Every single high school individual is capable of academic success. Community High School District 117 will be adopting a new academic philosophy that leads to a push for more students to take an Advanced Placement (AP) class.

Written in the 2014-2015 Curriculum Guide, D117’s new philosophy encourages students to sign up for one AP class in the four years of their high school career. Students will have the liberty of choosing their AP class depending on their academic advantages. The goal being to have students challenge themselves with the rigor expected of an AP class.

“[AP is] offered to every student but it’s not something that we coach every student into. We’d like to start having conversations with our freshmen and say that our courses next year will be 21 AP offerings and which course will they be best in. It would be more of a coaching process. They just need to tell us where [they want] to be,” said Antioch Community High School Principal Bradford Hubbard.

The new philosophy will open up opportunities for students to challenge themselves in and out of the classroom. If a student were to think that taking an AP class would be too difficult, they will have the option to opt-out. The process involves a series of communication between the teacher of the AP class, the student, principal and the student’s guardians.

A benefit to an AP class is the ability to potentially receive college credit by taking an AP Exam for the AP class they are enrolled in. Each year, towards the end of second semester, former AP students are encouraged to register for the AP Exam. The AP exam is not a requirement but highly recommended. Yet, college credit is not always guaranteed for all AP students.  Working diligently throughout the year in an AP class will lead to taking the exam, and getting a score of three to five on the test may award college credit. It is important to note, however, that, according to the College Board, some schools are reevaluating the policies for accepting AP credits.

Universities, including Ivy League institutions, do not all weigh your AP scores when determining your admission status. The AP scores can be beneficial later on, as one might be able to use a score of a four to take care of the general education prerequisites to get placed into a higher course. AP scores will not be reported until after admission. However, AP classes help in the application process because they impact the weighted college GPA.

“The philosophy shift that we’re proposing for the future is, I fundamentally and I think we fundamentally, believe that all students are capable of being successful in an AP experience. That experience prepares students for life beyond high school,” said Hubbard.