EIPS Advanced Placement Program Provides Advanced Opportunities

Bev Facey Community High students in the Advanced Placement program perform a strawberry DNA extraction lab.

Sherwood Park, AB. — The Advanced Placement (AP) program at Elk Island Public Schools (EIPS) empowers high school students in gaining a head start on their academic journey. “The AP program has provided me with the opportunity to learn in an engaging environment with other ambitious students,” says Michael Chen, an AP student in Grade 11 at Bev Facey Community High. “The AP curriculum adds more in-depth and interesting content for students with post-secondary aspirations. Specifically, the AP Capstone program has prepared me for post-secondary research and writing.”

AP is an internationally recognized and academically rigorous program that allows high school students to receive credit and advanced placement at every English-speaking university within Canada and nearly all colleges and universities in the United States. AP can be used for admissions, credit or both in 450 institutions across 75 other countries and regions around the world.

“AP courses not only push students to achieve higher levels of academic excellence but also act as a pathway to a future with intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and a deep grasp of complex subjects,” says Adam Lawlor, the AP Co-ordinator at Bev Facey Community High. “The advantages go beyond the confines of the classroom, nurturing resilience, determination and a lasting passion for learning that drives individuals toward their highest potential.”

Students follow four steps in their AP journey: sign up for an AP course, take the course, take the exam and send their score to the post-secondary institution they’ll attend. AP exams are rated on a five-point scale—typically, a score of 4 or 5 can be used as credit for many equivalent introductory courses at high-ranking universities. Several other universities and colleges also recognize a score of 3. This can allow students to skip an introductory level course and fast track their post-secondary learning. These opportunities are specific to each university and college.

EIPS students can choose from a diverse AP course list:

Art and Design
Biology
Calculus AB
Chemistry
Computer Science A
Computing Science Principles
English Language and Composition
English Literature and Composition
French Language and Culture
Music Theory
Physics 1
Physics 2
Statistics

Interested students and families are invited to attend an upcoming AP information session:

Advanced Placement Information Session:
Date: Jan. 25, 2024
Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Bev Facey Community High
99 Colwill Blvd., Sherwood Park, AB

The AP program is currently offered from grades 10-12 at Bev Facey Community High. New and returning students may apply to the AP program during the registration process beginning in February. For key registration dates, see the EIPS Guide to Registration 2024-25.

Elk Island Public Schools is one of Alberta’s largest school divisions, serving approximately 17,750 students in 42 schools. We are proud to be an integral part of our communities, including Sherwood Park, Fort Saskatchewan, Vegreville, Strathcona and Lamont counties, and the western portion of the County of Minburn.

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For more information contact:
Laura McNabb, Director, Communication Services, EIPS 780-417-8204 cell 780-405-4902