Alene Zimmer
Director for Gifted/Talented & Advanced Academic Studies

Advanced Placement and Pre-AP Program

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Katy ISD  offers  Advanced  Placement  courses  to  high school students who are ready to engage in college level course content and rigorous academics. Courses are available in English, social studies, computer science, mathematics, science, languages other than English, music theory and art.

The AP Program offers college level instruction to the academically successful high school student with the option of taking an Advanced Placement examination and possibly qualifying for college credit. AP students are expected to work at an accelerated pace and to engage in outside reading and independent learning.

AP courses are open to all students with the prerequisite coursework who wish to take on the additional challenge of advanced academics. Students who choose to enroll, however, should be prepared for the increased academic rigor of these courses. AP and AP/GT courses concentrate on providing students with rigorous college level academic instruction while preparing students for the AP exam associated with the course.

Pre-Advanced Placement (Pre-AP)

Beginning in grade 6, Katy ISD offers Pre-AP courses in language arts, social studies, science and mathematics*.  Additional options are available in languages other than English beginning with level III.

The Pre-AP curricula for these courses are

√  built on the core academic curriculum

√  academically advanced

√  aligned with AP course descriptions generated by College Board

√  coordinated with the work of district AP Vertical Teams

√  developed with a concentration on building student

√   capacity to understand rigorous content

Pre-AP instruction includes

√  a variety of assessment formats

√  periodic timed assessments

√  student accountability for independent reading

√  the use of a variety of resources beyond the text

*The goal of  Pre-AP mathematics in junior high is to prepare students for Algebra 1 in grade 8.

Informed Open Access: Placement Decisions for AP and Pre-AP

Decisions about placement are often one of the more difficult choices that parents face when their students are considering courses for the next school year. KISD core content courses are offered in Academic, Pre-AP and AP formats. The decisions to enroll in Pre-AP/AP ultimately rests with parents and students. The school provides valuable input through teacher recommendation, communication with parents regarding the challenges of the Pre-AP/AP curricula, and information about indicators of student success.

Entrance Guidelines

The purpose of the Pre-AP/AP entrance and exit guidelines is to provide placement information in order to facilitate student success in academically challenging courses.

Pre-AP and AP courses are designed to challenge motivated students and prepare them for success in college-level coursework taken in high school. In order to assist in the placement decision, these entrance guidelines are intended to provide a profile of students who typically experience success in Pre-AP and AP courses.

Student Profile

• Successfully completes prerequisite coursework
• Demonstrates successful performance in related content area course
• Scores at the 85th percentile or above on the most recent standardized achievement test or other district identified testing measure
• Receives a teacher recommendation
• Professes interest in subject selected
• Demonstrates excellent study skills and habits
• Carefully considers time commitments
• Asks questions and participates in class
• Perseveres when faced with challenging material
• Asks for assistance when needed
• Plans and works ahead on long term projects

For more information about AP and Pre-AP, contact the school counselor or refer to the Katy ISD Secondary Course Catalog available at www.katyisd.org.

Exit Guidelines

A student may choose to exit Pre-AP or AP courses only during the first six weeks grading period or at the end of the first semester (regardless of student performance) and must have teacher and parent approval.

Students should consider exiting a course at the end of the first semester if they do not maintain at least a C average for the semester.

Course placement for students whose average falls below a C for a six weeks grading period will be evaluated through communication which may include: the student, teacher, counselor, parent/guardian, and/or administrator. Placement decisions resulting from this communication require parent and administrator approval.

Students who earn an F will be removed from the class at the end of the grading period unless otherwise recommended by the teacher and administrator.

Making Wise Choices

KISD encourages students to take Pre-AP and AP classes. When making a decision about how many of these classes to take, consider the following:

College Board website: http://www.collegeboard.com/splash
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