The College Board and AP classes

Students will begin the registration process for the 26-27 school year in the next few weeks! A big decision students and parents need to make is whether or not to take an AP course. Take a minute to learn a little about the AP classroom and what it all has to offer!

Advanced placement courses are college level courses available to high school students which are affiliated with the College Board. Thirty-eight AP courses are a part of the program, 18 of which are offered at Papillion LaVista South, click here to see courses PLSHS offers. College credit may be awarded for scoring a qualifying score on the optional AP exam in May. Exam fees in 2025/2026 are $99.00 per exam.

Rigor - AP courses are college level courses and you should expect to be challenged throughout the course. With the support of your teacher you can expect to work through challenges, learn about yourself, and grow as a student.

TIME MANAGEMENT - You should expect 3-5 hours a week of outside class work time PER AP course you are taking.

HOMEWORK COMPLETION - Daily activities (graded and ungraded) are expected to consistently be completed outside of class time.

ATTENDANCE - Attendance is a key factor to success in any classroom. With the fast paced AP curriculum, communication with your teacher concerning absences and work made up in a timely manner is an absolute necessity.

SELF-RESPONSIBILITY - It will be the expectation that you will seek out additional resources through AP classroom and other outlets provided by your teacher on your own time to supplement your in class learning. Teachers are also available for assistance outside of class time; self-advocate for yourself by communicating with your teacher and knowing when they are available before and/or after school.

WORKLOAD - Take into consideration your activities and out of school commitments. Are you able to dedicate the additional 3-5 hours of outside of class time a week to each AP course you are enrolled in?

READING SKILLS - You will be reading high level content documents/readings/books throughout the AP class. What are your reading skills? Where will you do your reading outside of class time to grasp the content?

WRITING SKILLS - You will be expected to write daily at a high (collegiate) level. What are your writing skills? Are you willing to take the time to produce collegiate level response/writings/essays?

SELF-DISCIPLINE - You are expected to stay task orientated, focused, and organized for your 50 minute class. Are you also disciplined enough to complete the work outside of this 50 minutes required?

When we are faced with a more rigorous task and work through it, we are training ourselves to be able to better handle and work through more rigorous tasks in the future. Whether that be in your career, home life, or scholastic endeavors. Taking an AP course is a way to challenge yourself, but even more so a way to prepare yourself for your future. Additionally, you are not alone in the challenge. Your peers and teachers are resources to you to help you accomplish your task. Are you up for the challenge?

- Cody Redford - AP Psychology

This class was a real wake-up call for high school classes, and you don't realize it right away, but it is getting you ready for college.This class matured me in ways I didn't expect, and it's where I made friends that I know I can always depend on.

- Current AP Student