AP Courses

  • February 6th Advanced Coursework Information Session Livestream Recording

     

    Pinellas County high schools are proud to offer a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses in our high schools. Students with a strong work ethic and a desire to engage in challenging courses are encouraged to request the AP courses that best meet their talents and interests.  The AP Capstone courses (AP Seminar and AP Research) are unique opportunities for students to select the content through which they learn college level research, collaboration and presentation skills.  See below for additional information regarding the AP Capstone courses. 

    If the AP Course you would like to take is not available at your school, ask your counselor about taking the course on Pinellas Virtual School.  They use the FLVS curriculum, but provide you with a local teacher who may be available to schedule in person assistance at a PCS site.

    For information regarding the college credit that can be earned for AP courses within the Florida State University System (SUS) use the Credit-by-Exam Equivalency table.

    Did you know that College Board is providing live AP Review sessions taught by master AP teachers from across the country?  The sessions are held April 18-28.  Recordings of each session will be available on YouTube and on AP Classroom for students to watch on demand if they can’t join live.  View the schedule of live sessions and a link to subscribe to the AP YouTube channel. Visit AP Central website

    One of the most common questions asked by parents and students is "Which is better - AP or dual enrollment?"  The answer is not simple.  For students planning to apply to highly competitive colleges or colleges outside Florida, AP provides a standardized curriculum and exam that allows colleges to compare students from all over the world.  For students planning to attend SPC after graduation, dual enrollment is the most cost-effective option.  For students who have not made up their mind, we recommend a mixture of AP and dual enrollment classes. To discuss this more in depth as it relates to a specific student, contact your school counselor or the Advanced Studies office.

    AP Capstone Program:

    The College Board’s AP Capstone is an innovative program that allows students to engage in rigorous development of skills critical for success in college, and includes a two-course sequence: AP Seminar and AP Research. It is designed to be taken in sequence during the 10th & 11th or 11th & 12th grade years.  The target group of students are those who have the potential to earn a qualifying score (3 or better) on the AP exam in at least four other AP courses.  

    AP Seminar is available to students entering 10th or 11th grade.  This course equips students with the power to explore academic and real-world issues through an interdisciplinary lens and consider multiple points of view. Through a variety of materials ─ from articles and research studies to foundational and philosophical texts ─ students will be challenged to explore "complex questions, understand and evaluate opposing viewpoints, interpret and synthesize information, and develop, communicate, and defend their own points of view." Teachers have the flexibility of choosing themes based on student interests, whether they are local and/or civic issues or international topics. Samples of themes that can be covered in the AP Seminar course include education, innovation, sustainability, and technology. Students are scored on a series of three assessments that combine to determine the exam score:  a team project, followed by an individual project during the year, and an end-of-course written exam taken during the traditional AP exam time in early May.
     
    AP Research is available to students who successfully complete the AP Seminar course.  AP Research allows students to design, plan, and conduct a yearlong mentored investigation on a topic of their choosing. Students will build on the skills learned in the AP Seminar course by using research methodology, employing ethical research practices, and accessing, analyzing, and synthesizing information to present and defend an argument, which combines to serve as the AP exam score.
     
     
    For more information about the AP Capstone Program, please contact Hannah Graziano or Lauren Drizd in the Advanced Studies department.