Students attending advanced placement (AP) courses often report that they enjoy learning more and being challenged in these classes. On the other hand, many students also report spending hours completing homework, finishing projects, and studying for exams in pre-AP and AP courses.

Many of Dr. Davenport’s teen clients attend advanced placement courses. This article outlines some of the considerations he suggests as they think about in order to achieve the right balance between AP course benefits, AP course demands, and their quality of life. He also suggests considering “Dual Credit” as an alternative.

 Recognize the Benefits of AP and Pre-AP Courses

•  Pre-AP and AP courses provide a more advanced curriculum and more challenging course work for students who are easily bored.

• Often, the grade points from pre-AP and AP courses receive more weight and can increase a high school student’s grade point average. For example, in a local school district, a grade of 90 or above in pre-AP or AP courses equals grade points of 5.0 and 5.25 respectively compared to 4.0 in a regular class.

• Students can earn college credit if they pass the AP exam.

Remember Pre-AP and AP Courses Are Rigorous

• Pre-AP and AP courses require completing more independent homework and projects to demonstrate understanding of the material.

• Information from a local high school suggests that for each hour in class, at least one to two hours additional time outside of class is typically required for success in their pre-AP and AP courses.

• Students carrying a full schedule of pre-AP and AP courses have reported spending 20 to 40 hours per week on assignments and studying outside of class.

Consider Your Quality of Life

• In many schools, you can only increase your grade point average by making good grades in advanced courses. If your school gives heavier weight to pre-AP and AP courses, check to see what that means if you make less than an A in the course. For example, in a local school district, if you make less than an A in the course, your grade point is equal to that obtained in a regular class.

• Consider how the course will assist you to reach your academic goals. If you are planning to go into science after high school, consider how pre-AP or AP English/Language Arts will help you. Only you can answer that question.

• Seriously think about your commitments both in and out of school.

• Consider if you really have the time, energy, and motivation to devote to the subject matter of the course. Research has shown that energy management is just as important as time management.

• Don’t forget to take care of yourself by getting enough sleep and physical exercise.

  • Although the National Sleep Foundation says teens need an average of 8.5 to 9.5 hours of sleep per night, they also say that each individual’s need for sleep can vary.

  • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that teens need 60-minutes of physical activity per day.

Know When and Where to Seek Help at Home and School.

Each student must decide if advanced placement courses are right for him or her. Once they have made the decision, it is vital for students who take these courses to understand that their family, teachers, and school counselors are available to help them if they are struggling to meet the increased demands of a Pre-AP or AP course.

• It is critical to ask for help as early as possible. If a student is becoming overwhelmed, it is best to seek help as early as possible before he or she gets too far behind.  Parents can be strong advocates for their students who attend advanced placement courses.  Parents should check with pre-AP and AP teachers or the school website to find out where to start to address a student’s needs.

• It is imperative for students to know their school’s policies and procedures to address any struggles they may have along the way: school counselors and school websites often have information about how and when students enrolled in Pre-AP or AP courses can get the help they need.

• It is important to understand a school’s policy and procedures about accommodations in advanced placement classrooms. Over the years, I’ve heard that bright students who qualify for classroom accommodations have been told they cannot attend pre-AP and AP students. This statement in itself is not true!

  • The U.S. Office for Civil Rights and Department Of Education has said, “No otherwise qualified individual with a disability in the United States shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance.” They go on to say that before placing students in any educational program, schools must evaluate carefully each student’s skills and needs. Federal requirements provide standards for proper evaluations and placement procedures.

  • Furthermore, the College Board provides accommodations on AP exams, so they clearly expect bright students who qualify for classroom accommodations to take advanced placement courses.

• It is important for students to know how and when they may be granted a change into a regular class at their school. This is especially important to be aware of these guidelines if the school doesn’t give higher grade points for grades below an A.

• Some students also need to understand how pre-AP and AP grades impact their ability to participate in sports or other activities.

Know When and Where to Seek Help Online

Beyond the individual school, there are many online sources of information for students and their parents. Dr. Davenport suggests getting information from the following webpages.

The College Board AP Student website is an especially helpful place to start.

• The home page provides good information for students deciding what courses to take.

• The course pages provide helpful information for students about each advanced placement course offered.

The College Board’s AP Central website contains up-to-date news about classroom resources and AP tests.

• The College Board AP Course Pages for teachers may also include some good information for students.

• The College Board AP Site Search page is helpful for finding information about a specific advanced placement course quickly.

Many advanced placement textbooks have their own webpages that provide additional supports ranging from links to additional online resources to quizzes for specific chapters.

• Online information to supplement a number of pre-AP and AP textbooks used in Texas public schools can be found on the McGraw-Hill website’s search feature.

• If you live outside of Texas or if your advanced placement textbook is not published by McGraw-Hill, go to Google or Bing and search using the name of the textbook and the publisher’s name.

• If you need a user name and password to access online materials, ask your advanced placement teacher or coordinator for this information.

• Some pre-AP and AP teachers even have their own websites where they provide supplemental information.

Consider an Alternative: Dual Credit

“Dual Credit” is a system under which an eligible high school junior or senior enrolls in college courses and receives credit for the courses from both the college and high school. Dual credit courses may be taught on the high school campus by an approved instructor or on the college campus. Dual credit courses include both academic and technical courses.  For more information about dual credit in Texas, read the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board Fact Sheet on Dual Credit.  In other states, ask your school’s principal for more information.

Need Additional Help?

If you or your student need additional help applying these concepts, contact us at 817.421.8780 to discuss educational consultation, Student Success or other services that might be helpful.

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(c) 2010-2014, Monte W. Davenport, Ph.D.