2019-2020
Alexander Central
AP Academy Student Handbook
Alexander Central High School
223 School Drive, Taylorsville, NC 28681
Table of Contents
Mission Statement and Requirements 3
Course Requirements and Course of Study 4
Service Hours and Probationary Status 5
Academic Integrity 6
Capstone Program 7
Graduation Requirements 8
AP Exam Schedule 9
Exam Scores, Events, Recognition 10
Important Contact Information 11
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Mission Statement
The ACHS AP Academy’s mission is to make AP courses available to a
larger and more diverse group of students by promoting rigorous
coursework and preparation, providing individualized support and
academic counseling to AP students, and maximizing each student’s
access to and ability to achieve success in AP courses in a wide variety
of disciplines.
Requirements
To graduate as an AP Academy student, students must:
● apply and be accepted into the Academy at the end of 8th or 9th
grade year
● successfully complete at least 7 AP courses at Alexander Central
● 10 service hours for every year they are a member of the AP
Academy
AP Academy Application Process
Students need to complete the application for AP Academy by the
specified due date. Application must be completed in full and
submitted to Andrea Robinette or Tiffany Botkins.
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AP Course Requirements
Successful completion of 7 AP Courses is required to graduate with AP
Academy distinction. Successful completion is defined as earning a “C”
or above. Two of these requirements can be fulfilled through dual
enrollment offerings.
Course of Study
Alexander Central offers 13 seated Advanced Placement courses for
students to choose from. All courses are year-long and culminate in a
College Board exam or portfolio during the month of May.
Arts: AP Music Theory
AP Studio Art
English: AP English Language & Composition
AP English Literature & Composition
AP Research
AP Seminar
Mathematics: AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
AP Statistics
Science: AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Social Studies: AP US Government & Politics
AP US History
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AP Service Hour Requirements
Students are required to complete 10 service hours for every year they
are a member of the AP Academy.
● 5 hours must be activities approved or sponsored by the AP
Academy
● Students who have not completed the required 10 hours for a
particular school year must complete remaining hours by October
1st of the following year
● Failure to do so will result in probationary status in the AP
Academy for that school year
Probation Status
Probationary status is a period of time in which the student will be
offered additional support but will not be able to participate in some AP
Academy privileges. These privileges include but are not limited to AP
Academy field trips and special recognitions. The following actions will
result in probationary status:
● Students not meeting the minimum requirements for service
hours within a given school year
● Students not earning a “C” or higher for their final grade in any
course
● Students who are in violation of the academic integrity policy
Students who are on probation for academic reasons will be required to
meet with an AP Academy appointed advisor at least once every 2
weeks until the end of the school year unless otherwise designated by
advisor.
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Academic Integrity
As an AP Academy student, you will be expected to maintain the
highest academic integrity. ACHS AP Academy students are expected to
refrain from stealing, lying, and cheating on academic work.
● Stealing is the intentional taking of any property without right or
permission.
● Lying is intentional misrepresentation of any form.
● Cheating is any practice, method, or assistance, whether explicitly
forbidden or unmentioned, that involves any degree of
dishonesty, fraud, or deceit.
● Cheating includes plagiarism, which is representing another's
ideas or words as one's own.
Students will be expected to adhere to the following honor code:
"On my honor, I have neither given nor received unauthorized
assistance regarding this work, nor will I permit it to be done by others
if within my power to prevent."
Students who are caught in violation of academic integrity policy will
not receive credit for work accomplished through dishonesty. In
addition, the parents will be notified and, as appropriate, will be
required to meet with the teacher and principal or administrative
designee. Such students may also jeopardize their standing in
extracurricular activities, honor societies, and other organizations
pursuant to the by-laws of such organizations.
6
Capstone Program
Beginning in Fall 2019, Alexander Central High School will offer AP
Capstone. Capstone is centered around 2 courses: Seminar and
Research. The College Board describes the program as “an
interdisciplinary approach to develop critical thinking, research,
collaboration, time management, and presentation skills students need
for college level work”. These courses will be taken in conjunction with
AP Language and Composition as 11th graders and AP English Literature
as 12th graders.
Capstone Certificate and Diploma
Students in the AP Academy will be eligible to graduate with either a
Capstone Certificate or a Capstone Diploma. In order to graduate with
a Certificate, students must successfully pass AP Seminar and AP
Research with a score of 3 or higher. Students who successfully pass AP
Seminar, AP Research, AND four additional exams with a 3 or higher will
graduate with a Capstone Diploma. These distinctions will make AP
Academy students highly competitive during the college admissions
process.
Support Services
Students within the Academy will have access to different levels of
support. These will include specialized Seminar groupings and lessons
within, as well as opportunities to develop relationships as a mentor
and mentee.
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North Carolina Graduation Requirements
Subject Area Requirements
English 4 Credits – English I, II, III, and IV
Mathematics 4 Credits – Math I, II, III, and a
fourth of the student’s choice
Social Studies 4 Credits – World History,
American History I and II, and
Civics & Economics
Science 3 Credits – Environmental Science,
Biology, and a physical science
Health & Physical Education 1 Credit – Health & PE
Fine Arts 1 Credit – Band, Chorus, or Visual
Arts (local requirement)
Cluster Electives 4 Credits – four courses from a CTE
cluster, NJROTC, Fine Arts, or
Academic areas
Additional Electives 7 Credits – can be any courses
offered that are not already
required for graduation
Total 28 Credits
Foreign Language 2-3 Credits – Not required to
graduate, but required for
admission to most 4 year colleges
and universities
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2019-2020 AP Exam Schedule
Week 1 Morning 8am Local Afternoon 12pm Local
Mon. May 4, 2020 US Government & Politics Physics C: Mechanics
Tues. May 5, 2020 Calculus AB German Lang. & Culture
Calculus BC Human Geography
Wed. May 6, 2020 English Literature and European History
Composition Physics 2: Algebra based
Thurs. May 7, 2020 Chemistry Japanese Lang. & Culture
Spanish Lit. & Culture Physics 1: Algebra based
Fri. May 8, 2020 US History Art History
Computer Science A
AP 2-D Art & Design and 3-D Art & Design - last day for
coordinators to submit digital portfolios (by 8pm EST) and to
gather 2-D Art & Design students for physical portfolio assembly.
Week 2 Morning 8am Local Afternoon 12pm Local
Mon. May 11, 2020 Biology Chinese Language
Environmental Science
Tues. May 12, 2020 Seminar Latin
Spanish Lan. & Culture Psychology
Wed. May 13, 2020 English Language & Microeconomics
Composition Music Theory
Thurs. May 14, 2020 Comparative Gov. & Italian Language & Culture
Politics Macroeconomics
World History - Modern
Fri. May 15, 2020 Computer Science Prin. Statistics
French Language & Culture
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AP Exam Scores
AP Exam scores are based on a scale from 1-5, with 5 being the highest.
A score of 3 is the minimum requirement to be “qualified” to receive
college credit, but some institutions require higher scores. It is the
responsibility of the student to determine what their college of interest
requires for credit. Credit policies can be searched at the AP Credit
Policy webpage.
*Beginning in Fall 2019, all members of the UNC Public School System
will recognize a score of 3 for credit.
Special Events for AP Academy
One goal of the ACHS AP Academy is to prepare the whole student for
success after high school. We will plan several special events including:
● Freshmen/Sophomore Year: College Visits
● Junior Year/Senior Year: Possible field trips include camping,
swimming at Carrigan Farms, Raleigh, or Washington, DC.
In addition, Juniors and Seniors will attend a spring banquet at a
location and time to be determined.
Recognition
AP Academy students will be recognized for their commitment to
academic rigor and excellence throughout their career and will receive
a medal at graduation.
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Important Contact Information
Alexander Central High School, 223 School Drive, Taylorsville, NC 28681
Phone: (828) 632-7063
Gordon Palmer – Principal x2310
[email protected]Andrea Robinette – Asst. Principal x2302
[email protected]Austin Allen – Counselor x2322
[email protected]Natasha Smith – Counselor (9th grade) x2225
[email protected]Lindsay Cox x2201
[email protected]Tasha Haas – Teacher x2101
[email protected]Klara Higgins - Teacher x2120
[email protected]Robbin Isenhour Stewart x2206
[email protected]Melissa Pierce – Teacher x2223
[email protected]Bill Vinson – Teacher x2220
[email protected]Patrick Watkins – Teacher x2150
[email protected]Josh Williamson x2126
[email protected]Ed Wills – Teacher x2103
[email protected] 11
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