FAQ

At JCHS, all students who are motivated, are academically prepared (have taken the required/recommended prerequisites), and are up for the challenge are encouraged to take AP courses.  

While AP classes are rigorous, that doesn’t mean you’re not up to the task. If you are willing to work hard, to manage your time, to push yourself and persevere, you should be able to succeed in an AP course.

AP students at JCHS are committed to developing and demonstrating strong work ethic skills such as: 

• Integrity - Students are expected to do their own work and never engage in behavior such as cheating or plagiarism

• Perseverance - AP courses are college-level courses in terms of content, skills, and expectations.  As AP courses are very challenging, students are expected to push through and not give up while holding themselves to a high standard.  

• Resiliency - Due to the challenging nature of AP courses, students are expected to demonstrate a growth mindset and be able to bounce back from adversity. 

• Resourcefulness - Students are expected to utilize the resources available to them in order to reinforce class content.  They should be able to determine what are reliable and credible sources to draw information from while maintaining academic integrity.

• Self-advocacy - Students are expected to take it upon themselves to approach the teacher about any needs, questions, or concerns they may have.  

• Self-directed learning - All AP classes require students to do work outside of class time.  Students must learn to manage and prioritize their time to complete all course work, study for the course, and ultimately be successful in an AP class.

• Self-reflection - AP students are expected to frequently reflect on their performance and make adjustments to their work ethic and/or study habits to ensure continuous improvement. 

• Strong reading and analytical ability - All AP courses include college-level reading.  Students are not only expected to read and understand the content, but apply their knowledge. 

• Punctuality - Students are expected to attend and be on time to every class to ensure they do not miss out on classwork and/or discussions.  Students are also expected to submit assignments/projects on time.

1. AP is for all students–but you should be ready.  You don’t need to be top of your class to be an AP student, but you’ll want to be prepared for the AP course you choose. Some AP classes have recommended courses you should take first, and all AP courses ask that you come willing to do your best work.

2. Consider your interests.  Think about what your personal interests are.  Selecting AP courses that align with your interests will help you to persevere, especially when the work is challenging.  

3. Consider your high school goals.  Many AP classes can fulfill high school graduation requirements as well as satisfy requirements for honors recognition diplomas.  

4. Consider your academic and career goals.  Think about your potential college majors and careers.  Selecting AP courses that align with those goals could help you to save time and money in college and put you on the path towards achieving your career.  

5. Check which courses could earn you college credit.  Use the AP Credit Policy Search search tool. Search by course or by institution to see the college credit or advanced placement you could earn with qualifying AP Exam scores.

AP classes at JCHS are scheduled in one of two ways: 

1. A/B Classes – Meets every other day for the whole year.   AP classes on an A/B block must be scheduled back to back with either another AP course or a “Stretch” class

   • “Stretch” Classes – non-AP classes that meet every other day for the whole year and are paired with AP classes on an A/B block.  These courses help round out schedules and give students an option to take an odd number (1, 3, etc.) of AP courses.

2. Everyday Classes – Meets every day for the whole year (AP class paired with a specific non-AP class)

   • Two classes scheduled concurrently to allow additional class time:

     •  for labs (science and computer science classes)

     • to provide support for students who desire the rigor and challenge of a college-level class, but may not have taken any accelerated coursework in the past 

     • when department analysis of performance data indicates that the everyday course schedule is best to support student success.  

   • Everyday AP classes must be taken concurrently as a pair.  

The two grade-level restricted courses offer both A/B and everyday options to provide opportunities for all students interested in those courses: AP English Language & Composition (grade 11 only), and AP English Literature & Composition (grade 12 only).  

Courses on an A/B schedule are paired together to complete the block (period).  Junior and Senior students may select their pairings.  When registering, students must select either two AP courses or an AP course and a stretch course to pair together as current school policy does not allow students to have a "hole" in their schedule.  Please refer to the AP Agreement for A/B course pairing options.  

Everyday courses are paired together and must be taken concurrently as scheduled.  The departments consider student performance data when deciding which courses to offer as everyday and which courses to offer on an A/B schedule so as to provide the best opportunity for students to be successful in those courses.      

For all courses with the AP designation, course marks are weighted for GPA (grade point average) calculation on report cards and transcripts.  

On a weighted scale an A = 5 points, B = 4 points, C = 3 points, F = 0 points.  JCHS does not have the D grade.  

To register, complete pages 7-8 of the AP Agreement, indicate the AP courses you are registering for on your Google Form Registration Card, and submit a hard copy of the AP Agreement to any current AP Teacher or Mrs. Katagiri-Hoshino (D111) by December 8, 2023.  

Note: Please pay close attention to course prerequisites, grade level restrictions, and schedule/pairing options.    

If you have questions about specific AP courses, please contact the teacher(s) of the course.  Links to teacher emails may be found on the Contact Us page. 

For questions about AP exam payments or AP Exam Testing in May, please contact Mrs. Laurie Katagiri-Hoshino, AP Coordinator.

For all other questions, please contact Mrs. Dawn Tuifua, AP Program Lead.  

Yes, all JCHS students enrolled in AP courses are expected to pay for and take the end of course AP Exam(s) as scheduled in May.    

Failure to take the AP exam in May will result in the loss of AP designation and weighted grade on transcripts as the AP course will revert to an equivalent regular course.  In the event that a directly equivalent regular course does not exist, the course will be listed as “Directed Studies” which may impact credit standing if the AP course was being used as a graduation requirement.  

We are generally able to special order and administer exams for courses that are not offered at JCHS.    Students wishing to self-study for AP Exams should enroll in the online AP course in HVLN (Hawaii Online Courses) and contact Mrs. Katagiri-Hoshino at the beginning of the school year.  Students are responsible for submitting payment for AP Exam fees by the school deadline.    

Students who choose to self-study for AP Exams will need to dedicate time beyond their regular coursework towards seeking out resources to help them learn the necessary content and develop the required skills to be successful on the AP Exams.