Advanced Placement Program

What is the Advanced Placement program? - The Advanced Placement program at Massaponax allows students to experience college-level courses while in high school. Classes with the Advanced Placement (AP) designation follow a national curriculum developed by leading college professors and secondary education experts for the College Board. Beyond factual knowledge and organizational skills, AP courses emphasize fostering critical thinking and how to succinctly express viewpoints in a meaningful way. Many courses are writing-intensive. All AP courses culminate in an exam or portfolio, which has the potential to award students with college credit for successfully demonstrating their superior understanding of the subject.

What Advanced Placement courses does Massaponax offer?  - Massaponax offers various AP science, mathematics, social studies, language studies, and fine arts courses.

What prerequisite coursework and tests are involved in enrolling my child in Advanced Placement courses? - With only a few exceptions, Spotsylvania County Schools treats all AP classes as open-enrollment courses. Any student may elect to take an AP course with parental approval. Considering the level of work and dedication necessary for success in an AP class, parents are encouraged to contact their child’s guidance counselor to discuss course expectations before enrollment. Parents may also wish to contact the current teachers of AP courses in which their child is interested.

What do the AP Exams involve, and are they mandatory? - While the exact format of each AP exam differs depending on the course, most involve a five-option multiple-choice section followed by a written section. The exams are comprehensive. The fee for each exam is $99, $147 for AP Capstone Exams. Those interested in more information about exam fees can visit the College Board website Fees & Fee Reductions. While the exams are not mandatory, all students are strongly encouraged to take the exam to earn college credit for a strong performance. Generally, most institutions consider a score of 3 out of 5 a “satisfactory” exam performance.

Should my child pass an AP Exam, is there any guarantee that his/her performance will be recognized by colleges and universities?  - Each institution of higher learning has an individual policy toward AP credits. The number of credit hours earned for a particular score depends on the institution and your child’s desired major. Typically, AP exams are recognized for 3-6 hours of credit, depending on the score's strength--with 3 being the lowest accepted and 5 being the highest. Selective schools generally require higher scores to earn credit hours. Due to recent legislation, almost all public post-secondary schools in Virginia (with the exception of William & Mary and UVA) are required to recognize AP exam scores of 3 and above.

Regardless of my child’s performance on an exam, how do colleges view the fact that he/she endeavored to take AP courses?  - Most post-secondary institutions recognize the value of AP coursework. Several recent studies suggest that students who take AP courses are more likely to finish a four-year degree than those who elect to exclusively take advanced or regular-level classes during their high school career. Even the most selective schools consider AP coursework to indicate a student’s potential to adjust to the rigors of college. They typically give greater weight to the transcripts of those who elected to challenge themselves with AP classes.

Where may I go to find additional information online?  - There are a number of websites maintained by the College Board that can help you and your child decide if AP is an appropriate choice. Here is a collection of the most helpful websites:

AP Central:  AP Central provides students and parents with information on the AP program and courses.

AP Credit Search: Search for the AP credit acceptance policies of colleges and universities nationwide.