ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAMS  

Advanced Placement (AP) courses provide rigorous and challenging studies for highly able and potentially high-achieving students who are capable or motivated to pursue rigorous and challenging instruction. Students may enroll in individual AP courses and not in an advanced or Signature Program as a whole.

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered at many high schools in Stafford County in order to provide highly motivated students the opportunity to study at the college level. AP courses and teachers are approved by the College Board. Teachers of AP courses are required to develop and submit a course syllabus to the College Board. Course offerings vary at each school depending on demand and teachers. AP courses require extensive reading, writing, and lab assignments, as well as the completion of summer work. Students who wish to take an AP course will need to discuss AP enrollment criteria with their high school counselors. Students taking Advanced Placement classes are expected to stay in the course during the entire school year and are to take the AP exam in May. It is the responsibility of the student and/or parent to pay the exam fee by the appropriate date. Students who score high enough on the AP exam may earn college credit. Each college or university determines their own policies on acceptance of AP credits. More information on the Advanced Placement Program is available at:

• http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/Controller.jpf

SCPS GSP Commitment Statement

SCPS is committed to providing academic opportunities that are consistent with the research findings of how students learn. When a student applies for SCPS Specialty Programs, we hope their goal is to commit to a program that strives to do the following: engage students in inquiry; provide opportunities for students to experiment and analyze information critically; encourage students to make conjectures and debate their validity, and enable students to solve problems both individually and collaboratively. We are dedicated to preparing and producing All-Century Learners today for all of our tomorrows.