Honors and Advanced Placement

The Honors Program

The honors program consists of advanced placement courses, advanced level courses, and honors work in designated courses. The honors program in Grades 9-12 includes courses in art, computer science, English, foreign languages, mathematics, music, science, and social studies. Students register for and are accepted for individual honors courses and not for the honors program as a whole. The honors program is designed to provide an instructional setting for academically talented and motivated students. While in some cases the instructional objectives for honors work may be the same as for regular courses, they are pursued in different ways, are covered in more depth, and require greater use of abstract and higher level thinking skills. In addition, students in the honors program are expected to work more independently and may undertake research and writing projects of a more rigorous and sophisticated nature than those required of other students.

Advanced Placement Courses

Advanced placement courses are those for which an Educational Testing Service advanced placement examination exists. A qualifying score on an advanced placement exam may give the student college credit or advanced standing in the subject in many colleges. The Program of Studies descriptions for these courses include topics and skills that help prepare students for the advanced placement exams. The following are the advanced placement (AP) courses in the MCPS curriculum:

  • Art
    • Studio Art AP A & B (single period)
    • Studio Art AP A & B (double period)
    • Art History AP A & B (single period)
  • Computer Science
    • Computer Science AP A & B
  • English
    • English AP A & B
    • Language and Composition AP A & B
  • Mathematics
    • Calculus AP A & B
    • AP Statistics A & B
  • Science
    • Biology AP A & B (single period)
    • Biology AP A & B (double period)
    • Chemistry AP A & B (single period)
    • Chemistry AP A & B (double period)
    • Physics AP A & B (single period)
    • Physics AP A & B (double period)
  • Social Studies
    • American Government and Politics AP
    • Comparative Government and Politics AP
    • European History AP A & B
    • U.S. History AP A & B
    • Psychology AP A & B

To learn more about the Advanced Placement program visit, go to the
College Board Web Site!

Advanced Level Courses

Admission to advanced level courses, also called designated honors classes, is based upon previous achievement in a sequence of study; these courses call upon the student to show special ability in the subject. Courses specified in the curriculum as falling in this category are the following:

  • Foreign Languages
    • Modern Foreign Languages, Levels 5 A & B, 6 A & B
  • Mathematics
    • Algebra 2 with Analysis A & B
    • Precalculus with Analysis A & B
    • Calculus
  • Science
    • Anatomy and Physiology A & B
  • Blair Magnet courses
  • Selected International Baccalaureate courses

Honors Work in Designated Courses

The following is a list of regular courses in the curriculum in which honors work can be pursued. To get credit for honors work, the student must enroll under the special honors code included in the course description.
  • Art
    • Visual Art Center A (double period)
    • Visual Art Center A (triple period)
    • Visual Art Center B (double period)
    • Visual Art Center B (triple period)
  • English
    • Oral Communications
    • English 9A and 9B
    • Essay/Lyric 1 & 2
    • Writing Workshop 2
    • Narrative/Drama 1, 2, & 3
    • Pacesetter English A & B
  • Mathematics
    • Geometry A & B
  • Music
    • Chamber Singers A & B
    • Chorus 3 A & B
    • Jazz Ensemble A & B
    • Symphonic Band A & B
    • Symphonic Orchestra A & B
  • Science
    • Matter and Energy A & B
    • Biology A & B
    • Chemistry A & B
    • Physics A & B
  • Foreign Languages
    • Modern Foreign Languages, Levels 3 A & B, 4 A & B
    • Latin, Levels 3 A & B, 4 A & B
  • Social Studies
    • U.S. History A & B
    • National, State, and Local Government A & B
    • Modern World History A & B
The following is a list of regular courses in the curriculum in which honors work can be pursued. To get credit for honors work, the student must enroll under the special honors code included in the course description.
  • Selected International Baccalaureate courses

Selection and Continuation Criteria for Courses in the Honors Program

Selection for advanced placement and advanced level courses, and for honors work in designated courses, is made by a school selection committee based on a review of all of the following criteria:

  • All course prerequisites
  • Student interest
  • Grades of A or B in courses completed in the subject area or in related subject areas where appropriate
  • Teacher/counselor recommendation
  • Work samples when appropriate and needed to make decisions regarding selection

These are the sole criteria, and no single criterion is to be used to exclude a student. Students who do not meet most of the criteria but wish to be considered should ask for a special review.

A student is not selected for the honors program as a whole, but rather for a particular honors course. Although selection may rest in part on indicators of general ability, it always involves assessment of the student's likelihood of success in honors work in a particular course.

Students are expected to maintain at least a B average in honors-level work in designated courses. Students who receive a grade of C at the end of the first marking period of the semester are counseled about ways to improve. A student who receives a grade of D or E will be removed from honors-level work in the designated course.

Students in advanced placement and advanced level courses also are expected to maintain good grades and should be counseled about their course selection when they do not.

All information taken from the MCPS Honors and AP Courses web page. All classes listed may not necessarily be offered at Sherwood High School every year.