AP Computer Science A

Course Description

“Get familiar with the concepts and tools of computer science as you learn a subset of the Java programming language. You'll do hands-on work to design, write, and test computer programs that solve problems or accomplish tasks.”

Assistance

If you have course related questions such as questions about due dates, assignment directions, lesson material, etc. please contact your instructor immediately via Canvas message (if courses have started) or via direct email (if courses have not started). Your instructor's email and name can be found after logging in by clicking on Course Information or can be found on the homepage of your course after classes begin.

After courses begin, all communications between instructor and student should happen from Canvas Messaging.

If you need technical assistance at any time during the course or to report a problem with your account please visit https://niswongeronline.com/questions/ to submit a trouble ticket or contact:

Mr. Chris Dotson

Technology Support Lead, Niswonger Online & APAA

cdotson@niswongerfoundation.org

You can also visit this page for answers to frequently asked questions: https://niswongeronline.com/student-help-resources/ 

For other concerns that have not been addressed by your teacher or by our Technology Support Team contact:

Dr. Gina Pavlovich                                                             Mrs. Samatha DeBord

Director AP Access for ALL & Niswonger Online              Assistant Director, AP Access for ALL

gpavlovich@niswongerfoundation.org                              sdebord@niswongerfoundation.org 

 **NOTE that ONLY your school Counselor or local Administrator can request a course change or drop. No one within the APAA program can approve this.**

Course Outline

This course has a total of 125 assignments that students are required to complete. Any assignments not completed by the course checkpoints or final course due date will become a 0%.

Module 0.0: Academic Integrity

Module 0.1: Canvas Introduction

Module 0.2: Canvas Review and College Board Account Creation

Module 1: Introduction

Module 2: Variables & Expressions

Module 3: Strings & Arrays

Module 4: Booleans, Operators, & Conditional Statements

Module 5: Iteration/Loops

Module 6: Methods

Module 7: Objects

Module 8: Inheritance & Polymorphism

Module 9: Overriding Methods

Module 10: Class Definitions Revisited

Module 11: Abstractions

Module 12: Algorithms & Image Processing

Module 13: Search & Sort

Module 14: Program Analysis

Module 15: Review for the AP Test

Grading Policy

AP courses are designed to be taught at a college level, thus it is the responsibility of the student to follow the pacing guide and turn in their work by the due date.

There a four types of assignments:

• Informational Gathering (watch videos and read text)

• These assignments are not graded, however they contain the information you will need to successfully complete the graded assignments. It is highly recommended that you spend adequate time reviewing this information, because there will be NO REDOES on Graded Assignments.

• Quizzes (100 points)

• Quizzes will be taken in the CANVAS portion of the course. They provide instant feedback and are designed to show you your comparison level of information in the Informational Gathering assignments.

• Tests (100 points)

• Tests will be taken in the iEMACS section of the course. They show your progress in understanding the course materials.

• Labs/Coding (100 points)

• Labs are the practical, hands-on, portion of the course. Near the end of the course some of these Labs will take several hours to complete. Thus, those Labs are worth more points.

AP Access for ALL Late Work Policy

At Niswonger Online and the AP Access for ALL program, we understand the importance of meeting deadlines and developing strong time management skills. To maintain consistency and encourage timely submissions, we have established the following late work policy:

1. Due Dates and Submissions:

   a. All assignments have designated due dates at midnight Eastern Standard Time. These deadlines will be communicated clearly to students in advance through a course pacing guide and individual assignment due dates in CanvasLMS.

   b. Unless noted on the assignment instructions, all assignments should be submitted through the APAA CanvasLMS platform.

2. No Assignment Submission

   a. All assignments not submitted by the given due date and time will be given a 0%.

   b. That assignment will remain a 0% until a submission occurs.

3. Late Submissions:

   a. Assignments submitted after midnight Eastern Standard Time on the designated due date will be considered late.

   b. Late submissions will incur a two (2) percentage point decrease for each day late.

   c. The reduction will apply to the overall grade earned on the assignment.

   d. The maximum penalty will be 50 points.

4. Calculation of Percentage Point Reduction:

   a. The percentage reduction in grade will be applied on a daily basis after the original due date at midnight Eastern Standard Time.

   b. Each day that an assignment is late, two (2) percentage points will be deducted from the student's overall score for that assignment.

   c. Weekends and holidays will be included when calculating daily late penalties.

5.  Exceptional Circumstances and Extensions:

   a. Students who anticipate challenges in meeting an assignment deadline due to exceptional circumstances, such as illness or personal emergencies, should notify the instructor immediately.

   b. The instructor will evaluate each request for an extension on a case-by-case basis and determine whether to grant additional time without penalty.

   c. Proper documentation will be required to support extension requests for exceptional circumstances.

   d. A student’s school will be contacted to verify this request.

6. Plagiarism and Academic Integrity

 a. Plagiarized assignments that are submitted late will follow the Academic Integrity guidelines and point deductions stated HERE, as well as assuming late submission deductions if submitted late.

7. Automatic Drop Dates:

  a. Two times during the school year, once in the fall for fall and year-long semester students, and once in the spring for spring semester students, the APAA program will enforce an automatic drop date.

  b. Drops will only occur for students failing their course and/or not logging in consistently to work and submit assignments.

  c. Consistent late work will negatively impact a student’s grade and can cause them to be dropped from the course.

  d. Consistent plagiarism or Academic Integrity violations can negatively impact a student’s grade and cause them to be dropped from the course.

8.  Communication and Transparency:

   a. The late work policy and automatic drop dates will be clearly communicated to students at the beginning of the course and reiterated before each assignment deadline.

   b. Instructors will provide timely reminders of approaching due dates to help students stay on track.

  c. The instructor will promptly notify students about any needed changes or exceptions to the late work policy based on assignment needs.

  d. APAA instructors and administrators ask that students communicate with their teachers immediately if there is an emergency that may require an extension.

  e. If students have any questions about their grades and any points deducted, they should contact their instructor immediately.

We believe adhering to deadlines is essential for academic success and professional development. This late work policy aims to instill a sense of responsibility, time management, and accountability in our students. By complying with this policy, students will be better prepared for future challenges and will maximize their learning opportunities within their AP Access for ALL class.

Please note this policy serves as a general framework, and specific details, such as the deduction date and extension criteria, may vary on some assignments based on instructor or student needs and assignment requirements. The teachers and APAA administrators make these decisions and will communicate with students immediately if changes are needed.

Viewing Grades and Feedback in Canvas

Points you receive for graded activities will be posted to your Canvas Grade Book. Click on the Grades link on the left navigation to view your grades and feedback.

Your teacher will update the online grades each time a due date has passed. Check back for updated grades and feedback within 7 days after submission.

It is also important to read or view all feedback given by your teacher. This is how a student will grow within the course. Feedback can be viewed from your Canvas gradebook by clicking on the small icon- out from your numerical grade.

Course Policies

IEP/ 504/ ILP Accommodations

If you have a student with approved accommodations, please read the linked policy below. This information is shared with high schools at the beginning of each semester to ensure counselors understand our accommodations and can communicate them to APAA teachers to meet students' needs.

Student/ Guardian Copy- Procedures for APAA Student Accomodations

Commit to Integrity

As a student in this course, you are expected to maintain high degrees of professionalism and integrity.

Cheating is “the act of obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for academic work through the use of any dishonest, deceptive, or fraudulent means.”

Plagiarism is “the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.”

Niswonger Online Plagiarism Policy      

All students will be asked to read the Niswonger Online plagiarism policy and complete an assignment to show understanding BEFORE any work in the course can be accessed or completed. The plagiarism policy and corresponding assignment is linked in the second module, labeled Academic Integrity, within each course. Go to APAA Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Policy to view the plagiarism policy without logging into the course.

Build Rapport

If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or other aspects of the course, make sure you let your teacher know as early as possible. As you will find, building rapport and effective relationships are key to becoming an effective professional. Make sure that you are proactive in informing your teacher when difficulties arise during the semester so that we can help you find a solution.

Submitting Assignments

All assignments for this course will be submitted electronically through Canvas unless otherwise instructed. If you have any trouble submitting your assignment in Canvas you should contact your teacher or the Niswonger Online Technology team immediately.

Course Enrollment and Drops

Students can only be enrolled in a Niswonger Online course by their home high school’s counselor, AP Liaison, or administrator.

Course drops can only be approved by school personnel (counselor, AP Liaison, or administrator). Online teachers, the APAA director, or APAA Assistant Director cannot approve any course changes. Each school has its own policy on when a student may drop their online course. Please see your school counselor or administrator if you have any questions about this.