Dear Parents and Students,
We want to share with you some changes that have been made to the AP program.
To begin with, starting with the Fall of 2019, all students taking an AP class should plan to take the AP exam in May. This decision comes from research which shows students get more out of the AP class when they have a goal and purpose while taking the AP class. The goal is to do well on the AP exam. AP classes are some of the most rigorous offered at Tolton and students can earn college credit and placement for a good performance on the AP exam. AP classes also can provide deeper content to carry forth into college, regardless of the test score.
Students who wish to continue in an AP class and not sign up for the exam will have the class relisted on their transcript as an unweighted class without the AP tag. That means there will not be a GPA weight applied. Doing well on the AP test requires a commitment on a steady basis throughout the school year versus just earning good grades in a class.
Recent policy changes will require registrations to be done in the fall, with a deadline of November 1, 2019. Parents should budget for the $94 per exam fee which will be due by the November deadline. If students qualify under Tolton’s free and reduced lunch program, Mr. Scherrer will work to get fee waivers for those students to reduce the financial burden.
This schedule shows the dates and times of the AP exams in May. Please block out those dates.
https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/courses/exam-dates-and-fees/exam-dates-2020
Also note that there is a change to the spring final exams for seniors. Senior privilege for the past 3 years has included an out for seniors taking final exams during the spring semester. Because AP exam scores are not returned until July, well after report cards are completed, seniors will be required to take final exams. This gives students another opportunity to show their knowledge and possibly raise their class grades.
We hope these courses will provide rigor and challenge for students who want to adequately prepare for their college experience. Please contact Mr. Scherer if you have questions about the AP courses.
God bless you,
Mrs. Gwenn Roche, Principal
Mr. Tim Scherrer, Academic Dean
