Advanced Curriculum


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    MIDDLE GRADES ADVANCED COURSES

    Advanced courses in middle school are offered to all students who have the desire to take a more rigorous course load. Review the MS Pathways to Advanced Courses Brochure and/or contact your school counselor for more information.


    HONORS COURSES

    Honors courses include a greater range and depth of subject matter, with an emphasis on higher level critical thinking skills. Honors courses are primarily offered in high school, but some honors courses are offered for acceleration in middle school and earn high school credit (i.e., Algebra I Honors). Honors courses carry half of a quality point, meaning that when calculating GPA an honors course gives the student a higher GPA value than a regular course. 


    ADVANCED PLACEMENT (AP)

    Advanced Placement (AP) courses are rigorous college level courses offered at high school through the College Board’s Advanced Placement program. All Pinellas County high schools offer a range of AP courses. Every student in Pinellas County Schools that takes an AP course will also take the national AP Exam at no charge.  Colleges and universities often award college credit for advanced course placement for AP exam scores of 3, 4, or 5 on a scale of 1 through 5. Each college has varying standards for scores as well as what type of credit they will award for a course.  For further information regarding college credits awarded based on AP exam scores, please review the Florida State University System (SUS) Credit by Exam Equivalencies document or visit the specific website for the University of your choosing.

    Please note:  AP Exams are ordered in November.  While students are not charged to sit for exam, they are responsible for cancellation fees ($40 per exam) that result from dropping an AP course after exams are ordered and/or the fees charged if they do not sit for the exam ($94 for most exams and $142 for an AP Seminar or AP Research exam).

     

    INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE (IB)

    IB is an international, preuniversity, highly comprehensive two-year IB diploma curriculum. Completion merits a standard high school diploma and an IB diploma. Courses focus on core subjects, and college credits can be earned by successfully completing IB exams. For further information regarding college credits awarded based on IB exam scores, please review the Florida State University System (SUS) Credit by Exam Equivalencies document or visit the specific website for the University of your choosing.
    Note:  IB Programmes are among the PCS District Application Programs and they have academic admission requirements.  To be considered for admission to an IB Programme, students must apply through the Student Reservation System (SRS).
     
    Please note:  IB Exams are ordered during the fall semester.  While students are not charged to sit for exam, they are responsible for fees that result from withdrawing from the IB programme after exams are ordered and/or the fees charged if they do not sit for the exam.

     

    THE CAMBRIDGE PROGRAM (AICE)

    The Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program, developed by Cambridge University, provides a high-quality academic curriculum which prepares students for post-secondary education while offering students the opportunity to tailor their studies to their individual interests, skills and future goals. The AICE program offers courses and examinations during grades 10- 12 leading to an international Diploma and potential college credits. For further information regarding college credits awarded based on AICE exam scores, please review the Florida State University System (SUS) Credit by Exam Equivalencies document or visit the specific website for the University of your choosing.
    Note:  AICE Programs are among the PCS District Application Programs and they have academic admission requirements.  To be considered for admission to an AICE Programme, students must apply through the Student Reservation System (SRS). 
     
    Please note:  AICE Exams are ordered in February.  While students are not charged to sit for exam, they are responsible for exam fees that result from withdrawing from an AICE course after exams are ordered and/or if they do not sit for the exam.
     
     
    AP, IB and AICE courses carry a quality point, meaning that when calculating GPA an AP, IB, or AICE course gives the student a higher GPA value than a regular course or an honors course. 
     

     

    ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION (AVID)

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    The mission of AVID is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college and career readiness and success in a global society. AVID is a college and career readiness system that takes students with the potential and determination to go to college and supports their academic success in the rigorous courses (MS Advance, HS Honors, AP, AICE, dual enrollment) required to get into those four year universities. In the AVID elective course, students are taught the skill sets (purposeful note-taking, organization, public speaking, responsibility, etc.) necessary to be successful in those rigorous courses. Many students will be the first in their families to attend college, come from low-income or minority families, or have unique personal circumstances that require a greater academic support system within the school day. AVID creates an atmosphere of positive peer culture for the students, so that they are encouraging each other to strive for success.

    Become an AVID Tutor - Are you a current college student interested in becoming a tutor for middle and/or high school students? If so, please contact us for more information. You don't have to choose a specific subject area, because this tutoring style is a coaching one. You will be taught how to ask guiding questions to help the students find their own answers.


    DUAL ENROLLMENT at SPC

    St. Petersburg College offers college classes to qualified high school students enrolled in Pinellas County Schools at no charge. These courses give students credits toward a high school diploma and a college degree. Courses are available on SPC campuses and some local high school campuses.

    In order to take Dual Enrollment classes at SPC during the first semester, students must:

    1. Obtain a completed Dual Enrollment Permission Form by the last day of school.
    2. Register for the class(es) through the SPC Dual Enrollment Office no later than July 15.

    Students who wish to take dual enrollment classes at SPC must provide their SPC ID number to their high school counselor and complete placement testing (PERT, SAT, or ACT) prior to obtaining permission to take these courses.

    • To be eligible to take an academic dual enrollment course, a student must have a minimum unweighted cumulative GPA of 3.0.
    • To be eligible to take a career technical dual enrollment course, a student must have a minimum unweighted cumulative GPA of 2.0.
    • Dual enrollment courses that are offered by a credentialed instructor at a student’s high school must be taken on the high school campus.
    • Students who take dual enrollment courses will have grades recorded to their high school transcript and also their permanent college transcript. Therefore, students need to be very dedicated to their best performance in dual enrollment coursework because the resulting grades can greatly impact postsecondary education opportunities and scholarship opportunities.

    Contact your high school counselor to see if you are eligible to take Dual Enrollment classes at SPC.

     

    EXECUTIVE INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (EIP)

    The Executive Internship Program enables high school students to gain experience and expertise in particular professions. Through the Executive Internship Program, students are assisted academically and experientially in developing skills which promote self-directed learning, self-awareness, goal setting, creative problem solving, and cross cultural sensitivity.  Students are selected for senior-year EIP participation through an application process that takes place in the junior year.

    An EIP student spends 10-15 hours per week with their sponsor to undertake activities that provide comprehensive views of organizations that focus on the sponsor's professional roles, responsibilities, and functions. The student becomes knowledgeable about the organization's long range company priorities and how decisions are made about those priorities. Students learn to seek insight into the qualities, skills and knowledge that help professionals perform effectively.