Academic Pathways to Postsecondary Readiness

  • Advanced and Accelerated Courses in Middle and High Schools 

    PfISD offers Advanced and Accelerated courses classes in middle school and high school. Traditionally these courses have been titled Pre-AP; however, College Board no longer allows school districts to title courses with this designation unless districts use the College Board standardized curriculum and courses.  By designing our own curriculum, PFISD is able to offer more Advanced and Accelerated courses in our middle and high schools than College Board currently offers.  Using our curriculum with teachers trained in delivering instructional supports designed to prepare students for Advanced Placement, Dual Credit, and/or OnRamps classes, we provide advanced coursework and instruction to all of our learners who have the desire to accept the challenge. 

    Students are given the opportunity to show mastery in college-level courses by taking the AP exam in May of each year.

    The College Board is responsible for developing and maintaining college-level courses and exams in various subjects. They also report official AP scores to the colleges of the student’s choice. Scores on the AP exam range from 1 (no recommendation) to 5 (extremely qualified). Each individual college determines the scores to be accepted for credit, but most consider a score of at least 3. Colleges may award three, and sometimes six, hours of credit per test depending on their policy.

    The state and college boards provide exam subsidies for students who qualify for free and reduced lunch. Learn more about fee reductions and exam prices here. Pflugerville ISD will charge students $86 per AP exam. Students on free and reduced lunch will be charged $15 per AP exam. Students earning a qualifying score of 3 or higher will be reimbursed for the amount paid for the exam (excluding late fees or other ordering fees). 

    Homeschooled students who are zoned for a PFISD campus may register to take AP exams at the campus they are zoned to attend.  Homeschooled students will pay full College Board prices to take exams on the campus they are zoned to attend.  Contact the campus AP testing coordinator for additional details and campus testing procedures. 

    Transitioning from Elementary to Middle School Resources


    Transitioning from Middle School to High School Resources

    Completing Advanced Academic courses has been shown to help students in these ways:

    • Better prepared academically.
    • More likely to specialize in more challenging majors.
    • Likely to complete more college coursework in four years.
    • Likely to perform significantly better in college than students who did not take AP courses.
    • More likely to exercise leadership.
    • More likely to graduate with a double major.
    • Twice as likely to go into an advanced study (Ph.D. Programs, medicine, and law).
    • Stand out in the college admission process.