Advanced Placement Courses
In May 2008 forty-four Tree of Life junior and senior students will take AP course exams in one of five subjects (Calculus, Literature, Government, European History, and Chemistry). Last year twenty-seven students took exams in Calculus, Literature, and Government and excelled with a passage rate of 93%, meaning these students earned a three or higher (up to a five) on the test and earned college credit for the course. Nationally 50-60% of students pass the AP exams in these subjects.
In 2007 Tree expanded their AP course offerings from two courses (Calculus and Literature) to five courses. With the expansion of AP courses came the opportunity for students to earn AP Scholar awards. In these two years of developing new AP courses, our teachers and students have excelled. Nine students have already been named AP Scholars. The criterion for earning this honor includes passing three or more AP course exams. Of our nine graduates to receive this honor, 4 were AP Scholars (earning a 3 or better on 3 different AP tests), 3 were AP Scholars with Honors (earning a 3 or better on 4 AP tests with a 3.25 average score overall), and 2 received the highest commendation, AP Scholar with Distinction (earning a 3 or better on 5 AP tests with a 3.5 average score overall). These results are remarkable in the sense that Tree only offers five AP courses and in two years, two students took all five courses and exams and succeeded in all five at a high level. A successful AP program does not require one excellent AP teacher but requires an excellent department of teachers who prepare students for AP courses as they mature through high school. Congratulations to the students who have diligently studied and to all of the teachers who have inspired them.