college credit options

Advanced Placement (AP) is a program of college-level courses coupled with national standardized examinations for currently enrolled secondary school students. The Francis Howell School District, the College Board and the Educational Testing Service provide this opportunity for students to earn college credit while still in high school.

Students who enroll in an AP course have the option, in May of each year, to take the standardized AP credit examination. AP college credit can only be attained as a result of a successful score on the standardized examination. High school graduation credit will be awarded upon successful completion of the course regardless of whether or not the standardized examination is taken. Students scoring a 3 or higher on an Advanced Placement exam and attending a public Missouri college or university will be awarded college credit in the associated course by that college or university.

In the fall, students must pay a fee for each AP examination as charged by the College Board and Educational Testing Service. Please check with your counselor for a list of the current Advanced Placement (AP) courses offered at your high school. All AP courses are awarded Honor Points. Please remember to carefully read all of the information contained in the Honors Program section of the Course Description Guide.

It is important to note that even though a course is offered, the course might not actually run due to the number of students or due to the qualifications of the staff. In some limited cases, if an AP class cannot run in one high school, students might be able to take an AP course at another high school site by driving to that campus.

The following AP courses may be offered at each high school site:

• AP Art and Design

• AP Economics

• AP Human Geography

• AP Research

• AP Art History

• AP English Language and Culture

• AP Music Theory

• AP Seminar

• AP Biology

• AP English Literature and Composition

• AP Physics I

• AP Statistics

• AP Calculus AB

• AP Environmental Science (online)

• AP Physics II

• AP US History

• AP Calculus BC

• AP European History

• AP PLTW Computer Science A

• AP World History

• AP Chemistry

• AP Government and Politics

• AP PLTW Computer Science Principles

• AP World Language and Culture

Through the MoBAP ACHIEVE program, students in some FHSD classes can earn college credit by taking and passing a set of university-created exams or assessments. Assessments most commonly are in the form of exams, but they can also be in the form of papers, essays, projects, labs, and final exams. Students will be required to complete three assessments for a 3-hour course, four assessments for a 4-hour course, or 5 assessments for a 5-hour course. The assessment score average will determine the final letter grade that will appear on the transcript. Course offerings at the FHSD high schools can fluctuate year to year. As such, students who are interested in taking college credit courses through MoBAP Achieve should check with their school counselor.

Courses that have previously been offered through MoBAP Achieve include:

• Algebra 3

• AP European History

• AP Music Theory

• Black History

• Math Analysis

• Pre-Calculus Honors

The Advanced Credit Program (ACP) at UMSL is a dual credit program as defined by the Missouri Department of Higher Education. This program offers students the opportunity to earn college credits and become familiar with the college experience while still in a high school setting. Students in these classes earn college credit if they earn a grade of “C” or higher. Course offerings at the FHSD high schools can fluctuate year to year. As such, students who are interested in taking college credit courses through the UMSL Advanced Credit Program should check with their school counselor. Courses that have previously been offered through the UMSL Advanced Credit Program include:

• AP Calculus AB

• AP Calculus BC

• AP French

• AP German

• AP Modern World History

• AP Spanish

• Child Development 2

• Child Development 3

• Digital Art and Design 1

• Digital Art and Design 2

• Honors French 3

• Honors French 4

• Honors German 3

• Honors German 4

• Honors Spanish 3

• Honors Spanish 4

• Journalism

• Newspaper Production

• Pathway to Teaching Careers

• Pathway to Teaching Careers Internship

• Yearbook Production

The Francis Howell School District is proud to partner with Saint Charles Community College (SCC) to offer the Early College Program to students at all FHSD high schools. The Early College Program offers high school students an opportunity to earn transferable college credits while still enrolled in high school. The program allows students to take classes on campus at SCC. Beginning in a student’s junior year, students may enroll in Lanes 1 and 2 of the Early College Program and replace part or all of their traditional high school course schedule. Students in grades 9-12 may enroll in Lane 3, which will allow them to take 1-3 classes at a time. All three lanes are described below. While enrolled in the Early College Program, students will take college coursework with textbooks and curriculum taught by SCC professors. Students can earn enough credits to complete part or all of an Associate’s Degree while concurrently earning a high school diploma. The Early College Program will consist of 3 “Lanes” of course offerings at SCC. Visit the District’s Early College Program page to learn more.

Students who complete Project Lead The Way (PLTW) courses have the option of earning college credit provided that students meet criteria established by universities. Students are strongly encouraged to contact prospective universities to find out if they award credit for PLTW courses. Furthermore, students pursuing this option should check with their prospective universities to see how credits would transfer. Students are encouraged to visit https://www.pltw.org/experience-pltw/student-opportunities to search for colleges and universities that award credit.

Saint Charles County CAPS has a partnership with Lindenwood University to provide CAPS students the opportunity to earn college credits while completing their high school requirements through concurrent enrollment.

College Credit Offered Through Lindenwood University ($65 per credit hour):

• CAPS Global Business/Entrepreneurship

• CAPS Healthcare

• CAPS Technology Solutions