take.

• If you qualify, you can take one or more courses-flexible program

• Generally, entrance into AP classes require a 92 average from a regents level class in the same discipline and 87 average from honors level in the same discipline. Appeals can be granted by the department to those on the cusp of requirements after Quarter 3 grades

Will AP courses hurt my GPA?

• AP courses are weighted by 1.1 (10%)• Example: 87 average x 1.1 weighting = 96% final weighted

grade posted on transcript

• According to a survey by the National Association of College Admission Counseling (NACAC), the most important factor in the college admission decision was grades in college prep courses, outweighing standardized test scores, overall grades and class rank.

AP Policies at Sacred Heart Academy

• Add/Drop Policy: AP registration affects class size, teacher staffing and ultimately student learning so we do not allow drops.

• Summer Assignments: Be prepared for summer assignments. Ask about what they entail during question and answer period.

• AP Testing: It is required that if you take an AP class, you take the corresponding AP test in May. The test is $94 per exam.

• Contracts to be signed by students and parents when registering for an AP class about knowledge of required summer work, having reviewed course outline/contract and agreement to pay and take the exam.

What makes a successful AP student?

● Desire to learn and interest in the subject

● Commitment to rigorous study schedule

● Willingness to ask for help; attend before/after school extra help

● Growth mindset about challenging vocabulary and complex material

● Maturity to accept responsibility for requirements, to accept consequences for one’s actions and to adhere to deadlines

● Schedule that allows for a lot of studying outside of class

How should I plan my schedule?

● Consider your passions and interests

● Think about your commitments to extra-curricular activities

● Think about your willingness and motivation

● Consider your goals for your GPA

● Think about how you will get support for this challenge

● Talk to your teachers and counselors in the upcoming weeks

Scheduling Timeline

• February 10-12: Level Meetings for each grade to review scheduling process.

• February 12 : Course Registration Day-students will receive teacher recommendations on Course Selection Sheet

• February 13: Online registration begins for grades 9-11 on portal, ends midnight on February 14, 2020.

• February-April 2020: Counselors see students regarding academic progress and course selection advisement

AP Contract signed by student & parent• April 20, 2020: Opportunity to appeal placement based upon grades

up to and including Quarter 3 grades. Appeals due April 22 , 2020

Thank you!

Presentations with AP teachers followed by

Q & A

AP Art Portfolio Honors

Ms. Carol PrehodaArt Department Chairperson

AP Art Portfolio Honors

SENIOR YEAR

IN ORDER TO DO THE PORTFOLIO YOU

HAVE TO BE IN ART HONORS STARTING JUNIOR YEAR

THIS BEGINS THE 2 YEAR SEQUENCE OF ART HONORS

YOU NEED A 92% AVERAGE IN SOPHOMORE BASIC STUDIO AND DEPARTMENT APPROVAL TO BE CONSIDERED FOR

JUNIOR ART HONORS

YOU NEED AN 87% OR ABOVE AVERAGE IN JUNIOR ART HONORS FOR

SENIOR AP PORTFOLIO

Art and Design Portfolios

Beginning in 2019-2020, the AP Art and Design

portfolios will each consist of two sections:

1. Sustained investigation (60% of exam score)

15 digital images that include works of art and design and

process documentation.

◆ Typed responses to prompts, providing information

about the questions that guided their investigation and how

they practiced, experimented, and revised, guided by their

questions.

Art and Design Portfolios

2. Selected Works (40% of exam score)

◆ For AP 2-D Art and Design and AP Drawing:

Five physical works or high-quality reproductions of physical

works with written responses on paper describing the materials,

processes, and ideas used.

AP Calculus

Mrs. Pat MallonMath Department Chair

AP Computer Science

Mr. Dan deBruin

English

AP Language and Composition, 11th gradeAP Literature and Composition, 12th grade

Dr. Mary Ellen MinogueEnglish Department Chairperson

AP Music Theory

Ms. Terry ShirreffsMusic Department Chairperson

Should I take AP Music Theory?

● Open to seniors who have taken Music Theory in 10th and 11th

grade and who meet the SHA honors policy requirements

● Students need to be very comfortable with the four components

of musical literacy: reading, writing, listening, and singing

○ Learning music is like learning a language-- all four of these

skills are equally important!

Typical Assignments and Activities

● Reading: analysis of musical scores

● Writing: harmonization of a melody in four parts, realization of a

figured bass, composition projects/musical arrangements of

pieces in various musical forms

● Listening: contextual listening, recognition of rhythm and pitch

patterns, error detection

● Singing: singing pitch patterns and chords, sight-singing

melodies in various time signatures (simple and compound) and

keys (major and minor)

Exam Format

Interested in finding out more?

● Explore the Music Theory course page on College Board’s

AP Central website

● Talk to students currently taking the class

● Ask your music teacher for more information

Science

Beth Feinman, M.D.Science Department Chairperson

Course Offerings

• AP Biology• AP Chemistry• AP Physics • AP Environmental Science• AP Capstone: ◆ AP Seminar 10 ◆ AP Research 11 & 12

What your student should be thinking…

• What do I need to pursue my college and career goals?

• What do I want to learn about and study every night?

• What will I enjoy and excel in?College level curriculum with college level exam

questions, no extra credit, exams represent AP level questions and the bulk of your course average.

Are we all on the same page?

StudentsStudent goal : show colleges they are taking an AP in science

“I did well in ______class even though I got less than a 90% on the Regents exam.

“Colleges don’t look at grades after second quarter.”

“I can study the night before the exam and still get a good grade.”

AP FacultyFaculty goal: students will master college level material, learn critical thinking skills and develop study skills needed to master complicated, detailed, process oriented concepts and then apply them on college level exams.

Students will be prepared and demonstrate mastery on the College Board exam in May.

Not about quarter grades and GPA. About the curriculum.

College and Career Readiness

● AP Biology● AP Chemistry

Pre-Med/ Healthcare

● AP Physics ● AP Biology (BioEngineer)● AP Chemistry (ChemEngineer)

•

Engineering

● AP Biology● AP Chemistry (Pharmacology, Cosmetics)● AP Capstone > Research

Scientist

● AP Environmental ScienceEnvironment

Requirements

• AP Honors Policy applies for AP Biology, AP Chemistry, and AP Physics. • Regents exam scores highly correlate with performance in AP classes.

Students who have not passed the corresponding Regents exam for that AP may not proceed into that AP class.

• AP Capstone by invitation and application only• AP Environmental Science is for seniors who do not meet the AP grade

requirement but have over 85 in Chemistry and Physics. (Juniors with averages of >90 will be advised to take one of the core science AP’s)

• Students who do not meet the required grade for an AP may take a science elective (Anatomy & Physiology or Conceptual Physics)

Social Studies

Ms. Rachael GrazioliMrs. Denise Rappoport

Social Studies Department Chairperson

Course Offerings

AP World History, 9th and 10th grade Students qualify for this course as an incoming freshman based on their score on

the CHSEE exam. The course is a two year commitment for 9th and 10th grade.

AP US History, 11 *credit is offered through Molloy College for this course

AP US Government and Politics with Economics, 12

AP Psychology, Senior year elective

AP Spanish/Italian Language and Culture

Ms. Lori VollmerWorld Languages Department Chairperson

Who is eligible?

• In 4th year of studying Spanish/Italian (generally seniors)

• If currently in Spanish or Italian 3 or 4 Honors, must have an unweighted average of 87 or higher

• If currently in Spanish or Italian 3 or 4, must have an average of 92 or higher

Who is the class right for?

• Students interested in exploring Spanish/Italian language and culture on a college level.

• Students comfortable with and eager for the challenge of speaking, hearing, reading and writing in Spanish/Italian 99% of the time they spend in class.

• Students ready and willing to do research outside of class, using authentic Spanish/Italian sources online and elsewhere.

• Students prepared to use their Spanish/Italian to write DBQ essays, do presentations, debate issues, have formal and informal conversations, etc.

What exactly do we study?

Using a variety of authentic sources (text, audio, graphic, video, etc.), we examine topics related to these 6 Key themes as they relate to our own local communities and communities throughout Italy / the Spanish speaking world.

What exactly do we study?

Essential Questions

World Challenges

•What are the social, political and environmental challenges confronting

the world’s societies?• What are the origins of these

challenges?• What are some possible solutions to

these challenges?

Science and Technology

• What impact do scientific and technological developments have on

our lives?• What factors have driven

developments and innovations in science and technology?

• What role does ethics play in scientific advancements?

Contemporary Life

• How do individuals and societies define their quality of life?

• How do cultural products, practices and perspectives influence people in

contemporary life?• What are the challenges of

contemporary life?

Essential Questions

Personal and Public Identities

• How are different aspects of identity expressed in various

situations?

• How do language and culture influence a person’s identity?

• How does a person’s identity develop over time?

Families and Communities• How is family defined in

different societies?• How do individuals contribute

to the well being of communities?

• What are the differences in the roles that communities and

families assume in the different societies of the world?

Beauty and Aesthetics• How are perceptions of beauty

and creativity established?• How do ideals of beauty and aesthetics influence daily life?

• How do the arts challenge and reflect cultural perspectives?

Exam Format

So what does the exam actually look like?

What kinds of questions does it ask?

How long does it take?

Visit the following sites:

AP Central Spanish Language and Culture

or

AP Central Italian Language and Culture

For More Information

Thank you for attending!

Q&A Session with AP Teachers