NOTE TO PARENTS
Offered for over thirty years, the Advanced Placement United States History course is like no other course your student has probably taken. Advanced Placement (AP) courses offer students the opportunity to participate in a college style-learning environment, surpassing what is traditionally offered in an honors course. It should be understood that AP courses are challenging. They are intended to be the equivalent to first-year college courses. Therefore, students who have traditionally participated in honors courses may find the course to be challenging at first. However, the nearly fifty-year existence of the AP U.S. History program attests that students can rise to this challenge. Most students will find this course to be an engaging educational experience that, in many cases, may fill a void that has been lacking in their previous educational pursuits. I am confident that students will find AP to be an extremely rewarding experience.
General Information
- AP and SAT: Check collegeboard.com for current information
- GRADES are updated regularly through the parent portal. Keep in mind that this course is on the A/B schedule, so grades during the first TWO progress reports may not be indicative of a final semester grade since there will be very few assignments in the grade book at that time. Grades posted in January and June are the only ones that will go on the transcript. In addition, final student grades are almost representative at the time of the AP test. Finals are all completed prior to the AP test and very little goes into the grade book after the last progress report. Anything multiple choice-related usually only takes two days. Short answers take about a week. Essays take 3-4 weeks.
- Contact Information: Please feel free to contact me at any time. It is best to reach me via email at rrichards@schscougars.org, but you can also call 619-660-3688 (I do not check phone messages when school is not in session).
- EXTRA CREDIT MOVIES: See the tab at the top. Note to Parents: There are multiple movie options for extra credit. It is not required that students watch R-rated movies. Since this is an "at home" assignment, I am presuming that your permission is granted if they make the personal decision to watch an R-rated movie.
- Tutorials: If students need help, they need to set an appointment with me to be held during office hours.
Advanced Placement United States History
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What can I do to help my stressed-out student?
A: One of the most important things parents can do is to provide students with a quiet study environment away from technology (TV, phones, internet, social media). The hardest part of finishing the assignment is often starting the assignment, then working on it without checking the phone or Facebook for messages every two minutes. While they will need access to the computer to complete assignments occasionally (and some sites can help with comprehension) most of the time, it is a distraction and will take your student much longer to complete.
Time management is another obstacle most of your students will face in the coming year. If your student is having problems with time management, sit down with them and help them plan out their homework for the week, then follow through with checking for completion. Check the agenda page; help them look at their reading assignments and plan a reading schedule. Often students overestimate what they can complete in one night. You may not have had to do this in 9th or 10th grade, but this skill is essential to being successful in AP. I can help them with the planning, if needed, but can't do much about the follow through at home.
Q. Why was the Advanced Placement program started?
A. In the eyes of college admissions boards and scholarship committees, honors can mean different things depending on the location of the school, the philosophy of the district or department, and even the teacher. AP courses are designed by experts in the field to be as representative of first year college courses as is possible. While the curriculum is not mandated, it is strongly guided in the same direction as college courses. AP courses provide an assurance that similar standards are being upheld across the country, even worldwide.
Q. Are AP courses harder than honors courses?
A. The short answer to this question is: yes. However, "hard" and "difficult" are relative terms. It is likely that students will initially find this course to be more challenging and demanding than past courses. If your student lacks motivation and does not study, then yes; this course will be extremely difficult. The main distinction to remember is that while honors courses generally have higher standards than regular courses, AP courses go beyond this. The courses are designed to be representative of what students would expect in a university style course; thus, the course is taught in such a manner that places full responsibility on students for their learning. The expectations are likely to be higher than those of the traditional honors courses are.
Q. Why should my student take AP United States History?
A. There are many reasons why a student should take this course. First, many students often find they are not intellectually engaged by their courses. AP courses tend to provide the challenge they feel they need. Second, most students find that having AP courses on their transcripts provides them with a competitive edge in the college admissions or in the scholarship application process. Indeed, many colleges expect a student to have one or more of these courses on their transcript. In addition, the possibility of earning college credit-and eliminating the tuition cost of a one-year college course-is appealing to most students. Finally, most educators feel that completion of Advanced Placement courses leave students better prepared for the demands of college.
Q. Is there an emphasis on writing in this course?
A. Yes. This course is quite writing intensive. A significant portion of the AP exam consists of essay questions. A major aim of the AP class is to prepare students for this challenging exam. Therefore, students are expected to write frequently, but not constantly.
Q. What if my student has trouble with writing?
A. Students that have traditionally found writing to be challenging may experience some difficulty with the course, at least initially. However, students experiencing challenges with the writing assignments are encouraged to meet one-on-one with me so that we may attack problem areas directly. Furthermore, the evaluation of writing assignments will provide students with feedback regarding how they may improve. Students are concurrently enrolled in AP Language and Composition which works specifically with improving writing skills this has been highly beneficial to students in the past.
It is important to note that writing-as well as all learning-is a process. Mastery may not come immediately. Therefore, it would not be abnormal for a student to encounter an adjustment period while getting used to the new course. Guidance, feedback, and persistence will lead to improvement. I emphasize that students and families be patient with this process.
If in the past your student has had difficulty obtaining a “4” in World History on a consistent basis, you should discuss the option of Honors or AP with your student’s 10th grade Humanities teacher. Receiving a “3” does not mean you will fail at AP, it just means you will probably need to work a little harder and come for help with the writing aspect of the course.
Q. Is there a lot of reading and homework involved in this course?
A. There is a good amount of reading and homework involved with this course. Students will be assigned approximately 1 chapter (@ 30 pages) a week of reading from a college level textbook. In addition, periodic supplemental reading is also assigned, depending on the unit. Generally, students can expect approximately 4-5 hours of reading each week. This may be higher at the start of the year, but gets easier as they get used to the reading level and pace.
Students are advised from the beginning of the course to manage their reading load by allocating a certain number of pages to be read each day from the beginning of the unit. This will allow students to not find themselves up the entire night before the exam trying to finish all of the reading.
Q. Are the grades for AP courses weighted?
A. Yes. This means that a "B" in AP courses would equal an "A" for a regular course. However, grades lower than a C are not weighted.
Q. Can a student drop an AP course after school has started?
A. Students are counseled in the spring when they sign up that they cannot drop once they are enrolled. If you have questions about whether your student should sign up for the class, and need advice, I would recommend speaking with their 10th grade Humanities teachers. If your student wishes to drop, you must contact their teacher first, then their counselor and begin the inventions put in place poor to meeting with an AP to request dropping.
Q. If my student receives a passing grade in the course, does that mean that they will pass the AP Exam?
A. Not necessarily. The AP exam is a "secret exam." It has been developed by the College Board and is not available for preview before the exam. The aim of the course is to expose students to the content and the skills necessary for doing well on the exam; however, being that it is not seen, it is difficult to determine if a student will pass the exam. In essence, we "fly blind" into the exam. It is possible that students may do quite well in class, but for a variety of reasons, a student may not do well on the exam. The national average pass rate averages 50%. Since 2012, Steele Canyon's pass rate has averaged around 20% higher than both the CA and National average. The correlation between student's assessment grade (look at the unit assessments and not the quiz and outlines categories) and their score is high, however, there are no guarantees.
Q. How much does it cost to take the exam?
A. The exam's cost is approximately $95.00. When compared to the cost of a college course, the cost of the exam is both minimal and attractive. All students signed up for AP must take the exam to receive AP credit. Financial hardship forms can be obtained through the VP and the test may available be a lower rate.
Q. What about extracurricular activities and employment?
A. This will depend upon the ability of the student, as well as their ability to handle stress and time management skills. In addition, the number of AP or honors classes a student is taking should also be considered. This must be balanced carefully, as students may quickly find themselves overwhelmed if they have too many outside activities to organize.
Q. What should my student expect if they are enrolled in other AP courses?
A. In all actuality, they should expect to spend a lot of time doing homework. AP courses, regardless of the subject, are very intensive. This can be highly challenging and perhaps overwhelming for a high school student encountering AP for the first time. Students may wish to assess taking AP courses with consideration of their interests or future career plans. If multiple AP classes are taken, students and families must be patient during the initial adjustment period and should seriously consider the benefit of participating in multiple extracurricular activities or outside employment.