What is PreAP?

(from www.collegeboard.com)

What is the Pre-AP concept?

• Pre-AP is a concerted effort to fulfill the College Board mission to champion educational excellence for all students.

• Pre-AP prepares growing numbers of students, especially those traditionally underrepresented in AP courses, for the challenges offered by the Advanced Placement Program.

•  Pre-AP teaches and reinforces crucial academic skills in the greatest possible number of students, beginning in the elementary and middle school years.

• Pre-AP enables a broader segment of the student population to benefit from a rich and rigorous curriculum.

What characterizes successful Pre-AP programs?

• Sustained emphasis on promoting the essential academic habits of mind necessary for success in the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program.

• Creation of AP Vertical Teams of teachers within specific subject areas, committed to improving student preparation through increased     teacher-to-teacher communication and vertical alignment of the curriculum.

• Strong administrative, parental and community support.

• Inclusion of the academic strengths and interests of local teachers and students.

• Locally developed methods to determine students’ progress towards Advanced Placement standards.

• Local developed strategies to provide school-based support for traditionally underrepresented students pursuing AP courses.

A word about AP

The College Board’s Advanced Placement Program offers motivated high school students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while in high school.  These courses are taught by high school teachers, who utilize course descriptions developed by committees of university professors and experienced AP teachers.  Currently, the AP Program includes 32 courses in 19 disciplines.

Each spring, students are offered the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills on subject-specific AP Examinations.  Successful completion of and AP Exam can result in college credit, advanced standing, or both, depending on the college or university a student chooses to attend.