• Advanced Placement  Program (AP)

    Advanced Placement Courses

    Through Advanced Placement (AP) courses students can do college-level work while still in high school. The courses are available to qualified, academically-oriented students. Upon completion of an AP course, students are encouraged to take the nationally administered examinations offered each May.If a student scores 3-5 on this examination, he/she may receive credit hours and/or college placement making it possible to enter college at or near sophomore status. Additional information is available through the counselors or college admissions office.

    The AP Grading System

    Each AP Exam is given an overall grade on a 5-point scale.

    5- Extremely Qualified
    4- Well Qualified
    3- Qualified
    2- Possibly Qualified
    1- No Recommendation

    The College Board states that the AP Program periodically conducts comparability studies to compare the performance of AP candidates with that of college students in the courses in which successful AP candidates will receive AP credit. AP composite score cutpoints are set so that the lowest composite score for an AP grade of 5 is equivalent to the average score for college students earning grades of A. Similarly, the lowest composite score for AP grades of 4, 3, and 2 are equivalent to the average scores for students with college grades of B, C, and D, respectively. Each college decides which AP Exam grades it will accept for credit or advanced placement or both; most accept grades of 3 and above. The procedures and standards for setting AP grades are maintained from year to year so that the value of AP grades is consistent.

    Students enrolled in an AP class in Norfolk Public Schools (NPS) earn weighted credit of .06  for grades of A, B, C, or D. AP courses are offered in all five Norfolk high schools.