The Advanced Placement Program (AP) is a collaborative effort between motivated students; dedicated teachers; and committed high schools, colleges, and universities. Since its inception in 1955, the Program has enabled millions of students to take college-level courses and exams, and to earn college credit or placement, while still in high school.

Most colleges and universities in the United States, as well as colleges and universities in more than 30 other countries, have an AP policy grant­ing incoming students credit, placement, or both on the basis of their AP Exam grades. Many of these institutions grant up to a full year of college credit (sophomore standing) to students who earn a sufficient number of qualifying AP grades.

Each year, an increasing number of parents, students, teachers, high schools, and colleges and universities turn to the AP Program as a model of educational excellence.

More information about the AP Program is available at the AP student site (www.collegeboard.com/apstudents).

12 AP courses in a wide variety of subject areas are available now at Staten Island Technical High School.

Each AP course has a corresponding exam that participating schools worldwide administer in May. AP Exams contain multiple-choice questions and a free-response section (either essay or problem solving). AP Exams are a culminating assessment in all AP courses and are thus an integral part of the program. As a result, many schools, such as Staten Island Technical High School, foster the expectation that students who enroll in an AP course will take the corre­sponding AP Exam.

The cost for taking the exam is presently $83.00 (cost is subject to change). There is a fee reduction available for families requiring financial support.

In the spring term of the 9th, 10th and 11th grade, students may begin applying for Advanced Placement courses for the following year. Sophomores and Juniors are also permitted to apply for College Now courses (see page 23) and Science and Humanities electives. Students who wish to apply for Advanced Placement or Science and Humanities Electives should read the following instructions:

Phase I – Student-applicants apply for their choice of courses online, via Naviance. Selection will be based on the criteria as noted in the AP / Elective Course Catalog. Throughout the Advanced Placement Selection Process, seating availability will depend on budgetary restraints, programming needs, and selection criteria. Students who do not apply online during the registration period will not be considered for any AP / Elective courses for the following school year.

Phase II – All students who qualify for any AP / Elective courses will be notified of the courses in writing. Each student, based on his/her current cumulative weighted (transcript) average, will then select up to the maximum number of AP / Elective courses, according to the table shown below. The student should also consider, in his/her selection, the core required classes for graduation that are mandatory for the upcoming school year.

Example: Bob qualifies for a total of 3 AP / Elective courses. Since Bob has a 92 average, he is eligible to accept only 2 of these 3 classes. Bob must relinquish his seat for the third AP / Elective course. If after the selection process ends, budgetary restraints cause the closure of a course section or programming conflicts prevent Bob from being enrolled in a class he picked, Bob is not guaranteed the seat he relinquished. Sophomores and juniors will not be permitted to drop lunch in order to take an Advanced Placement or Elective course.

Phase II selections will require Administrative and Guidance Counselor approval.

Phase III – As seats become available in each respective AP / Elective course at the end of Phase II, they will be offered to the next qualified student-applicant whose name appears on the waiting list and who did not receive an AP / Elective class during Phase II. The same guidelines expressed in the given example of Phase II will be in effect for the selection of Phase III students.

Phase IV –Additional vacant seats may be offered to Phase II or Phase III students who qualified, but opted out or were closed out of a course earlier.

Staten Island Technical High School participates in the St. John’s College Extension program offering college credit to juniors and seniors in selected courses. This is an excellent opportunity to gain college credits at a nominal cost. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.
Students in the following courses have an opportunity to register for college credit through their high school in both the fall and spring semesters.
The following courses have been approved for credit:

Welcome to the AP Program

Selection Criteria Explanation

AP Selection Criteria Chart

AP Biology*

AP Chemistry*

AP Physics*

Forensic Science* (Non-AP)

Biotechnology and Molecular Sciences (Non-AP)

AP English Language and Composition

AP English Literature and Composition*

College Creative Writing* (Non-AP)

AP World History*

AP United States History

AP United States Government and Politics

AP Macroeconomics

AP Russian

AP Calculus AB and BC

Welcome to the College Now Program

College Now Course Descriptions