The Keller Independent School District secondary schools offer students the opportunity to participate in challenging academic courses, such as Honors, Accelerated (Acc), Dual Enrollment, Dual Credit, and Advanced Placement (AP). Because these classes are college preparatory and/or similar to college-level courses, students are challenged to be more disciplined and structured and to perform at a higher academic level. 

What are Accelerated courses?

Accelerated courses are compacted curriculum courses that are designed to allow students access to a faster pace of curriculum in a given core content area.

What are Honors courses?

Honors courses are high school credit college preparatory courses that are designed to provide students with the necessary skills to be successful in Dual Credit and AP courses. In KISD advanced content and college readiness skills are partnered with the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) to comprise Honors courses' syllabi. Honors courses are replacing Pre-AP courses. Middle schools do offer some high school credit courses.

What is Dual Credit (DC)?

A student may enroll in academic courses for college credit before they graduate from high school. Students receive both high school and college credit to successfully complete required courses offered through the district partnership university. Students enrolled in dual credit courses are expected to attend class on the scheduled days. The calculation of class rank shall exclude grades earned through college credit courses taken anywhere other than the district high school. There is no limit to the number of credits a student may earn in this manner. A student must:

• Obtain permission from the high school
• Enroll at the college/university offering the courses
• Earn a grade average of 70 or above or “C” in each required course
• Meet the entrance requirements of the college/university, including the required TSI exam.
• Comply with the Student Code of Conduct and grading guidelines of the college/university

What is Dual Enrollment?

Courses similar to dual credit, by participating in a dual enrollment course, a student is working in a college-level curriculum while in high school. However, dual enrollment means that there is a separate college course grade earned and a separate high school course grade earned. The University of Texas at Austin OnRamps courses are an example of this course type. Each dual enrollment course in the guide will have the corresponding HS credit equivalent. Students will register for dual enrollment courses with UT Austin at the beginning of the school year after selecting the dual enrollment course for KISD.

What is Advanced Placement (AP)?

The AP (Advanced Placement) Program is administered by the College Board of New York. It allows students to participate in college-level courses and possibly earn college credit while still attending high school. Secondary schools and colleges cooperate in this program to give students the opportunity to show mastery in college-level courses by taking Advanced Placement (AP) exams in May of each school year.

Advanced Placement Examinations (AP) These exams provide students with the opportunity to gain college credit by examination at participating universities. Information regarding the awarding of credit can be found online at www.collegeboard.com

AP Capstone Diploma Program: Students can earn the AP Capstone Diploma or the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research and on four additional AP Exams of their choosing receive the AP Capstone Diploma. Students who earn scores of 3 or higher in AP Seminar and AP Research but not on four additional AP Exams receive the AP Seminar and Research Certificate. All AP courses and course descriptions can be found throughout this course guide.