Curriculum

College Credit and Honors Program

Department members, in consultation with the Principal, establish criteria for student entrance into courses carrying honors or advanced weight. A student seeking departmental recommendation for these courses must meet all established criteria.

St. Joseph’s Academy offers the opportunity for students to take honors courses for honors credit, college credit, and/or to prepare for the Advanced Placement exam. The terms ACC (Advanced College Credit), ACP (Advanced College Program), and AP (Advanced Placement) are used to designate these options. ACC and ACP courses at St. Joseph’s Academy are offered through the Saint Louis University 1818 ACC Program and through the University of Missouri-St. Louis ACP program. The AP courses prepare students for the AP exams that are sponsored by the College Board.

All Honors, ACC, ACP, and AP classes are more challenging, and carry an additional GPA weight of .5. A student’s course load is based on her talents and her ability to handle the challenges she faces. These courses are taught at a more rigorous level and require more from the student. The following are expected of all St. Joseph’s Academy students, but to be successful in college credit and honors courses, students must demonstrate:

The ability to work independently
A strong work ethic
A greater time commitment to the course material
Higher-order thinking skills reflected in writing, speaking, and reading comprehension
Higher levels of class discussion

AP/ACC or AP/ACP classes carry both designations because the student has the opportunity to earn SLU or UMSL college credit directly or through scoring well on the AP exam.

Students at St. Joseph’s Academy may be recommended by their teachers to take Honors, ACC, ACP, or AP courses. Criteria for recommendations are determined by the teachers in each department. Students who wish to take more than three Honors, ACC, ACP, or AP courses per semester must receive written permission via the “Maximum HR/ACC/ACP/AP Override Request Form.” This form must be turned in to the Registrar prior to registering for classes online.

Honors

Honors courses are more challenging high school courses with greater expectations; they carry extra GPA weight, but they do not carry any college credit or potential for college credit.

ACC/ACP

ACC/ACP courses are more challenging, as they are taught at the university level. They carry extra GPA weight, and can provide college credit. An additional fee is required to be paid to the sponsoring university to receive college credit. The sponsoring universities require that juniors and seniors must have a minimum cumulative non-weighted grade point average of 3.0 to enroll in an ACC or ACP course. Sophomores must meet higher standards for ACC and ACP including a 3.5 unweighted GPA for ACC and a school recommendation for ACC and ACP. Each SJA department has varying criteria for placement in the course which are listed with the departmental course descriptions. Upon successful completion of the course, the student will receive a transcript from the university, as well as St. Joseph’s Academy, which will reflect the grade earned in the course. These classes may or may not be accepted by colleges or universities a student may attend. Therefore, a student should contact any potential college or university prior to registering for an ACC or ACP course to determine that school’s policy on ACC or ACP acceptance. These courses are considered dual enrollment: both high school and college credits are earned.

Advanced Placement (AP)

Advanced Placement (AP) courses are more challenging than honors courses. They carry extra GPA weight and provide college credit at many colleges for successful scores on the AP exam. The College Board charges a fee for the AP exam, which must be paid in the fall. AP test scores range from 1 to 5 with 3, 4, or 5 usually acceptable to many, but not all colleges. For AP credit policy information, students should refer to any potential college or university’s website. It is the student’s responsibility to authorize the College Board to issue her test scores to her college.

The following AP courses are offered at St. Joseph’s Academy:

CSE Computer Science Principles
CSE Computer Science A
EN AP American Literature and Composition
EN Senior English*
MT Statistics
MT Calculus AB
MT Calculus BC
SC Biology
SC Chemistry
SC Physics
SS American History
SS US Government and Politics
SS World History: Modern
WL French IV: Language and Culture
WL Spanish IV: Language and Culture

* AP English Language and Composition, AP English Literature and Composition

HONORS, ACC/ACP AND AP COURSES for 2022-23

BUS ACP Personal Finance
CSE AP Computer Science Principles
CSE AP Computer Science A
CSE ACP Graphic Design
CSE ACP Digital Photography II
EN Honors World Literature Analysis and Composition
EN AP American Literature and Composition
EN Honors Voices of Human Rights
EN ACP Writing and Research
EN AP/ACC Senior English*
FA Honors Frontenac Voices
FA Honors Acting II
FA Honors Musical Theatre
FA Honors Art
FA ACP Art History
FA ACP Ceramics II: Hand-Building
FA ACP Ceramics II: Wheel-Throwing
FA ACP Digital Photography II
FA ACP Graphic Design
FA ACP Independent Art
MT Honors Geometry
MT Honors Algebra II
MT ACC Precalculus
MT AP/ACC Calculus AB
MT AP/ACC Calculus BC
MT AP/ACP Statistics
SC Honors Biology
SC Honors Chemistry
SC Honors Physics
SC ACC Forensic Science
SC ACP Astronomy
SC ACP Human Anatomy and Physiology
SC AP/ACP Biology
SC AP/ACP Chemistry
SC AP/ACP Physics
SS Honors Modern American History Since 1945
SS Honors Voices of Human Rights
SS ACP Psychology
SS ACP Sociology
SS AP/ACP American History
SS AP/ACP US Government and Politics
TH ACC God-Talk: Ultimate Questions in Theology
TH ACC Women’s and Gender Studies
WL ACC French III
WL ACC French IV
WL AP/ACC French IV: Language and Culture
WL Honors Spanish Culture through Literature and Film
WL ACP Spanish III
WL ACP Spanish IV
WL AP Spanish IV: Language and Culture
WL Honors Latin III
WL Honors Latin IV
WL Honors Mandarin Chinese III: The Language and Cultures of China
WL Honors Mandarin Chinese IV: The Language and Cultures of China

* AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition

St. Joseph’s Academy is a college preparatory high school sponsored by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Our mission at the Academy is to provide quality Catholic education for young women in an environment that challenges them to grow in faith, knowledge, and respect for self and others. Our community expects these young women to make a profound impact in the world.