Career, College and Life Ready

Advanced Placement (AP®) courses give students the chance to take college-level classes while they are still in high school.

AP courses are created by the College Board and follow the same learning goals used in schools across the country. Students experience the challenge of college-level work while receiving support from their high school teachers.

Students choose AP courses for many reasons. They can explore subjects they enjoy, build skills for college and show colleges they are ready for challenging coursework. These classes help students strengthen skills like research, writing, communication, problem-solving and critical thinking.

You do not have to be at the top of your class to take an AP course. Some classes have recommended prerequisites, and all students should be ready to work hard, manage their time and study regularly. Students who take the AVID elective along with an AP course receive extra support to build the skills needed for success.

Grading

AP courses are the only weighted courses at Spring Lake Park High School. Grades in AP classes receive an extra 0.5 grade point when calculating a student's GPA. For example, an A in an AP course counts as a 4.5 instead of a 4.0.

Earning College Credit

At the end of an AP course, students can choose to take the AP Exam. Exams are scored on a scale of 1 to 5. Many colleges award credit or allow students to skip introductory courses for qualifying scores, but each college sets its own policy.

Because AP courses are recognized by colleges across the country, they often provide one of the most widely accepted ways to earn college credit in high school. This can be especially helpful for students who plan to attend college outside Minnesota.

Students can earn college credit without leaving Spring Lake Park High School by taking embedded college courses. These classes are taught at the high school through partnerships with local colleges and universities.

Many embedded college courses meet general education requirements at Minnesota public colleges and universities. Earning these credits in high school can save students time and money after graduation.

We offer embedded college courses through Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Bethel University, Minnesota State University–Mankato and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities. Course options and eligibility requirements vary by program. Explore the registration guide to learn more.

Anoka-Ramsey Community College

Students can earn college credit in subjects such as math, communication and art history. These courses are a great option for students planning to attend a Minnesota State college or university.

Bethel University

Students in grades 11 and 12 can earn four college credits through Hybrid Environmental Science. The course includes classroom learning and hands-on field experiences at the Blaine Wetland Sanctuary.

Minnesota State University–Mankato

Students can earn college credit in Spanish through a four-course sequence. These courses help Spanish Immersion students continue toward bilingualism and biliteracy while also giving other students the opportunity to earn college language credit.

University of Minnesota Twin Cities – College in the Schools

College in the Schools (CIS) allows students to take University of Minnesota courses while learning at Spring Lake Park High School. Students earn University of Minnesota credit without traveling to campus.

Students in grades 11 and 12 can take CIS courses in German or Teacher Education. German students can earn college language credits that often transfer to other colleges and universities. Students in Teacher Education earn college credit while exploring careers in education and gaining hands-on experience in local classrooms.

Some Spring Lake Park High School courses allow students to earn college credit after they graduate. These are called articulated college credits.

Students earn these credits by successfully completing an approved high school course. Their teacher provides the information they need to apply for the credit through a partner college. Students must enroll in that college's program after high school to receive the credit.

Articulated credit is often available in career and technical education courses that lead to industry certifications, such as nursing, emergency medical services and technology.

Students may be eligible to earn articulated college credit through courses such as:

• First Aid/CPR
• Child Development 1 & 2
• Nursing Assistant Registered
• Emergency Medical Responder
• Emergency Medical Technician

Project Lead The Way (PLTW) gives students the chance to explore engineering while earning college credit.

Students who complete approved engineering courses and pass the end-of-course assessment may be eligible to earn college credit through the University of Minnesota or St. Cloud State University.

PLTW courses include Introduction to Engineering Design and Principles of Engineering. These hands-on classes help students discover whether engineering is a good fit while building skills they can use in college and future careers.

Students interested in engineering should also consider taking advanced math, AP Physics and AP Chemistry to prepare for engineering programs in college.

Spring Lake Park High School partners with Intermediate District 916 to give students even more career and technical education opportunities.

Students can choose from hands-on programs that help them build job skills, earn industry certifications and, in many cases, earn college credit. Students spend part of their school day at a District 916 Career and Technical Center and the rest of the day at Spring Lake Park High School taking their required classes.

Programs include:

• Cosmetology
• Nail Technology and Esthetics
• Hospitality Careers
• Automotive and Welding Careers
• Diesel Truck and Engine Technology
• Animal Science and Natural Resources
• Automotive Technology
• Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement
• Dental Careers
• Phlebotomy

These options are off-campus, not Spring Lake Park High School programs.

Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) is a program that allows 10th-, 11th- and 12th-grade students to earn both high school and college credit while still in high school, through enrollment in and successful completion of college nonsectarian courses at eligible participating postsecondary institutions. Most PSEO courses are offered on the campus of the postsecondary institution; some courses are offered online. Each participating college or university sets its own admissions requirements for enrollment into the PSEO courses. Eleventh and 12th-grade students may take PSEO courses on a full- or part-time basis; 10th graders are eligible to enroll in PSEO on a more limited basis (see note below). Students must meet the PSEO residency and eligibility requirements and abide by participation limits specified in Minnesota Statutes, section 124D.09. If a school district determines a pupil is not on track to graduate, she/he may continue to participate in PSEO on a term by term basis.

By March 1 of each year, or three weeks prior to the date a student registers for courses for the following school year (whichever is earlier), schools must provide PSEO information to all students in grades 8-11 and their families. To assist the district in planning, a student must inform the district by May 30 of each year of their intent to enroll in postsecondary courses during the following school year.

There is no charge to PSEO students for tuition, books or fees for items that are required to participate in a course; however, students may incur fees for equipment that becomes their property when the course or program is completed, textbooks that are not returned to the postsecondary institution according to their policies, or for tuition costs if they do not notify the district by May 30 and the district does not waive this date requirement.

Funds are available to help pay transportation expenses for qualifying students to participate in PSEO courses on college campuses. For more information on these funds, access the PSEO Mileage Reimbursement Program Instructions.

Enrolling in a PSEO course does not prohibit a student from participating in activities sponsored by the high school.

School districts must allow a PSEO student reasonable access to the high school building, computers and/or other technology resources during regular school hours to participate in PSEO courses, whether on-line or on campus.

Each year, districts must publish their grade-weighting policy on their website, including a list of courses for which students can earn weighted grades.

All courses taken through the PSEO program must meet graduation requirements. Districts must transcript credits earned in PSEO by a ratio prescribed in statute. Districts have the authority to decide which subject area and standards the PSEO course meets. If there is a dispute between the district and the student regarding the number of credits granted for a particular course, the student may appeal the board's decision to the commissioner. The commissioner's decision regarding the number of credits will be final. 

Postsecondary institutions are required to allow PSEO students to enroll in online courses consistent with the institution’s policy regarding postsecondary student enrollment in online courses.

Tenth-grade students may initially enroll in one Career and Technical Education (CTE) PSEO course if they receive a reading proficiency score of “meets” or “exceeds” on the 8^th grade MCA. If 10th graders taking a CTE PSEO course earn at least a grade C in that class, they may take additional postsecondary courses. If the student did not take the MCA in 8^th-grade, another reading assessment accepted by the enrolling postsecondary institution can be substituted. For students with disabilities, there is an alternative option to demonstrate reading proficiency.

More information

For current information about the PSEO program, visit the Minnesota Department of Education’s Postsecondary Enrollment Options (PSEO) webpage.