August 28, 2017
Dear AP Psychology Parent:
At Providence High School we are committed to helping each student realize their unique potential, however, it is important for all students to understand that AP Psychology is a class designed for highly motivated individuals who have a record of achievement in Honors or AP level classes. Students who do well in AP Psychology usually have a strong background in English and social studies. Students who have only taken regular level classes in high school often have difficulty adjusting to a college classroom environment; this is especially true for students who have not demonstrated a strong work ethic thus far in their high school career. For example, those students who have failed regular level classes in the past are not good candidates for AP Psychology. Also, students with PSAT scores below fifty on the verbal or writing portions typically struggle with understanding the college level resources that are utilized in AP Psychology. Through hard work and dedication students often find that they are able to replace bad, ineffective study habits with useful, effective ones. Parents will be able to keep up with current reading assignments and test dates on my wiki page (hkmason.cmswiki.wikispaces.net/).
Good note taking skills are essential. Listening attentively and actively, comprehending complicated and complex information, and then using this information to answer questions or solve problems are skills that are necessary both in the classroom and the workplace. In addition to taking good notes during class students can expect to spend at least ninety minutes outside class preparing for activities in class. Reading quizzes are administered daily and unit tests, which contain both objective and subjective assessments, are given approximately every two weeks. Success on unit tests for most students will require that they do three things consistently throughout the year. They are, pay attention in class, keep up with all reading assignments and prepare thoroughly for each test. For many if not most students thorough test preparation will involve studying for two nights prior to the test. Every year I hear from former students, now in college, who say that the habits related to studying discipline and active listening that they acquired in AP Psychology helped prepare them for success in college.
AP Psychology is the most often requested elective class offered at Providence. End-of-year student surveys show that most students believe that AP Psychology gave them the opportunity to learn a great deal of useful information. Perhaps this is why significantly more students request the class than we have room to accommodate. One of the ways that information learned in class can be immediately put to use is on the National AP Psychology Exam. Last May almost ninety percent of students who took my class passed this very difficult assessment, these results compare favorably with the national pass rate of approximately sixty-six percent.
This will be my 21st year teaching AP Psychology at Providence and I look forward to helping your child achieve their goals in my classroom. Please feel free to contact me via e-mail at any time with questions, comments, concerns or to request that I call you.
Sincerely,
Keith Mason
Keith Mason
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