The term Advanced Academics is used to refer to courses that are, in essence, above grade level. In Milano ISD, we offer Honors courses at the high school level that are designed to prepare you for an Advanced pathway towards college and career readiness. We also offer Advanced Placement (AP) courses, as well as Dual Credit through our partnership with Blinn College. On this page, you'll find descriptions of each, as well as timely information for enrollment.
Milano ISD partners with Blinn College for dual credit course offerings. Click the following link for more information directly from Blinn: https://www.blinn.edu/dual-credit/index.html
By pursuing dual credit while in high school, students have the opportunity to earn several of their core curriculum college requirements before even receiving their high school diploma. While families do assume the financial responsibility for tuition and books, Milano provides class time during the school day for students to complete their college coursework, along with the option for a study hall, in order to assist with managing their time. College courses are more rigorous than traditional on-level courses, so students are most successful when they have complete honors courses leading up to the enrollment in dual credit.
In order to be eligible for dual credit, students must also meet TSI, or Texas Success Initiative criteria through the TSIA-2 exam. Milano HS offers this testing, and when students request to enroll in dual credit, TSI testing is one of the first things to happen. For more information, see the following page: https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/students/prepare-for-accuplacer/tsia-texas-success-initiative-assessment
Each year, we offer courses at the Advanced Placement level. These courses do receive weighted credit toward GPA calculation, and the curriculum is endorsed by College Board, who manages the International Advanced Placement program. The courses are very rigorous, and at the end of the year, a comprehensive exam is required by the student. Scoring a 3 or above out of a possible 5 on these exams generally allows the student to be eligible for college credit for the course. The assignment of credit is always dependent upon the college the student attends, and each college develops their own guidelines for credit allowance. Please refer to the following link to learn more about the AP program from College Board. https://ap.collegeboard.org
Students wishing to enroll in AP courses must have completed applicable prerequisite courses, including core courses at the Honors level, in order to be prepared for the college level expectations set forth by College Board. Student must also have shown mastery of grade level content through success on EOC exams. The cost of the exams at the end of the year are assumed by the family, and all students enrolled in an AP course are required to complete the exam.