Pre-AP in Middle School!

Pre-AP in Middle School!

Why Pre-AP? The purpose of the Pre -AP initiative is to equip all middle and high school students with the strategies and tools they need to engage in active, highlevel learning. Pre-AP students develop advanced skills, habits of mind, and concepts they need to succeed in college.

Research during recent years has shown that students who take AP courses and participate in the accompanying AP exams actually graduate from college at a much higher rate than do students who have not taken AP courses.

118,000,000 Whoa! That s a big number, aren t you proud? The Class of 2016 earned more than $118 million in college scholarships and 41,094 hours of college credit. At an average cost of $635 per semester hour for tuition and books/supplies alone, that saved approximately $26 million!

Responsibilities of a Pre-AP Student! Strong study skills and sufficient self-motivation to persevere when faced with challenging material or a more rapid pace of instruction Proficient oral, written communications, and/or computation skills Self-discipline to plan, organize, and carry through tasks to completion Student interest and self-directed in the Pre-AP course Attend school regularly Balance between extracurricular activities and academic classes Extensive reading outside of the classroom is expected A strong support from home Family P.A.C.E. Pledge

Expectations of a Pre-AP Course Middle School Pre-AP courses at JCMS provide students the opportunity to LEARN and refine the skills necessary to successfully complete an Advanced Placement (AP) course in high school. With proper dedication by the student, Pre-AP classes will prepare them for the AP exams that may lead to college credit.

Once they are enrolled in the Pre-AP course, what is expected? Attend tutorials/interventions, as needed Dedicate appropriate time for studies and assignments Complete and submit all assignments Including all reading assigned outside of the classroom. (flipped class) Demonstrate academic integrity

Students will be closely monitored and counseled about their progress and will receive consultation about the prospect of removal *Parent conference is a required component of the above

Pre-AP Offerings in MS What Pre-AP courses are available at Connally for the current school year? Language Arts (6 th, 7 th, 8 th ) Math (6 th, 7 th, Algebra I in 8 th ) Science (7 th, 8 th ) Social Studies (7 th, 8 th )

Frequently asked Questions Are all Pre-AP classes the same? There are some differences in the expectations between content areas. Pre-AP Math and Algebra I are accelerated curriculum programs with the content different than the on-grade-level math course. In order to accelerate through the curriculum to take an AP math course in high school, students must learn more math content in middle school, with the possibility of high school credit in 8th grade for Algebra I. English, science, and social studies courses are taught on-grade-level with increased rigor and academic expectations. These differences are designed to prepare students for future participation in high school level AP courses.

Frequently asked Questions If a student is enrolled in a Pre-AP class, can the student still be in GT? All GT courses at Connally are Pre-AP, not all Pre-AP are GT. GT courses are selected by the student based on academic strengths and choice. ELA, Science, Social Studies GT/Pre-AP courses are taught with even more rigor, more depth and requires a presentation of the Middle School Innovation Project (MSIP). GT/Pre-AP courses are flipped classes, by design, and also require time outside of the class.

Frequently asked Questions What is the difference between a Pre-AP and a non- Pre-AP class? Pre-AP classes : are more challenging are faster pace require more in-depth classroom discussions are heavy in intensified vocabulary have increased required reading have greater academic expectations on assignments include the expectation of 85% or better on exams The curricula for both Pre-AP and Advanced courses are based on the TEKS, or Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills Project based learning Flipped classes Greater student responsibility and accountability The need for effective time management

Who can I talk to? First, please talk to your student to get them involved with their schedule Counselors: Melynn Young Veronica Chavez Adrianna Nieto Department Coordinators: ELA: Melissa Estrada Math: Maria Arellano Social Studies: Katy Korzekwa Science: Patricia Quijano GT: Stacy Carroll, Stacy Skinner

thanks! Any questions?