Kelly Walsh Advanced Placement (AP®) Program
41 KWHS students earned AP Scholar Awards in 2022 in recognition of their exceptional achievement on AP Exams. In the 2022-23 school year, KWHS has 217 AP students and will be giving 339 exams.
The percentage of KWHS students scoring a 3 or better on exams is higher than the state and global averages!
Why AP?
College-bound students should consider taking one or more AP courses. Research shows students completing one or more AP courses, regardless of their GPA, do better in college than those never taking AP courses (www.collegeboard.com).
- AP enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school
- AP students are much more likely to graduate college within 4 years
- Possible to offset some college costs by earning credit through AP & completing a degree in 4 years
- Current & former KWHS AP students highly recommend AP
- Former KWHS AP students report being better prepared than their classmates in college
- Two or more Advanced Placement Courses in high school = 82% graduation rate from college
- There is NO fee to take an AP Exam at KWHS; NCSD #1 pays the $94 exam fee
Advanced Placement Exams
Certain advanced courses in the high school program are designated Advanced Placement. The Educational Testing Service scores the Advanced Placement examinations each May on a standardized national test day. Each examination receives an overall score on a five-point scale:
5 points = extremely well qualified
4 points = well qualified
3 points = qualified
2 points = possibly qualified
1 point = no recommendation
Each college decides which AP Examination scores it will accept. Some colleges accept scores of 3 or better and give the student credit as if that person had taken one or more basic courses in the subject tested. College credit is sometimes not given, but the necessity of taking basic courses is waived.
Students can check individual colleges’ AP credit policy at CollegeBoard.org.
AP Courses Offered at KWHS
|
AP Course |
Grade |
Prerequisite |
|---|---|---|
|
AP Calculus AB (Calculus 1) |
10, 11, 12 |
Pre-Calculus Honors |
|
AP Calculus BC (Calculus 2) |
10, 11, 12 |
Calculus AB |
|
AP Statistics |
10, 11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP Computer Science A (JAVA) |
11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP Computer Science Principles |
10, 11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP Chemistry (Chemistry 3) |
11, 12 |
Chemistry 1 A or Chemistry 2A |
|
AP Biology |
11, 12 |
Biology 1 Advanced |
|
AP Physics C |
11, 12 |
Calculus Based |
|
AP European History |
11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP United States History |
10, 11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP U.S. Government & Politics |
11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP Comparative Government |
10, 11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP Psychology |
11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP English Literature & Composition |
11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP English Language & Composition |
12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
|
AP Music Theory |
9, 10, 11, 12 |
Teacher Recommendation |
FAQ: What if I do not score a 3, 4, or 5 on my AP Exam? Will this hurt my KWHS class grade or prevent me from receiving KWHS credit?
Answer: NO! While students are encouraged to perform their best on AP Exams, earning less than a three (3) will NOT affect your KWHS class grade or credit.
FAQ: Can a course be both AP & BOCES?
Answer: English Language, Computer Science A, and Statistics are also dual credit BOCES classes.
For more information, go to www.collegeboard.com, contact the KWHS teacher, or contact the KWHS AP Coordinator at casey_schell@natronaschools.org or 307-253-2190.