In 2009, exams were administered across 28 Advanced Placement (AP) subjects in the Shawnee Mission School District, which has two schools on Newsweek’s list of the Best High Schools in America. Comparatively, Free State is a close runner-up, as it will be offering 28 AP courses in the 2012-2013 school year.
Additionally, students have the option of studying courses not offered at the school independently.
AP classes are courses that seek to prepare students to score well enough on national exams to earn credit for undergraduate college classes. AP classes are typically more rigorous and time consuming than the usual required classes.
Although AP classes offer a college credit, there are more advantages than just that.
“College credit is great, but [AP classes give] students the opportunity to be in the same environment they would be in for college,” AP United States History teacher Dustin Leochner said. “It’s also a chance to really experience the college life and the work that goes with it.”
At many high schools in the United States and Canada, the AP program has a wide range of options for students to take. Although Free State offers a variety of AP classes, it does not offer some nationally popular courses as AP Psychology and AP World History.
Although AP Psychology is a no-go as of now, AP Environmental Science will be added to next year’s class offerings.
“AP Environmental Science is a career tech program,” Principal Ed West said. “It is a group of classes that helps students get an idea of a down-the-road career. I think that’s the reason why [the district] allowed it, and not AP Psychology.”
The strange part, however, is that few students even knew that AP Environmental Science existed. Finding it in the 2012-2013 course description book came as a pleasant surprise to some students who have expressed interest in the subject.
Junior Alena Ivanov has signed up for AP Environmental Science.
“I wanted to take an AP science class my senior year and the subject seems really interesting to me,” Ivanov said. “Learning about the environmental atmosphere around us is important.”
As Ivanov said, AP Environmental Science is a class that mixes biology and chemistry.
“It’s also a chance to learn about things like deforestation and things that are happening to our environment,” Ivanov said. “I think it’s really important”.
While Ivanov is interested in AP Environmental Science, teacher Dustin Leochner hopes to convince the district administration allow AP Psychology.
“At the time of the whole situation, the district was worried about the whole ninth grade transition thing,” Leochner said. “At the time, I think they had bigger fish to fry.”
However, West seems to think differently.
“I honestly think it’s a class that will have its time in the spotlight,” West said. “We have all the books, so there really isn’t much to do.”
Leochner agrees.
“Down the road, I could see AP Psychology happening; but at the same time, I don’t know,” Leochner said. “There has to be a course number, and with the intense and rigorous work, it would probably be a year-long class, which is also a big deal to work in with our students.”
