Royal Oak Schools Expands Advanced Placement Program

Expansion of the Royal Oak Schools Advanced Placement (AP) Program was approved by the district’s Board of Education at its recent meeting. The number of AP courses available at Royal Oak High School (ROHS) will increase to 13 next year with the addition of three new AP courses.   These new AP offerings will be  available to ROHS students beginning in the Fall of 2014.

AP Microeconomics will be offered for the first time.  For many years, Royal Oak has offered AP American Government and Politics, a one semester course targeted for enrollment by 10th grade students.  The addition of AP Econ will be an ideal complement, as a one-semester course, for students already exposed to the high expectations and rigor of AP Government and Politics.  "We are very excited about expanding Advanced Placement opportunities for our students,” said  ROHS Social Studies Department Leader Alec Snyder.  “Our school is committed to increasing the number of students who are 'college-ready', and our AP course offerings help us accomplish this goal."

Royal Oak is also re-aligning its AP Physics offerings. The high school will now offer AP Physics 1 and 2, a two-year sequence, which typically follows a student’s completion of Biology and Chemistry.   The College Board, which establishes standards for AP courses, has redesigned the current AP Physics course, AP Physics B, to become this two-year program.  These changes encourage high school juniors to select AP Physics 1.  They can then proceed to take AP Physics 2 during their senior year.

All AP courses are offered on-site at Royal Oak High School, where students have access to the many activities and advantages of a comprehensive community based high school.  AP exams, taken each spring, qualify students to receive post-secondary academic credit.  “On a regular basis, ROHS graduates enter college and university programs with second year academic status because of the opportunities afforded them in high school,” said Superintendent Shawn Lewis-Lakin.

All AP courses are offered on-site at Royal Oak High School, where students have access to the many activities and advantages of a comprehensive community based high school. said Royal Oak Director of Instruction Sarah Olson.  “The expansion of the program will satisfy this growing demand at the high school.  The AP program at ROHS is a great opportunity for students and an incredible educational value for their families,” she explained. 

Source: Royal Oak Schools