Advanced Academics

We encourage students to take Tomball Advanced Placement (TAP) and Accelerated classes. When making a decision about how many of these classes to take, consider the following factors:

Are you a self-motivated, organized, independent worker?
Do you need and/or have support with your organizational skills and/or studies on a daily basis?
Are you involved in many activities? Is your interest in this course of study sufficient to ensure that you will find adequate time to complete the extra work required outside of class without having to give up the things you enjoy?
How much sleep per night do you require in order to feel rested and be productive the following day?
How well do you handle the rigors of a demanding academic workload? Are you realistic about your performance expectations for yourself?

Dual Credit

The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) defines dual credit as a system under which an eligible high school student enrolls in college course(s) and receives credit for the course(s) from both the college and high school. Dual credit courses may be taught on the high school campus by an approved instructor or on the college campus. Dual credit courses include both academic and technical courses.

Tomball ISD works in collaboration with a Memorandum of Understanding with the Lone Star College System to provide High School campuses courses that students receive the high school credit and dual college credits while completing their high school pathway.

MOU with Lone star college

Advanced Placement

The Advanced Placement (AP) Program

Tomball ISD offers Advanced Placement courses to high school students who are ready to engage in college level course content and rigorous academics. Courses are available in English, social studies, computer science, mathematics, science, languages other than English, music theory, and art.

The AP Program offers college level instruction to the academically successful student while in high school with the option of taking an Advanced Placement examination and possibly qualifying for college credit. AP students are expected to work at an accelerated pace and to engage in outside reading and independent learning.

High school AP courses are open to all students who meet the prerequisites for advanced coursework. Students who choose to enroll, however, should be prepared for the increased academic rigor of these courses. AP and AP/GT courses concentrate on providing students with rigorous college level instruction while preparing students for the AP exam associated with the course. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are offered at the 11th and 12th grade level; Advanced Placement examinations are administered at the end of each course. If a student achieves a score of 3 or higher, college credit may be earned for the course.

High School AP Course Offerings:

AP Biology (Khan Academy link)
AP Calculus AB (Khan Academy link)
AP Calculus BC (Khan Academy link)
AP Chemistry (Khan Academy link)
AP Computer Science A
AP Computer Science AB
AP English Language and Composition
AP English Literature and Composition
AP French Language
AP German Language
AP Macroeconomics (Khan Academy link)
AP Microeconomics (Khan Academy link)
AP Music Theory
AP Physics B (Khan Academy links: 1, 2)
AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism (Khan Academy links: 1, 2)
AP Physics C: Mechanics (Khan Academy links: 1, 2)
AP Psychology
AP Spanish Language
AP Spanish Literature
AP Statistics (Khan Academy link)
AP Studio Art: Drawing
AP Studio Art: 2-D Design
AP Studio Art: 3-D Design
AP U.S. Government and Politics
AP United States History (Khan Academy link)
AP World History (Khan Academy link)

TAPE • Algebra I

College Board

Tomball Advanced Placement • TAP

New Name

Tomball ISD's Advanced Academics Program Plans for Program Name Change

Tomball ISD's pre-AP program will be making a noticeable name change beginning with the start of the 2020-21 school year. Due to a trademark of the current program, the district will rename the program the ‘Tomball Advanced Program’ (TAP).

Tomball ISD is preparing to change the name of its Pre-AP courses in the Advanced Academics program to ‘TAP’, which will stand for Tomball Advanced Program. The instructional material will not change, only the name will change in response to the College Board owning the trademark for the term “Pre-AP.”

Last fall, the College Board announced that it would launch an official Pre-AP program with annual fees for participation associated. In the fall of 2022, the College Board will require that all classes in a school district that are labeled as ‘Pre-AP’ must be submitted to the College Board, and an annual fee must be paid, to have their curriculum approved in order to be called ‘Pre-AP’.

Students currently taking, or planning to take Pre-AP classes will now be in TAP classes.

In 2018, Tomball ISD officials began researching and discussing the new name for the pre-AP program so that by the 2020-21 school year, the transition and implementation to the ‘TAP’ naming will be completed.

What is TAP?

Beginning in Grade 6, Tomball ISD offers open enrollment to TAP courses in English Language Arts, Social Studies, Math and Science.

They are designed to challenge students and prepare them for advanced level coursework in high school and in college.

Curriculum in TAP courses:

is more rigorous
focuses on depth rather than breadth
requires independent learning
requires outside reading and coursework

The TAP curricula for these courses are:

built on the core academic curriculum
academically advanced
aligned with advanced course descriptions and curriculum
developed with a concentration on building student capacity to understand rigorous content
developed to prepare students for AP coursework and for PSAT and SAT testing

TAP instruction includes:

a variety of assessment formats
periodic timed assessments
student accountability for independent reading
the use of a variety of resources beyond the text

Students should:

possess interest in the subject area
consider balance of academic load with outside commitments
be actively engaged in their own learning, taking responsibility for workload and asking questions when needed
possess study skills and time management planning

TAP Course Participation Student Contract

Student contract

Summer Learning Opportunities

Texas Success Initiative Assessment • TSIA

The TSI Assessment (TSIA) is part of the Texas Success Initiative enacted by the Texas State Legislature and designed to determine a student’s readiness for college-level coursework in the general areas of reading, writing, and mathematics.

The TSIA, or one of its exemptions, has been required of Texas students entering a Texas college or university for nearly ten years. The TSIA is administered through the College Board’s Accuplacer digital platform. Universities, community colleges, school districts and high school campuses can request to administer the TSIA to students.

WHAT ARE PASSING SCORES?

Students scoring at or above the cut scores are considered “college ready” and eligible to enroll in any entry level college course (for example, English composition, history, government, or college algebra). Some college level courses require passing scores in more than one area.

Below are the passing cut scores for TSIA as set by the state:

Mathematics: a minimum score of 350
Reading: a minimum score of 351
Writing: a score of 5 on the essay section or a score of 4 on the essay and a minimum score of 340 on the multiple-choice section

TSIA EXEMPTIONS

A student shall be exempt from taking the TSIA if the student has:

scored a composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on the English ACT test shall exempt both Reading and Writing sections of the TSIA;
scored a composite score of 23 with a minimum of 19 on the Math ACT test shall exempt the Math section of the TSIA;
taken the SAT administered prior to March 2016 and earned a minimum score (verbal critical reading + math) SAT score of 1070, with a minimum score of 500 on both sections;
taken the SAT administered March 2016 and later and earned scores on the evidence-Based Reading and Writing (EBRW) assessment of 480, and a minimum score of 530 in Mathematics (no combined score needed);
taken the PSAT after October 15, 2015 and earned a minimum of 460 on the English section and minimum of 510 on the Math section;
Veterans, active duty personnel, and a student who is serving as and, for at least 3 years preceding enrollment, has served as a member of a reserve component of the U.S. armed services;
Transfer from another institution having satisfactorily completed college-level coursework; or
Enrolled in a certificate program of one year or less (Level One certificates) at a public institution.

RESOURCES

Student Informative Brochure

College for All Texans

The Texas Higher Education Coordinator Board

Scholastic Assessment Test • SAT

SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) is an assessment managed by the College Board that has been used as a college admissions test since the mid-1920s. The SAT measures literacy and writing skills and assesses how well a student analyzes and solves problems. Colleges may use SAT scores for admissions and merit-based scholarships.

The SAT

subject content includes reading (5 passages), writing & language, math, and optional essay
3 hours without essay (3 hours 50 minutes with essay)
scored on a scale of 400-1600 and score is valid for college admission for 5 years
provides accommodations for students with disabilities
preparation includes the College Board’s Suite of Assessments.

RESOURCES

Test Prep Toolkit

ACT vs. SAT

ACT • College Admissions Test

The ACT is a standardized achievement test designed to demonstrate how prepared a student is for college by measuring the student’s knowledge and skills in the subjects they have taken in high school.

The ACT

Subject content includes English, math, reading, science reasoning, and optional essay
2 hours and 55 minutes (3 hours 40 minutes with essay)
scored on a scale of 1-36 and score is valid for college admission for five years
provides accommodations for students with disabilities and English language supports
preparation includes the ASPIRE for grades 3-10 and the PreACT in grade 10 to measure growth

RESOURCES

Official ACT Website

Test Prep Toolkit

Disabled Students and English Language Supports

AP Practice

Khan Academy is now the official practice partner for Advanced Placement!

Khan Academy videos, articles, and practice exercises are designed to build the knowledge and skills needed for AP-level courses. Teachers can use them as part of their class and students can use them anytime for extra help. Here is a list:

Why Khan Academy for SAT & AP Practice?

For the first time ever, you have access to a personalized SAT practice program with Khan Academy. Your practice recommendations are based on past SAT and PSAT/NMSQT scores. Once your Khan Academy account is linked with your College Board account, you will receive free SAT practice that is customized just for you, based on your PSAT performance.

It is FREE, online, and available 24/7.
Builds skills in math, reading, and writing.
Daily practice can improve performance in courses, PSAT/NMSQT/SAT, AP exams, and STAAR English and Math exams.
20 hours of personalized official SAT practice on Khan Academy results in an average of 115 point gain on the redesigned SAT exam.
Introduction to Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy Video

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