Some of our graduates are able to begin post-secondary education at colleges and universities as sophomores or juniors, thanks to Advanced Placement (AP) courses they completed in high school.
The Sioux Falls School District offers a wide array of AP classes, such as composition, history, geography, chemistry, calculus, statistics, biology, physics, environmental science, Spanish, music theory, macroeconomics, government, psychology and studio art. Curriculum for each college-level course is approved by the College Board, and when students score a “passing” grade – a 3 or higher on a 5 point scale – on the final exam, they can potentially earn college credit for the class, depending on what school they are attending.
Aside from the time saved when students can cross these subjects off their mandatory college course list, there is also the monetary advantage. The only cost for an AP course is the cost of the exam (which is optional for students, but necessary to receive any kind of post-secondary credit), $87… a fraction of the cost of a 3-credit course at college. Even then, financial assistance for testing costs is available from the State, College Board, and the Sioux Falls School District for students who have financial need.
These are huge reasons for interest in AP courses, but they are not the most important one. Teachers and graduates agree that the rigor of the courses, a real-life introduction to college, is what is most beneficial for students’ futures. Some prestigious colleges and universities in the country may not take the credits from a passing AP exam score, but do require AP courses as a part of a transcript anyway, as proof students are willing to challenge themselves and then are able to rise to complete that challenge.
Sioux Falls students are completing that challenge in higher numbers. During the 2011-12 school year, 2,142 AP exams were taken by District students, up 165 over the previous year. High schools suggest that every student take at least one AP course during their high school career, so while numbers and the catalog of courses grow, so does the diversity of students taking AP classes.
And, like on so many other benchmarks, our students exceed the state and national averages when it comes to passing AP exams. While nationally the pass rate is 58.8 % , and in South Dakota the rate is 65.9 %, in Sioux Falls Public Schools the rate is 70 %.
And the state can, in large part, thank Sioux Falls students for its higher-than-national-average score. While Sioux Falls students make up only about 16% of the total student population in the state, they take 46.7% of all AP exams in the state.
Our outstanding AP program is one large reason we have as many out-of-district open enrollments as we do. There are courses for virtually every student and every interest, and with the amazing teachers we have to lead these classes, more and more students will continue to reap the benefits of taking college courses in high school.
Click here for a video with more information about Sioux Falls’ AP Courses.
