Students no longer have to prepare for overwhelming AP exams to achieve college credit. Concurrent enrollment classes are replacing traditional AP classes for the 2025-2026 school year. Concurrent enrollment classes are designed to prepare students for college-level work in high school, which will guarantee credit for a specified college.
Students plan to achieve an equal amount of rigor that was present in the AP classes. The only difference is that students do not receive a weighted GPA or need to pass the AP exam to get college credit.
“If you want a good in-person, supportive, rigorous experience that these concurrent enrollment courses are gonna essentially get more bang for your buck,” teacher and Pathways Coordinator Rachel Steil said.
The removal of AP classes was influenced by the opportunities granted to students and minimal staffing to provide both AP and concurrent enrollment. The district wants to create a more sustainable experience when receiving guaranteed college credit.
“Allowing students to receive college credit without taking the exam also allows the rigor of the class to be controlled better than if the student were to attend a PSEO class,” counselor Sydney Piras said.
PSEO has significantly impacted the switch from AP classes to concurrent enrollment options. The district has seen a growth in students taking PSEO courses, which significantly impacts the school’s funding.
“We lose $921 for every course you take off campus, because we lose that to the university, so financially, it’s beneficial to keep our kids on campus,” Steil said.
Additionally, students who take concurrent enrollment classes rather than PSEO classes are seen to succeed more. A lot of students struggle with communication and resources after taking PSEO classes.
“Research shows when a student is in their high school and supported by staff, day to day, supported by counseling team, they tend to do better than kids who go to PSEO,” Steil said.
Concurrent enrollment also prevents students from overworking for an AP exam. Teachers are now able to provide students with more content in a subject than preparation for the test.
The stress of receiving credits from AP exams is not beneficial for students. The concurrent enrollment courses drain any excess concerns surrounding the AP exams and instead grant students course credit after completion.
Junior Cora Youssef said students who stress about taking major tests experience that “it can be hard to study enough for stuff from the beginning of the year” and it would be more beneficial for students to receive college credit upon completion of the course.
With the change from AP classes to concurrent enrollment, more opportunities will be provided for students to earn college credit on campus. The district values the potential of students by providing support in the schools. However, resources such as PSEO do not allow students to receive equal support as a student who does courses at the high school.
“The thing that I know is really important to our district is having high expectations for students and wanting to encourage them to challenge themselves while also providing the safety and the support,” Piras said.
Concurrent enrollment courses are the next step for students to have a strong academic record. Ultimately, these classes will challenge students without requiring an end-of-year exam. Additionally, “it’s providing them some additional opportunities and saving them some money,” Piras said.
