Three new Advanced Placement courses have been added to the LPHS course list for the 2012-2013 school year. LP students are clearly taking advantage of these classes as they are at full capacity.

AP Computer Science, AP Psychology and AP Environmental Science are the addition to the twelve AP courses already offered; the additions support the AP Honor Role title.

AP Computer Science is actually not a new class. In previous years, the class was known as Java, and the AP Computer Science exam could be taken. Now that the class has the AP title, several more kids enrolled in the class compared to previous years when it was simply called Java.

“The goal, for the students and for the class, is to not be able to tell that it is a first year course,” AP Environmental Science teacher Dr. Wade Baxter said.

For several years Baxter has pushed the idea of adding AP Environmental Science to the science department’s course list. The course, being in its early stage, is challenging for Baxter because it is hard to tell what approach to the curriculum would be most effective to get the students a higher score on the AP test.

“LP values AP; if we give the students the opportunity to aspire for greater education, such as the AP courses, they will not hesitate to take advantage of them. It is a process to add AP, going through The College Board and getting approval, but it is worth it when it better prepares our students for their futures,” school counselor Mrs. Gina Zelkin said.

The 2012- 2013 school year has brought big changes, one of the biggest being the new AP classes.