Accelerated and Advanced Placement (AP)

The Accelerated and Advanced Placement (AP) programs provide a rigorous curriculum for students who select a more challenging course of study. Accelerated courses are designed to lay the foundations for Advanced Placement courses. Advanced Placement is a cooperative educational program between secondary schools and colleges/universities. AP courses use college-level curricula to prepare students for the AP exams, which are offered annually in May at a cost of $99 per exam. AP Reseach and AP Seminar exams cost $147 per exam. A student who earns a score of 3 or better on an AP exam will generally receive credit for the equivalent course at one of the 2,000 colleges and universities that give credit for AP exams. The Sioux Falls School District expects students to take the AP exam as a part of the AP course.

AP exams are a significant part of the AP program, but not the only part. Students can benefit from taking AP courses by learning a subject in greater depth, developing skills that are critical to successful study in college, demonstrating to colleges their willingness to undertake a challenging course. Listed below are the Accelerated and AP courses that are offered and the recommended sequence in which to take the course. Students may elect to take an AP course even if they have not had any previous accelerated courses.

Programs Offered

Accelerated and Advanced Placement Course Offerings

Art

  • AP Studio Art: Drawing

  • AP Studio Art: 2-D Design

  • AP Studio Art: 3-D Design

Capstone

  • AP Seminar

  • AP Research

Computer Science

  • AP Computer Science Principles

  • AP Computer Science

Language Arts

  • Accelerated English I

  • Accelerated English II

  • AP English Language & Comp.

  • AP English Literature & Comp.

Mathematics

  • Accelerated Geometry

  • Accelerated Algebra II

  • AP Statistics

  • Accelerated Pre Calc

  • AP Calculus

Music

  • AP Music Theory

Science

  • Accelerated Chemistry

  • AP Biology

  • AP Chemistry

  • AP Physics I & II

  • AP Environmental Science

Social Science

  • AP World History

  • AP Human Geography

  • AP MacroEconomics

  • AP United States History

  • AP Government

  • AP Psychology

  • AP African American Studies

World Languages

  • AP Spanish Language & Culture

  • AP Spanish Literature & Culture

  • AP Latin

AP Achievement Award Requirements

(formerly known as the Sioux Falls School District AP Scholar)

High school seniors must have earned a minimum weighted GPA of 3.5 through the first semester of their senior year, have taken AP classes in three disciplines offering AP courses, and have attempted three exams to receive AP Achievement Award diploma recognition.

AP Scholar Award Requirements

AP Scholar
Granted to students who receive a score of 3 or higher on three or more AP Exams.

AP Scholar with Honors
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.25 on all AP Exams taken, and a score of 3 on four or more of these exams.

AP Scholar with Distinction
Granted to students who receive an average score of at least 3.5 on all AP Exams taken, and scores of 3 or higher on five or more of these exams.

AP Capstone Diploma
Earned scores of 3 or higher on AP Seminar and AP Research and 4 additional AP exams.