Academic Planning

Advanced Placement at PHS

Poway High offers a wide variety of Advanced Placement courses. As outlined by the College Board, Advanced Placement courses offer students the opportunity to take a college-level course in a high-school setting. All AP courses at Poway have been certified and audited by the College Board, and are current in their requirements and preparation.

The rigor of AP courses provides students with a setting that will prepare them for future college courses. In addition, students who score sufficiently high on the AP Exams can earn college credits for their efforts.
Students interested in enrolling in an AP course should speak to their counselor and current subject area teacher for more information. While Poway High follows the College Board's open access and equity policy, several courses involve summer coursework to prepare for the class. Information about this coursework is given during course registration in the spring trimester.

Information for Digital AP Exam Test Takers

As digital AP® Exams get closer, we want to remind you about the four steps you will need to take before you can test.

Important: The exam setup step, which loads the exam onto a student's testing computer, is time-sensitive—exam setup opens three calendar days before the exam and must be completed no later than the day before the exam.

I ask that you please participate in Digital AP Exam Practice Weekend on May 8 and 9. You should use the weekend to download the digital testing application and practice with questions inside the app. This is the best way for you to preview the exam experience and confirm that your computer will work as expected on exam day. 
 

Step 1: Download the App
Students must download and install the digital testing application on an approved device you will be using on exam day. All students must log in to the app with their College Board username and password to complete installation.
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Step 2: Use Digital Practice
Practicing with example questions in the digital testing app is the best way to prepare for digital exams. Digital practice also confirms that students' testing computers work as expected before exam day.
 
 

Step 3: Complete Exam Setup
For each digital AP Exam students take, they must complete the exam setup step in the digital testing app. This step loads the exam onto the computer they're going to test with. Completing this step is required 1–3 days before each exam. Without taking this step for each exam, students won't be able to test. Here's an exam setup overview with more information. 
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Step 4: Check In to Exam
Students are required to check in to each of their digital exams 30 minutes before the start time to complete final pre-exam checks. Make sure they know what time the exam starts in your time zone. Students can only check in on the device they used to complete exam setup.
 
 

AP  Course Information 2021-2022

AP® Course Resources for 2021-2022:​
 

AP  Testing Information 2020-2021

AP® Course Resources for 2020-2021:​
 
  • All students will be able to join a FREE online College Board AP®  Class on The College
    Board MyAP Site at http://myap.collegeboard.org once AP courses start (students will
    need a College Board Account to Join the AP® online class.)
  • Students will receive a 'Join Code' from their AP teacher to join the online group and be
    able to access instructional materials and resources as well as assignments such as review
    quizzes and tasks that teachers assign in the MyAP system. 'Join Codes' are specific to the
    subject, and PHS teacher. Teachers will be distributing these Join Codes.
  • ALL students are encouraged to complete the 'Join Code' step with the code from their
    teacher to access the FREE online resources to use throughout the course of the school
    year as a preparation and review tool.
  • Exams will only be ordered for those who complete the additional steps below.

AP® Exam Order Deadlines for 2020-2021

Click here for AP Exam Ordering Instructions
 
  • STEP 1: Activate the exam - Log into the MyAP System and activate the exam by Joining the class (see above) before the applicable deadline.
 
  • STEP 2:  Submit payment for the exam(s) that you are choosing to take by visiting http://aptsusa.com/powayhs AND complete an AP Payment Form and submit payment before the applicable deadline. 
 
  • BOTH Steps 1 and 2 MUST be completed by the applicable trimester deadline to order an AP® exam.

DEADLINE TO ORDER AN EXAM IS NOW BASED ON YOUR COURSE
START DATES.  CLICK HERE FOR AP REGISTRATION DEADLINES.  

AP EXAM FEE REDUCTIONS: Students who qualify may have a portion of their exam paid for. To apply for a fee reduction, CLICK HERE for the application, then email a scan of your application and proof that you qualify (Examples of proof: government agency documents - Dept. of Social Services/SSA, most recently filed federal income tax return, free/reduced-price meal verification letter) to johughes@powayusd.com. The qualifications can be found on page two of the application. 
AP-Reg-Dates-and-Fees-2020-2021.png​

BOTH the Payment AND Join steps MUST be completed to enable a complete exam order
 
Frequently Asked Questions:

When will the registration window be open?
  • The Exam order window for courses that start in August is Sept 15, 2020 - Oct 30, 2020. For courses that start in October/November or January, the exam order window is February 1, 2021 - March 1, 2021.
Should I join the MyAP AP Course even if I am not sure about taking the exam?
  • Yes, ALL students should complete the Join Step to access the free online resources. Students who want to take the optional exam must also submit fees. Any active exams without the matching exam fees will be automatically de-activated and will not be ordered from College Board.
What if I can't log into my College Board account? What if I drop the AP® Course(s) and no longer want to take the exam?
  • Contact cancel@aptsusa.com to cancel the exam & for a partial refund. Deadlines apply based on when your AP® course begins/ends. See http://aptsusa.com/powayhs for full details.
What if I want to add a Fall course's exam AFTER the October deadline?
  • Late registration with a penalty fee will be possible from October 31, 2020  - March 5, 2021.
What if I want to take an exam for which PHS does not offer the course?
  • Contact the PHS AP Coordinator, Ms. Brown to request permission. Independent Student requests will be considered based on space availability. Additional fees may apply.
What if you have other questions?
  • Detailed information and registration regulations as well as more FAQs are posted on http://aptsusa.com/powayhs - Be sure to review them all carefully
 

Information about Advanced Placement

  • Questions about taking Advanced Placement courses can be directed to your counselor.
  • AP Course Time Commitment Calculator - These charts will help calculate the time commitment you are signing up for when signing up for multiple AP courses.
  • AP Course FAQs - Frequently asked questions and answers regarding AP Courses at PHS.
  • AP Course Progression - AP course progression and recommendations for success in AP courses.

  • Summer Assignments - Some AP courses require summer assignments. If you are registered for an AP course in the fall, make sure you check the list for any work due the first day of class.

Advanced Placement Courses and Instructors for
2020-2021

AP Course   Current Teacher
AP Biology 3-4 Chrispeels, Arno
AP Calculus AB 1-2 Adam, Michelle
AP Calculus BC 1-2 Zeis, Kyle
AP Chemistry 3-4 Manly, Tony
AP Computer Science A 1-2 Woldseth, Kelly
AP Computer Science Principles 1-2 Woldseth, Kelly
AP English Language 1-2 (APEL)  11th grade McMillan, Katie
Rangel, Erica
AP English Literature 1-2  12th grade Graber, John
AP Environmental Science 1-2 Van Pelt, Sharla
AP European History 1-2   10th grade  Talley, Robert
AP French Language 7-8 Dugo, Milena
AP German Language 7-8 Von Ehrenstein-Smith, Marion
AP Government & Politics 1-2    12th grade Lewis, Curtis
Waasted, Jacob
AP Human Geography 1-2 McKee, Jordan
AP Physics C: Mech 1-2 Casey-O'Brien, Lisa
AP Psychology 1-2 Ambort, Breezy
Cook, Daniel
AP Spanish Language 1-2 Tovar, Julie
AP Statistics 1-2 Sebastian, Susan
AP Studio Art: 2D 1-2 (Photography) Jaffe, Aaron
AP Studio Art: 3D 1-2 (Ceramics) Parr, Todd
AP Studio Art: Drawing 1-2 Hensey, Heidi
AP U.S. History 1-2 (APUSH)   11th grade Lewis, Curtis
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