At Radford High School, students have the opportunity to extend and enhance their learning by taking advanced classes. Students are able to take dual enrollment classes, Advanced Placement classes, and/or attend academic year and summer residential governor's school. Information on each of those offerings can be found below.
Dual enrollment courses offered at Radford High School are classes that count both towards a high school diploma and college credit through New River Community College. Dual enrollment courses are taught at the level of a college course, increasing expectations for performance and rigor.
Dual enrollment courses being taught for the 2024-2025 school year are:
DE English 11 and 12
DE US History
Precalculus
Applied Calculus
Calculus I/Calculus II
Precision Machining
Advanced Placement classes give students the opportunity to access college-level material and rigor while still in high school. Students take the course, and an optional, corresponding exam is offered once a year. AP courses on college transcripts show a student's dedication to challenging themselves in school and a readiness for college-level work. With qualifying scores on the exam, students have the opportunity to earn college credit.
AP courses being taught for the 2019-2020 school year are:
AP Art
Various Virtual Virginia online AP courses
AP exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Many U.S. colleges offer credit for AP Exam scores of 3 or higher.
AP Exams are administered at Radford High School. The schedule for exams is posted here. There is a fee for exams, but fee reductions and waivers are available for qualifying students. Please click the links below for information.
View this video to see past winners of CollegeBoards scholarship programs. Then, go to the link below to see how you can earn a chance at scholarships through the CollegeBoard by completing simple steps along your college planning journey. More info can be found at https://opportunity.collegeboard.org/
Each year, Radford High School sends six students (three juniors and three seniors) to the Southwest Virginia Governor's School located in Pulaski, VA. SWVGS provides students with an opportunity to take on site classes in math and science that are taught at an accelerated pace and enrich student's learning. Students earn college credits for their courses at either New River Community College or Radford University. An overview of SWVGS and its course offerings can be accessed through the links below.
Interested students must follow the following procedure:
Current sophomores will attend an interest meeting during the school day with the Governor’s School liaison and SWVGS representatives, and current sophomores and their parents will attend an interest meeting again that evening. (date TBA)
Interested students will go on a tour of SWVGS with the Governor’s School liaison. Students must have a signed permission slip. Permission slips are located in the office. Parents may also attend this tour. (date TBA)
Applications are distributed at the end of the tour. They may also be printed from the SWVGS website. Applications are also available in the link below.
Applications are turned in to the Governor’s School liaison. (date TBA)
The Governor’s School liaison administers additional testing and records the results on the student matrix. The Governor’s School liaison calls a meeting of the selection committee and presents information to the committee anonymously. The committee is composed of members selected by the principal, and the Governor’s School liaison is a non-voting member of the committee.
The Governor’s School liaison meets individually with each student who applied to share with them their results, and letters are mailed to students who are selected to attend, to students who are selected as alternates, and to students who are deemed not eligible to attend SWVGS. Unless a student notifies the Governor’s School liaison otherwise within five days after receiving notification of acceptance, names and applications of selected students are sent to SWVGS.
Each summer, the VDOE offers residential governor's school programs in various disciplines at universities across Virginia. Juniors and seniors live on a college or university campus for up to four weeks to experience an intense immersion in a field of their choice. From the VDOE:
"During this time, students are involved in classroom and laboratory work, field studies, research, individual and group projects and performances, and seminars with noted scholars, visiting artists, and other professionals. In the three mentorships, students are selected to work side-by-side with research scientists, physicians, and a variety of other professionals. A director and a student-life staff provide supervision of students 24 hours a day, throughout the program."
To find more information, access the link below. The application for this opportunity will be posted as soon as the VDOE releases this year's form.
For additional summer opportunities, check out the Governor's Foreign Language Academies by clicking the link.