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Student Eligibility

Any student in Maine is eligible to enroll in AP4ME courses free of charge. Homeschool students sponsored by a public school are also eligible to enroll. AP4ME courses are not college-credit courses. For students to receive CollegeBoard “credit” for their course, students must take the Advanced Placement (AP) Exam and earn a minimum score on the exam that is set by the university or college they plan to attend. AP4ME does not arrange or provide financial support for the fees associated with AP exam(s).

Students must have a reliable internet connection and appropriate technology in order to be successful in online learning. Schools do not have a maximum number of students they can register in AP4ME courses, however schools are limited to five students per school-per course. Students may take up to two AP4ME courses per year. Students may not take both Calculus AB and Calculus BC in the same year.

High School Liaison and School Responsibilities

  • Only one liaison per school is required.
  • Liaisons should be sure each student has access to the appropriate technology* and consistent/stable internet connection to succeed in an online-asynchronous course before approving the students application. *Depending on the course, students may need specific application access, the ability to record voice and/or video, etc. School-issued tablets/chromebooks are not always reliable devices for accessing course resources linked from the Brightspace online-learning platform.
  • Liaisons are responsible for arrangements required by CollegeBoard for students intending to take the AP Exam. CollegeBoard does not permit AP4ME staff to arrange and/or order AP Exams for participating students. If the AP4ME liaison is not a guidance counselor, the liaison should work with the guidance department on these arrangements.
  • Liaisons collaborate with the student, AP4ME teacher(s), and AP4ME coordinator regarding student performance and progress.
  • Follow AP4ME guidelines/best practices as stated.
  • Ensure that students are set up to take their AP Exam at their local school, or at another school. If the designated AP4ME liaison is not a school counselor, the liaison should work with the counseling department for this step.

Teacher Expectations Specific to AP4ME

  • Teachers must create a course syllabus. The course syllabus and content must pass the CollegeBoard Course Audit.
  • Teachers must adhere to a philosophy of teaching that provides not only rigor and high expectations, but also a commitment to providing adequate supports and motivation for students to learn and succeed.
  • Teachers must provide regular, timely, and substantive feedback to students regarding course assignments, assessment, and progress. Teachers must also share such information with the AP4ME Coordinator and high school liaisons on a regular basis.
  • Teachers will follow a four-quarter academic calendar.
  • Teachers will adhere to AP4ME quarterly gradebook processes, including reporting all grades as percentages and recorded grades by appropriate deadlines. Individual schools may then convert the percentage grades into the appropriate school-decided format to include on a students transcript.
  • Teachers will adhere to all laws, standards, policies, guidelines, and best practices related to Advanced Placement through the CollegeBoard, the teacher’s content area, online teaching, working with students from rural areas, setting up plans to help struggling students,  The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) , student data and privacy, and accessibility (in particular the updates to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973).
  • Teachers will utilize electronic/digital texts and resources as the primary materials for the course.
  • Teachers will develop plans and instructional strategies that support all learning styles which may include interventions for struggling students.
  • Teachers must understand the needs of rural learners.
  • Teachers must participate in annually required UMS Compliance Trainings, including but not limited to FERPA, Title IX, and Information Security.
  • Teachers will seek professional development regarding online platforms (Brightspace), best practices in online pedagogies, and the use of various learning technologies.
  • All AP4ME courses will be taught using Brightspace, the online learning management system utilized by the University of Maine System. All teachers will use their @maine.edu account to access the Brightspace platform and communicate with students and the AP4ME Coordinator.

AP Course Ledger

The AP Course Ledger (External Site) lists secondary school courses offered worldwide that are authorized to include the AP designation when listed on a student’s transcripts. These courses are reviewed by the AP Program as part of the AP Course Audit for the academic years listed on the school’s authorized AP courses page. In the AP Course Ledger, AP4ME courses will be listed under the designation: AP4ME

Link to the AP Course Ledger (External Site)

Preparing Students for the AP Exam

AP Exam Accommodations

All accommodations must be approved by the College Board’s Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). If a student takes the AP Exam with accommodations that have not been approved by the College Board, that student’s score(s) will not be reported.

Please note some accommodations are administered differently across College Board programs. For example, for AP, a student who is approved for extended time will not automatically be provided extra breaks. A student requiring extra breaks must apply for that specific accommodation for AP Exams. If a student requires assistance for a temporary physical or medical condition (e.g., a broken arm), please make a Temporary Support Request to the SSD office.

AP Scores

The AP Exam score is a weighted combination of a student’s scores on the multiple-choice section and the free-response section. AP Exam scores are reported on a 5-point scale that indicates how qualified the student is to receive college credit and placement for their performance. For more information about AP Scores please visit the “About AP Scores” webpage (External Site).

Information about the AP Exam

Sponsoring schools are expected to register their AP4ME students to participate in the AP Exam. AP4ME does not pay for AP Exam fees.

The AP Music Theory and AP French or Spanish Language and Culture Exams requires students to record portions of the exam. There are several ways for recordings to be made and provided to the College Board. Please refer to the Recording Audio resource through the College Board (External Site).

For recordings, the College Board suggests having everything set up by April 1 in order to give students and proctors enough time to practice with the system before the AP Exam.

If the sponsoring high school is not a testing site, students and AP4ME liaisons should contact AP Services. For students: 888-225-5427 or email apstudents@info.collegeboard.org. For K-12 educators: 877-274-6474.

AP4ME Online Provider Code for the AP Exam

AP4ME’s unique provider code is 120. On the AP Exam, students will need to indicate their AP4ME course(s) were online and fill in the online provider code for AP4ME in Item G of their answer sheet. This code is used in addition to the high school code and allows the College Board to share exam results with AP4ME.

AP4ME and College Credit

With qualifying AP Exam scores, students can earn credit, advanced placement, or both at the majority of colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. Individual colleges and universities, not the College Board or the AP4ME Program, grant course credit and placement.

AP Course Audit Form

The subject-specific AP Course Audit specifies the curricular and resource requirements that must be met in order to receive authorization to use the “AP” designation for a course. AP4ME administrators must approve and finalize the form before a syllabus can be reviewed. AP4ME teachers must create an AP Course Audit account and become familiar with the College Board’s requirements before teaching the AP course(s) for which they were hired.

AP4ME Course Syllabi

All new AP4ME teachers must submit a copy of their syllabus outlining the course of study. Teachers can either build their syllabus using the guidelines provided on the AP Course Audit webpage (External Site) or they can adopt one of four sample syllabi given as examples for each AP course. Teachers who opt to use one of the four samples must follow the sample syllabus as written. Deviating from the approved sample syllabus can result in dismissal from the AP program.

Returning teachers can use a previously approved syllabus through their course audit account. Teachers should use the Syllabus Development Guide specific to the AP course(s) they are teaching.

AP Practice Exams

Teachers may find AP Practice Exams available through the AP Course Audit webpage (External Site). These exam materials are available to all AP teachers but inaccessible to students and have strict usage guidelines. AP Practice Exams are not mandatory – it is the teacher’s choice to provide practice exams or not.

AP4ME Courses with Labs

We prefer that students complete any lab component of their AP4ME courses at school, with teacher supervision. Students can complete labs at home, under parent supervision if no other choice is available, but teachers should provide safety instructions to students. liaisons should work with AP4ME teachers regarding needs or challenges.

AP4ME Noncompliance Policy

The expectations outlined in this handbook are subject to change. Any AP4ME teachers that fail to comply with their respective responsibilities will first be cited for noncompliance with a verbal warning, followed by a written warning. After three cited incidents of noncompliance, the University of Maine System reserves the right to terminate AP4ME teacher eligibility.

Online Learning

Online students are required to be independent and self-motivated. Advanced Placement courses are more demanding that regular high school level courses and students should be prepared for a rigorous academic environment. When registering students, schools are expected to place students appropriately, confirming that the student is academically prepared to participate in an AP course. Students should refer to the “Taking an online AP course” section of the student guidelines page to assess their preparedness for enrollment in an online course, and they are also encouraged to consult with their Guidance Counselor(s) and School liaison for advice.

AP4ME courses mostly operate on a weekly schedule. Students have the flexibility to participate in course activities any time throughout the week, however there are scheduled due dates and deadlines for completing assignments and activities. While the asynchronous nature of online courses means students can “attend” classes free from the constraints of time or place, it is highly recommended that every AP4ME student has time during the school day dedicated to their online course.

School Breaks/Vacations

Students are expected to work throughout the year, except for major holidays. Information pertaining to course schedule and upcoming assignments will be posted in advance, so students are able to request schedule accommodations for family vacations, sports functions, etc… Any accommodations related to breaks/vacations are entirely up to the individual teacher. It is the student’s responsibility to make arrangements with their AP teacher – not the university or the AP4ME school liaison.

Brightspace

All AP4ME courses will be taught online using Brightspace. The entire University of Maine system will be transitioning to Brightspace as of September 2020 as the new online learning management system. This replaces the previous system, Blackboard. We are excited to offer Brightspace to our students as it is extremely user-friendly course management software and designed to function on a variety of computer and other e-learning interfaces.

Student E-Mail

In order to meet the academic and administrative needs of AP4ME, the University of Maine System has established email as the primary means of official communication to all AP4ME students. Students are required to activate and regularly monitor their official university-assigned email account.

Important: It is a violation of University Policy for any user of official email addresses to impersonate a University office, faculty/staff member, or student.

  • Students are responsible for activating their assigned University email account. Instructions for activation will be included with individual welcome letters.
  • Students are expected to check their email daily.
  • Students should never use email to communicate confidential or sensitive information. The University will never ask for student passwords.

Reaching out to Classmates/Online teachers

AP4ME courses in Brightspace provide students with discussion boards to connect with other students enrolled in the same course. Teachers should encourage students to make use of these boards to connect with other students throughout the State.

Struggling with Content and Interacting with the teacher

While there are many advantages to having access to coursework online, one of the things students struggle with the most is establishing a relationship with his/her online course teacher(s). Many times, students are uncomfortable letting the teacher know of scheduling conflicts, asking questions about grades, or asking questions about course content. liaisons are asked to help students craft those emails and to help them pursue further questions, if necessary.

The primary role of the AP4ME liaison is to help support the student in their online learning environment, not to serve as an additional teacher. AP4ME liaisons should help students facilitate an email or phone conversation with their teacher to address their questions or point of confusion.

Time Management

Students are expected to schedule AP4ME courses into their regular school day. AP4ME courses are not meant to be “add-on” courses to a student’s already full schedule. AP4ME program courses require 8-10 hours’ time commitment per week outside of normal schoolwork. Students enrolled in AP4ME lab courses will be expected to spend additional time on lab work. The AP4ME coordinator will contact AP4ME liaisons if a student has not logged in to his/her course in more than 7 days. It is difficult for students to catch up on AP coursework once they fall more than 3 or 4 class periods behind.

Plagiarism

There are many kinds of plagiarism and all are to be avoided. Copying information word for word is one form. Roughly paraphrasing another’s ideas without properly citing the original author is another. Today’s electronic sources make it easier to download material and present it as one’s own without making any or only minor changes. It is the responsibility of each student to become familiar with the definition of plagiarism and not commit this error out of ignorance. A first offense will result in a zero for the particular assignment. Second offenses will result in a meeting between the school, course teacher, student, and AP4ME staff where further corrective action will be planned. Many options are possible, up to and including removal of the student from the course.