Aisha Romero (’20) uses the AP Human Geography textbook to study for the AP tests coming up in May. Photo by: Aminah Khanby Aminah Khan and John Le, Staff Writers
The Huntington Beach Union High School District (HBUHSD) offers the Advanced Placement (AP) program to all schools with the exception of Ocean View High School (OVHS).
OVHS offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) program which is, unlike AP, a diploma program which requires students to follow a prescribed course schedule.
At Fountain Valley High School, there are a total of 23 different AP courses offered in seven different departments. The AP tests have a series of multiple choice questions as well as an essay and short answer section. A student can score a maximum of 5 on the tests.
“If the students scores a 3 or higher, they can earn college credit,” said Pamelynn Ziller, AP Coordinator at Fountain Valley High School.
This credit is often used to bypass or reduce general education courses from a college student’s schedule.
The IB program, which is currently only offered at Ocean View High School. Tests for the IB program also take place in May. IB is offered as a diploma program. Students receive seals if they complete the intensive two year course. The course can only be taken during the junior and senior year of high school and admittance into the program requires completing the honors classes for both ninth and tenth grade. Unlike AP, certain IB classes are required to receive the seal.
“I prefer IB because students take assessments toward their final score every few months which is far more effective at determining skill level,” said Allison Taylor, head teacher of the IB program at OVHS.
Taylor also goes on to explain that although she likes how the AP tests focus on close reading, she thinks that it sometimes skips over other skills that may be useful to students.
Nonetheless, both programs have been designed to help students succeed and be better prepared for the future.
