Advanced Placement Program
AP courses provide excellent preparation for college-level work in addition to allowing the students to earn college credit. We are extremely proud of the growth and success of our AP program over the last years, and we know you will benefit from being a part of it and get ready for the Nation’s best Colleges and Universities. Go Orcas!
Advanced Placement ﴾AP﴿ is an acceleration opportunity administered by the College Board providing college level instruction in high school. Postsecondary credit for an AP course may be awarded to students who earn a minimum of a 3 on a 5 point scale on the corresponding AP exam. OSS is dedicated to ensuring equitable access by giving all willing and academically prepared students the opportunity to participate in AP courses. Only through a commitment to equitable preparation and access can true equity and excellence be achieved. There are many options in English, Social studies, science, world languages, math, and fine arts for students. A student enrolled in an AP course must take the corresponding AP examination. AP courses are recognized for college credit by many universities in the United States and abroad. Students are expected to meet the following requirements in order to be admitted to and complete the program.
AP Course Offerings
AP English Literature and Composition
AP English Language and Composition
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
AP Physics
AP Chemistry
AP Biology
AP World History
AP European History
AP Computer Science A
AP Computer Science A course introduces students to computer science with fundamental topics that include problem solving, design strategies, and methodologies, data structures, algorithms, analysis of potential solutions and the ethical and social implications of computing. AP Computer Science A is compatible with many CS1 courses in colleges and universities. Prerequisite: Students must have completed Geometry and Chemistry courses. The higher grade levels will be given priority when scheduling the course.
AP Environmental Science
The goal of the AP Environmental Science course is to provide students with the scientific principles, concepts, and methodologies required to understand the interrelationships of the natural world, to identify and analyze environmental problems both natural and human-made, to evaluate the relative risks associated with these problems, and to examine alternative solutions for resolving and/or preventing them. Prerequisite: Students must have completed Geometry and Chemistry courses.
AP United States Government and Politics
This course introduces students to key political ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the political culture of the United States. The course examines politically significant concepts and themes, through which students learn to apply disciplinary reasoning, assess causes and consequences of political events, and interpret data to develop evidence-based arguments.
AP Macroeconomics
AP Macroeconomics is an introductory college-level course that focuses on the principles that apply to an economic system as a whole. The course places particular emphasis on the study of national income and price-level determination; it also develops students' familiarity with economic performance measures, the financial sector, stabilization policies, economic growth, and international economics. Students learn to use graphs, charts, and data to analyze, describe, and explain economic concepts.
AP Psychology
The purpose of the AP course in Psychology is to introduce the systematic and scientific study of the behavior and mental processes of human beings and other animals. Included is a consideration of the psychological facts, principles, and phenomena associated with each of the major subfields within psychology. Students also learn about the ethics and methods psychologists use in their science and practice.
An introductory college course in psychology is generally one semester in length, with some variation among colleges. An AP course in psychology need not follow any specific college curriculum. Rather, the aim is to provide a learning experience equivalent to that obtained in most college introductory psychology courses
What Is AP Capstone?
AP Capstone™ is a College Board program that equips students with the independent research, collaborative teamwork, and communication skills that are increasingly valued by colleges. It cultivates curious, independent, and collaborative scholars and prepares them to make logical, evidence-based decisions.
AP Capstone is comprised of two AP courses — AP Seminar and AP Research — and is designed to complement and enhance the discipline-specific study in other AP courses. Participating schools can use the AP Capstone program to provide unique research opportunities for current AP students, or to expand access to AP by encouraging students to master the argument-based writing skills that the AP Capstone program develops.
Combining Scholarly Practice with Academic Intensity
AP Capstone was developed in response to feedback from higher education. The two AP Capstone courses, with their associated performance tasks, assessments, and application of research methodology, require students to:
Analyze topics through multiple lenses to construct meaning or gain understanding.
• Plan and conduct a study or investigation.
• Propose solutions to real-world problems.
• Integrate, synthesize, and make cross-curricular connections
• Plan and produce communication in various forms.
Collaborate to solve a problem.
Source: Collegeboard.org