Grand Junction High School is continuing to expand its Advanced Placement (AP) program with several new courses potentially being added in the coming years.
Over the past five years, AP participation at GJHS has grown significantly. According to GJHS Assistant Principal and AP administrator Josh Warinner, the number of AP exams taken has increased significantly from 244 exams in 2021 to 780 exams scheduled for this year. At the same time, students have also shown improvement in their scores with more students earning qualifying scores of 3 or higher.
“We’ve doubled the amount of exams that we’re giving because students are willing to take these classes,” said Warinner. “AP classes are open to any student, it’s not just for high-achieving students.”
Currently GJHS offers 22 AP classes which is up from 18 last year. The top three AP classes at GJHS are AP Stats and AP Precalculus with 86 students along with AP Language which has 73 students enrolled. Students can also take additional AP exams independently even if the course is not offered at the school.
Looking ahead to next school year, several new AP courses are being considered. These include AP Cybersecurity, AP Government (returning), AP Business and Personal Finance, and AP Studio Art.
However, student enrollment plays a major role in whether a class becomes official. Warinner explained that around 15 students is the ideal number to run a course, though some classes may run with fewer.
GJHS counselor Alicia Hampton emphasized that adding new AP classes involves more than only student interest. Factors such as teacher availability, classroom space, and scheduling all impact whether a course can be offered.
One of the biggest challenges adding new AP courses is building initial interest. Since the courses are new, students often hesitate to sign up without hearing about how the class is.
“A lot of students choose classes based on word of mouth. When it’s a brand new AP class, there’s nobody who can say what it’s like yet,” said Hampton.
For the newly added AP Studio Art, GJHS art teacher Paul Tholl said the course will focus heavily on student creativity and independence.
“It’s really kind of all about finding your own personal style and exploring an idea from inception all the way through,” said Tholl.
Tholl explained that the class is best suited for students who have a background with art and are interested in continuing to grow their skills.
“We really want to target students who are interested in pursuing art in some way and bettering themselves,” said Tholl.
Many students have shown interest in joining the new AP classes being offered next school year and despite the challenges of adding new AP classes, the school staff remain optimistic about expanding class opportunities for students.
“AP Studio Art is very helpful for people going into an artistic field because it helps you build a portfolio that you need and it also helps you branch out into mediums you’ve never tried before,” said GJHS junior Aiden Kyle.
With increasing participation and interest, AP courses continue to be an important part of academic growth at GJHS. Students are encouraged to consider trying AP classes in subjects they are interested in especially as new options become available. AP exams usually take place between the beginning and middle of May and students who score a 3 or higher on the exam get college credit for the course.
