AP Computer Science Principles

Click here to apply for AP® Computer Science Principles with Ms. Reagan Waggoner and Ms. Rebekah Lang!

Applications are checked weekly in the spring and summer. You will receive a follow-up message with the status of your application before you pay for the course.

"When I first started this course, I felt that I would fail computer science because I had no basic knowledge whatsoever. But here I am now, understanding what enables this review form to be posted, and actually knowing what http means!"

— Yeeun K. (AP® CSP student, 2021-2022 school year)

Course Description (Curriculum adapted from Code.org)

The curriculum from Code.org is designed to prepare students for the AP® Computer Science Principles Exam and to serve as a foundation for future studies in computer science. It is divided into 10 units:

• Digital Information
• The Internet
• Intro. to App Design
• Variables, Conditionals, and Functions
• Data
• Lists, Loops and Traversals
• Parameters, Return, and Libraries
• Cybersecurity and Global Impacts
• The Create Performance Task
• Algorithms

In this course, students will:

• Build problem-solving skills through the use of computational widgets such as the pixelation and text compression widgets
• Rapidly develop shareable web applications using App Lab: Code.org's online, block to text, JavaScript programming environment
• Experience a blend of online, guided tutorials and open-ended, project-based learning
• Learn from a diverse cast of role models, from well-known tech celebrities to social innovators, who are using CS to tackle society's problems
• Engage in constructing their own understanding of computer science concepts through inquiry-based instructional strategies
• Prepare for the AP® CS Principles exam, both the in-person test day and the asynchronous Create Performance Task (a portfolio submission)

Ms. Reagan Waggoner, co-teacher, will host a weekly live Zoom session (day and time TBD in August). It will most likely be between Monday - Wednesday, between 10 am - 12 pm ET. This is a great opportunity for students to interact with each other live, learn new concepts and review important projects. She will record this for students unable to attend. Ms. Rebekah Lang will post weekly work assignments and handle behind-the-scenes planning, pacing, grading, and support for the course. Both teachers will be available to to help you succeed in the course!

Beyond the weekly Zoom meeting, students will interact with the teachers, their classmates, and the teacher's assistants (TAs) primarily through Google Classroom, Discord, and email. On Google Classroom, students will participate in discussions, submit projects, post resources, upload homework, and complete assessments that are organized into weekly work folders. There will also be some partner coding and group projects during the year. 

This course also features TA-hosted office hours and a TA-run Discord Channel where students can build connections, get help with homework, brainstorm project ideas, study for tests, and more!

Student Samples

To give prospective students a better idea of what they will accomplish in this course, here is a compilation of projects by former students:

     

Who Should Apply

Anyone who is interested in computer science, technological innovations, creative problem solving, logical thinking, and learning! This course introduces high school students to the foundational concepts of computer science and challenges them to explore how computing and technology can impact the world. All hard-working 9 - 12 grade students can succeed in this course, regardless of prior coding experience (or lack thereof!).

Students who have limited computer experience or who might not yet be ready for the challenges of an AP® course should consider Honors Computer Science Discoveries (CSD) instead. CSD is meant for students in grades 6 - 10 as a precursor to AP® CSP or AP® CSA. Students who are primarily interested in coding in Java (or majoring in computer science in college) should consider AP® CSA instead. Here is a brief summary of the difference between CSA and CSP.

Prerequisites

The College Board recommends that students have a grade of B or better in Algebra I before taking AP® Computer Science Principles. Prospective students should be ready to commit up to 10 hours a week for independent coursework.

Required Texts

• This course uses Code.org's AP® CS Principles curriculum which is freely available on their website
• There may be reading assignments from Blown to Bits (available for free online)
• An optional test prep book will be announced in the Spring (typically Barron's or The Princeton Review)

Technical Requirements

• Computer with audio and high-speed internet access
• A Gmail account

Grading Approach

The goal of this course is to help all students learn the classwork well enough to earn an A! Students are therefore graded based on what they know and what they can do rather than on their timeliness or compliance  (following Grading for Equity principles). Tests are meant to assess as well as prepare students for the AP exam. There are also project grades which comprise a large percentage of the overall course grade. The teachers will make all possible accommodations to help every student succeed, including providing opportunities for test corrections and work revisions without penalties. Additionally, the grades of all students who score a 5 on the AP® exam will be updated to an A+.

Course Dates

Ms. Reagan Waggoner will host a live Zoom meeting weekly (time TBD in August). She will record and post it for students unable to attend. 

We will post weekly work folders each Monday that will be due the following Monday.  This course will run approximately from September 9, 2024—May 16, 2024 (depending on the date of the AP exam), except for the following breaks:

• Thanksgiving break (November 23 - December 2)
• Winter break (December 21 - January 6)
• Spring break (April 12 - 22)

If students need additional time off or flexibility with deadlines, they should email Ms. Rebekah to plan ahead.

Course Fee

• Regular Tuition: $900
• Audit: $400

Instructors:

Ms. Rebekah Lang: This will be Ms. Rebekah's eighth year teaching this course for PA Homeschoolers. This class' average on the 2023 AP® CSP exam was 4.04/5.0 with a 92% pass rate (students earning a 3 or higher on the exam). Compare this with the global average for the 2023 exam: an average score of 2.9/5.0 with a 63.1% pass rate.

Ms. Rebekah has recently won an Educator Affiliate Award for NCWIT's Aspirations in Computing Program for her work with girls in computer science. For the last 7 summers, Ms. Rebekah has scored the Create Performance Task for AP CSP exam as reader. The training and scoring of thousands of exams has given her great insights on how to best prepare the class for the performance task portion of the exam. Following her master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Western Governors University, Ms. Rebekah has earned multiple educator certificates from various tech companies and from Penn State University Lehigh Valley for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). She holds state teaching certifications in computer science as well as a broad variety of other subjects. She has participated in Cooperative Learning Research for Computer Science Principles, served as a CS for All Teachers Ambassador, and is currently a CS Awesome PD Facilitator. 

In addition to teaching AP® Computer Science Principles, Ms. Rebekah is the instructor for AP® Computer Science A and Honors Computer Science Discoveries for PA Homeschoolers. She also teaches AP® Computer Science A, AP® Computer Science Principles, Computer Science Discoveries, and Web Design in person for a local private school. Ms. Rebekah is a lifelong educator and learner who has taught middle and high school students—public, charter, private, and homeschooled—for the past 14 years. Having been homeschooled herself, Ms. Rebekah understands how diverse, independent, intelligent, and engaged homeschooled students are. She is excited to work with such talented students and aid them in their studies of computer science!

Ms. Reagan Waggoner:  Reagan Waggoner is excited to co-teach AP CSP this year for the second time. She is currently a rising graduate student at the University of Alabama finishing degrees in quantitative economics and mathematics, with a concentration in computing technology. To this day, her courses through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers, including this one, are some of the most enriching educational experiences she has had, certainly more than equipping her for college-level studies (even allowing her to graduate high school with two years of college complete). AP Computer Science Principles was her first introduction to computer science, and she has since worked three years as a Teacher's Assistant for AP CSP and CSA, before co-teaching the course last year.

Since then, she has also delved deeper into Java, JS, data analytics, software development, and general computing. Last summer, she interned in software development in her hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, and she has honed her understanding of software, programming, and information systems through various projects, internships, and volunteer positions throughout her time in college. Beyond her technical acumen, Ms. Waggoner has nurtured a passion for teaching and education. As the owner of a tutoring business for six years, she has worked extensively with students on subjects including math, Latin, writing, formal logic, to ACT/SAT prep. Additionally, she has taught small-group coding classes for middle-school students throughout the past few years.

Ms. Reagan is dedicated to instilling a lasting love for education, collaboration, and genuine understanding in her students, recognizing the broader implications of computer science and seeing it not just as a standalone field but as a fundamental skill applicable across all domains. In addition to the technical aspects of computer science, she strives to cultivate a love for learning and a holistic understanding of its real-world applications in live classes and beyond.