12-13 Course Catalog - Oconee County Schools

Advanced Placement Program (AP)
Related Information
Developed by the College Board, the Advanced Placement (AP) Program is a cooperative
educational endeavor between high schools and colleges and universities. Oconee County High
School offers numerous Advanced Placement courses representing Language Arts, Mathematics,
Science, Social Studies, Foreign Language, Visual Arts, and Computer Science. These courses
are designed to display the rigor of a college or university course, and many colleges and
universities award credit for specific levels of performance on the AP exams which are given
each May. These exams are evaluated on a scale of 1-5, with a 5 being the highest score
possible. Most colleges and universities award college credit to students who achieve a score of
3 or higher. In some cases, a score of 4 or 5 can result in a student receiving credit for more than
one college course.
Students interested in AP courses should contact the college or university in which they
plan to apply to determine if the college accepts AP credits. Even for the student who does
not score high enough on the AP exam to earn college credit, there is the benefit of exposure to
the rigor of demanding course work in preparation for college. In addition, AP courses on a
student’s high school transcript are very attractive in the college admission process.
Enrollment is open to all qualified students, and interested students should contact an instructor
or counselor for more information. Students who enroll should demonstrate a record of
academic achievement and motivation and be willing to commit to all of the requirements of an
AP course. Students at OCHS must also sign a contract that commits them to the course at
enrollment.
Information about AP courses can also be found by visiting the AP/College Board website at
www.apcentral.collegeboard.com.
Extended Academic Programs
Students in the Oconee County School System may take advantage of two extended learning
opportunities, Credit Recovery and Course Recovery. These opportunities are offered several
different times during the school year for students who fail certain courses. Please see your
guidance counselor or an administrator for more information.
Georgia Virtual School (GAVS)
Georgia Virtual School offers a wide variety of Internet-based courses to Georgia high school
students. The program continues to increase its course offerings in a variety of areas, including
core, Advanced Placement, and elective courses. These classes are offered in both block and
semester formats on various schedules to meet the differing course offering and scheduling needs
of local school districts. All courses are developed by trained, highly-qualified teachers, and
Georgia Virtual School instructors are all highly-qualified teachers who are trained to teach in
the online learning environment.
9