Can you give me a simple description of your program? 

At Shadow Mountain High School, we are excited to announce an AP program for gifted students unlike any other.  The D.A.A.P.S. (Digital Academy for Advanced Placement Scholars) program at Shadow Mountain High School is an advanced course for incoming freshmen looking for a challenge with academically like-minded students. Students in this program will participate in AP classes during their first year of high school, and the History/English classes are taught together in a block format -- students will earn three 5.0 credits in this two period block (because students pick up an extra credit each year, it is possible to graduate early).  Over the course of this program, students can earn 30+ college credits.  Also, the district has made technology available daily in class; we use this technology as preparation for college-level work.   If you have any questions, you may contact Kevin Storey at kstorey@pvschools.net . We also have a wonderful facility on campus that is available for tours.  

What are you about?

Our focus is making students analytical readers and grammatically-sound, persuasive writers.  We try to eliminate busy work, and we do everything we can to assist their reading and writing abilities. Also, because the classes are smaller (usually no larger than 30),  we do quite a bit in the way of presenting and speaking.  It is an exciting, collaborative environment. 

What is the students’ schedules like? 

We try to make our courses rigorous while giving students the freedom and flexibility to participate in everything Shadow Mountain offers.  Shadow has a wide offering of clubs, sports, performing arts, and ROTC -- we want students to follow their passions.  Because of this, our block schedule of two humanities classes is all that we require; we encourage our students to take AP and honors courses in the other subjects, but they are not required to do so.  Therefore, each student’s schedule is crafted to fit their needs, and the only piece that is required is the two-period humanities block.  Our current students are involved in just about everything on campus; we have students in Student Government, Band, North Valley Arts Academy, JROTC, Choir, Drama, Athletics, AVID, and many of the clubs we offer.

If I meet the criteria, am I guaranteed admission in the program?

While the primary requirement is to meet the qualifications of the program, class size and available space are critical factors as well. It is possible to meet the criteria for admission, but not be admitted due to available space in the program. 

What will my student take in DAAPS during the four years? 

Here is a breakdown of our four-year block schedule:

May my student transfer into DAAPS if they have already started high school somewhere else?  

We do allow students to transfer and join DAAPS after the freshman year. Students interested in transferring into the DAAPS program after the 9th grade year must complete the application at the following link: DAAPS Application. Understand that, due to the nature of the accelerated program in the first year, that there may be graduation credits that students must complete on their own through summer school or online. It will be up to the individual student to work with the Guidance Department to be certain of meeting all the graduation requirements outside of the DAAPS program.

How do I apply? 

Our application is simple and entirely digital. Don't hesitate to email if you have any questions.