Dear Students & Parents

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There is some important information that you need to know about the Advanced Placement Program. First of all, it is rather inflexible with regard to the topics covered. The new course outline covers four Big Ideas, and seven Scientific Practices, and the document outlining the details of these is almost two hundred pages long. This class is designed to take the place of an introductory college biology course for science majors. I want you to know that I plan to teach the course to cover the content that the College Board has set forth. On the May morning of the AP exam, a date determined by the College Board, your child will have the opportunity to take the Advanced Placement Biology Examination. The tests will be graded under the direction of the College Board, with scores ranging from 1 to 5. Colleges generally grant credit for scores of 3, 4, or 5, but it is up to the discretion of the participating colleges. Any student wishing to receive college credit for this course MUST check with his or her prospective college NOW to determine what will be accepted for credit. Success on the AP exam is directly proportional to the amount of time and effort the student devotes to this course. You should expect your child to spend about 45 to 90 minutes per night on Biology. Just as with a college course, all students will receive a syllabus with reading and video assignments. Encourage your teen to keep on top of their work. It is almost impossible to catch up if he/she falls behind. I am available for help, both in my classroom and via email. I will also encourage you and your student to review their success in their Chemistry class, because that is a strong indicator of their success in an AP science course. If your student struggled through Chemistry class, then they will need to put a serious amount of additional work outside of class in to be successful in passing this college-level course.

                Although AP Biology is demanding, it is also very rewarding for the students. Students take AP Biology for a number of reasons: to show prospective colleges that they are willing to challenge themselves academically, to receive college credit for a class that they have no desire to take in college, to get a firm foundation in a subject that they will study in much more depth in college, to get a taste of what is involved in a pre-med or pre-vet course of study, or to take a required college subject in a much more personal setting than many large universities provide. Some students may have no intention of studying science in college due to other interests, but may be willing to dedicate the time to learning more while still in high school. We will work very hard, but we usually have fun.