Advanced Programs

Advanced Placement (AP) Program

The AP program is designed to help students who want a stronger academic challenge within our core curriculum classes. Students will make a choice as to whether they will choose AP courses during spring registration. AP courses are challenging and a contract signed by both the student and parent/guardian will be required before students will be registered for the class. Students should expect to complete reading and/or writing over the summer, as well as an increased workload during the school year. AP courses will be designated as such on the transcript and use a weighted 5.0 GPA scale. Both weighted and unweighted GPAs will be listed on students' transcripts.

AP Commitment Policies

Concurrent Enrollment

Concurrent enrollment partnerships provide high school students the opportunity to take college credit-bearing courses. We have several classes that provide concurrent enrollment opportunities in math, English, and art departments. You register in your classroom at the beginning of the semester.

Gifted Education

The secondary gifted program seeks to develop an understanding of rigor and depth in self-directed academic endeavors. Participating students will complete one original, long-term project per year. Student will begin developing their Advanced Learning Plan (ALP) with the Gifted Coordinator the first 30 days of a school year and set an initial goal regarding a project. A student will choose this project based on his/her own interests and it should address topics that are outside or beyond the curriculum. Periodically there will be group meetings of students (monthly for middle school students, quarterly for high school students). During the group meetings, students will discuss and troubleshoot their projects with other students. Also, the Gifted Coordinator and students will create a rubric for the development and evaluation of each project. Rubrics will cover such elements as timelines for original research, development of ideas, presentation, oral practice, audio-visual components, etc. Students will be instructed in Bloom's Taxonomy to help develop expectations of academic rigor. The last group meeting of the school year will be used for project presentations.

Students will not receive school credit or a grade on their transcripts for participating. However, completed projects may be included in the middle school resume, college applications, or Individual Career and Academic Plan (ICAP). Students may receive credit on extended classroom assignments as teachers see fit.