Advanced Placement (AP) courses enable students to maximize their high school experience by engaging in challenging
coursework and earning credits to give them a head start on college. AP courses offer the same rigor and content as college courses, allowing students to earn college credit and prepare for college while still in high school. Memphis-Shelby County Schools currently offers 35 AP courses (out of 38 AP courses available nationwide). Students may earn college credit by making a 3, 4, or 5 on an AP exam at the end of the course. Earning college credit in high school reduces the cost of college.
Why AP?
- High School Success
- College Ready
- College Graduation
- College Savings
AP students, including those with average scores of 1 or 2, are more likely to enroll in a four-year college compared to academically similar students who did not take AP in high school.
Many students who first earn an AP Exam score of 1 or 2 will then earn a higher score on the subsequent AP Exams they take.
Personal Quotes
Students
- Taking Advanced Placement courses has prepared me for the workload by managing my time and splitting studying across several days. Also, it has improved my work ethic by working more efficiently when I do my homework and study, which will be useful in college.
- My AP classes have put a huge emphasis on time management skills. Regardless of the class difficulty, one thing that I have had to better manage is work habits and planning for deadlines.
- My AP class has helped me develop persuasive writing skills and I have learned tools that allow me to quickly analyze a text and notice the skills that the author uses to achieve their purpose.
- One of the most interesting things I have learned from AP classes would be how to write and analyze texts; many texts appear to be concise and bland when first read, but AP classes teach you to see beyond the picture.
Teachers
- In taking an AP course, students are exposed to teaching practices and rigor that is seen in a collegiate atmosphere. After teaching several traditional, honors, and Dual Credit courses, I can confidently say that there is no other course that offers a collegiate experience like an AP course.
- I would encourage students to take AP courses to challenge themselves, learn in-depth and multi-faceted subject matter, have fun while learning, and earn college credit.
- Students develop analytical and writing skills, as well as time-management/self-management.
- Students develop the ability to consolidate and synthesize a wide breadth of knowledge and apply that knowledge in interesting and unique ways.
Parents
- Since taking AP classes my daughter does a better job of paying attention to detail in her essays. She is becoming disciplined because she knows that she is responsible for her grade in the class, and it is based on her turning items in on a timely manner.
- AP has been one of the bright spots of my daughter's high school career. Challenging, but demands organization and engagement. She has grown personally as well as academically through her AP classes.
- In AP Language, I think my child has learned a great deal about how authors use their word choice to make their points.
- My daughter’s AP class has developed her ability to take a topic and draft a well-structured 5-paragraph essay that has impressed her parents. This came in handy when taking the writing portion of the ACT last week.
