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Advanced Placement Program
We believe
in the ability of all students to excel in school. Vista
Ridge will develop a strong Advanced Placement Program
(AP) with course offerings in a variety of disciplines
to meet the interests and needs of students. Our goal is
to encourage every student to enroll in at least one AP
course before graduation. We will utilize pre-AP
strategies across the curriculum to challenge students
and prepare them to choose AP courses if they desire.
Advanced Placement (AP) is a national
program from the College Board of college-level courses
and exams that gives high school students the
opportunity to earn credit, advanced placement, or both,
for college while still in high school. AP classes are
some of the most rigorous courses offered at VRHS and
will receive a weighted grade.
View the AP website from the CollegeBoard
Challenge Yourself – Take an AP Course
Participating in the AP Program gives you the
opportunity to take college-level courses while you’re
still in high school. Take AP courses for yourself.
Enter a universe of knowledge that might otherwise
remain unexplored in high school. You’ll study subjects
in greater depth and detail, and rather than simply
memorizing facts, you will be expected to develop and
support your own arguments and perspectives.
AP
courses teach you skills that can lead to success in
college. You’ll develop the writing skills,
problem-solving techniques, and study habits that will
prepare you for college academics. Plus, taking rigorous
AP courses demonstrates your maturity, willingness to
push yourself intellectually, and commitment to academic
excellence, which can help you stand out in the college
admissions process.
The
AP Program isn’t just for the top students or those
headed for college. The only requirements to take an AP
course are a strong curiosity about the subject you plan
to study and the willingness to work hard. Once you’ve
decided to take the AP challenge, it’s easy to enroll:
talk to an AP teacher and your counselor about the
course(s) you want to take. Discuss the course workload
and any preparation you might need.
The Exam
and College Benefits
The goal
of all AP courses is to prepare students to be
successful on the Advanced Placement Exam in the spring.
Students who earn AP Exam grades of 3 or above are
generally considered to be qualified to receive college
credit and/or placement into advanced courses. However,
the awarding of credit and placement is determined by
each college or university and students should check
with the institution to verify its AP credit and
placement policies.
AP Courses at Vista Ridge
At Vista Ridge High School,
we believe every student should enroll in at least one
Advanced Placement course during their high school
education. In order to match the variety of talents in
our students, we will offer a variety of AP courses in many
subject areas, including mathematics, science, social
studies, English, art, world language, and music.
As we add grade levels to our school, the AP course offerings
will increase as most courses are for junior/senior students.
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2008-2009 Offeringso:
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AP European History
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Potential Future Offerings
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AP Calculus; AP Statistics
AP Biology; AP Chemistry; AP Physics
AP Environmental Sciencev
AP English Lit.; AP Eng. Language
AP English Language
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AP US History; AP Government
AP Psychology
AP Studio Art 2D; AP Studio Art 3D
AP Music Theory
AP Spanish, AP French, AP German
AP Computer Science
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