Advanced Placement (AP)

AP English Language and Composition is a college level course that cultivates critical thinking through examining a wide variety of readings. Structurally, the course will adhere to the prescribed tenets of the AP English Language and Composition course requirements. The focus of the wide variety of close reading, discussions and written responses (20 essays minimum) will be the literal what of the text, the techniques of style underlying the how and the timeless, universal connections of why.

The AP English Literature and Composition course is designed to engage students in the careful reading and critical analysis of imaginative literature. Through the close reading of selected texts, students can deepen their understanding of the ways writers use language to provide both meaning and pleasure for their readers. As they read, students should consider a work’s structure, style, and themes, as well as such smaller-scale elements as the use of figurative language, imagery, symbolism, and tone.

This course is designed for serious math students planning later study in engineering, psychology, science, sociology, business, or mathematics. Course covers college level statistics and intends to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement Exam given by College Board. Topics include exploring data, planning a study, anticipating patterns, and statistical inference.

The AP program in United States History is designed to provide students with analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. This program prepares students for immediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those of full-year introductory college courses. This accelerated survey course will cover topics from the Age of Discovery to the present. Students who enroll in the course will be expected to be highly motivated, willing to accept academic challenges and capable of moving at a fast pace. It is expected that AP US History students will take the AP exams in May.

This class involves both the study of broad, general concepts of the United States political system as well as the analysis of specific case studies. Basic concepts include Constitutional basis of US government, political ideals and behaviors, the political party system, institutions of the national government, public policy, and civil rights/liberties. This course is designed for a serious, college bound student.

AP Environmental Science is open to all students. The class will provide students with an understanding of the scientific principles that govern interrelationships in the natural world. Important environmental issues will be explored and the comparative risks of known and potential problems will be evaluated. Specific focus on finding solutions to current and future challenges will be highlighted. This course meets college entrance requirements for an algebra-based science.

This is a college level yearlong course designed to develop greater understanding of global history; the study of human interactions and their consequences throughout history. This class begins its study in ancient history and ends with an investigation of present day global relations. Students who successfully complete the course will be prepared to pass the AP World History exam, which will enable them to earn college credit.

This course introduces students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students learn to employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human socioeconomic organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their research and applications. In addition, this course will focus on reading, writing, and study skills to help prepare students to be successful in high school and beyond. AP Human Geography addresses the Common Core State Standards for History, prepares students for the Smarter Balanced State Assessments, and establishes the skills necessary for a successful progression of learning to the next grade level of Social Studies course work.

Students who qualify for free or reduced-fee lunch will have no fee for their exams. 

As IHS offers both AP and IB examinations in May students who are taking IB exams will need to check to see what testing conflicts they will run into during their registration. IB exams will have NO alternate testing dates. IHS will offer alternate testing dates for AP exams. These specific testing dates can be found at the following webpage:

AP Alternate Testing Dates

All students that are taking both AP and IB tests need to consult the IB & AP Testing schedule to identify any conflicts in testing dates. If there is a conflict that is discovered between a student's AP and IB testing they will need to indicate on their AP registration that they would like to test during the alternate testing dates. Please consult the following IB and AP testing schedule to identify conflicts.

IB & AP Testing Schedule