AP courses are offered at each of our district comprehensive high schools. AP courses follow a national curriculum provided by The College Board, the publishers of the SAT college entrance exam. These courses give students the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school.

Each May, AP exams are offered to students as they complete their coursework. Students earning a minimum score on the exam can receive either elective credit or course replacement credit depending on the college or university policy.

Parents and students are encouraged to review these policies on the college website for colleges under consideration. AP courses are college-level courses that reflect a student’s willingness to follow the demands and rigor of college-level studies.

These courses assist students in stretching themselves to think or learn at a higher level and will help students stand out in the college admission process. A fee is required for each AP exam, but a waiver can be requested through the student’s High School Guidance Counselor.

A high school curriculum of high academic intensity and quality found in Pre-AP/AP courses is the factor that most contributes to a student’s likelihood of completing a college degree. Exposure to this curriculum is a much better predictor of college success than a student’s high school GPA or test scores. AP students:

• are exposed to the rigor of college-level study
• explore advanced topics in greater depth and detail
• earn college credit while in high school
• build confidence in their capability to succeed in college
• increase the likelihood of getting accepted to the college of their choice
• save money; course waivers earned in AP will save on tuition
• improve their writing skills and sharpen their problem-solving techniques
• assume responsibility for reasoning, analyzing, and understanding for themselves
• earn up to a semester of college credit for free
• increase the likelihood of college admission

AP courses offered in Thompson School District: Art History; Biology; Calculus AB and BC; Chemistry; Economics: Macro; Economics: Micro; English Language and Composition; English Literature and Composition; Environmental Science; European History; Government and Politics: Comparative or United States; Human Geography; Music Theory; Physics I; Physics II: Electricity and Magnetism; Physics II: Mechanics; Psychology; Research; Seminar; Statistics; Studio Art: Drawing, Photo, 2-D or 3-D Design; U.S. History; World History; and World Languages: Spanish, German and French.

For more information on the AP program, please visit CollegeBoard.org.

Thompson School District offers a Spanish/English Dual Language Immersion Program in four schools: Truscott Elementary School, Cottonwood Plains Elementary School and then Bill Reed Middle School and Lucile Erwin Middle School.

Dual Language Immersion is an academic program that enhances the development of literacy and content in both English and Spanish so that students will graduate ready for college, career and life in a globally competitive economy and a collaborative global community.

Being both bilingual and biliterate are essential skills in our international world that are in big demand. This unique program builds student linguistic skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing in both English and Spanish. Students learn standards-based content as they become linguistically and academically proficient in both languages.

The dual language program begins in elementary school as a 50/50 plan where students spend half of the day in Spanish and half the day in English from K-5. Students then transition to middle school where they have a Spanish Literacy course as well as a grade-level regular Social Studies in Spanish in grades 6-8.

Unless a student has been enrolled in another dual language program or uses and knows Spanish at home, it is a challenge to enter the program after first grade. However, there are placement assessments available.

In the dual language middle school programs, students who were not in the elementary dual language program can enter the program if they have been in another dual language program, and who can speak, listen, read, and write Spanish at home. There are placement tests available.

Come join us and develop valuable skills for your future. To learn more about the program, please call Truscott Elementary School at 970-613-6900, Cottonwood Plains Elementary School at 970-613-5900 , Bill reed Middle School at 970-613-7200, or Lucille Erwin Middle School at 970-613-7600.

Thompson School District offers the IB program at Coyote Ridge Elementary School, Lucile Erwin Middle School and Loveland High School. IB is an inquiry-based approach to learning focused on exploring students’ questions and curiosities.

In addition to high academic standards and expectations, an IB education fosters the development of the whole child, including the arts and social-emotional health. Students explicitly learn 21st century skills such as research, communication, collaboration and social skills.

International Baccalaureate schools emphasize student action and community service as an essential part of the learning experience. As reflective practitioners, educators at all IB program schools participate in regular specialized training as well as external evaluations to ensure compliance with the rigorous standards of the IB organization.

For more information, please call 970-613-5200 for high school, 970-613-7600 for middle school, and 970-679-9400 for elementary school programs.

Loveland/Berthoud Enrichment Access Program (LEAP) is a tuition-free, part-time, publicly funded enrichment program sponsored by Thompson School District for homeschooled students.

Loveland/Berthoud Enrichment Access Program provides enrichment to students in grades K-12 and is designed to support parents who choose to school their children at home or outside of the public school setting. Parents remain the primary instructional providers with LEAP supplementing their efforts.

Classes meet at Love Collective Church, 2525 Van Buren Court, Loveland, on Wednesdays or Thursdays from 8:20 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Students attend one day per week and enjoy classes taught by state-licensed teachers, hands-on activities and friendships with other homeschooled children.

Loveland/Berthoud Enrichment Access Program teachers provide a variety of learning opportunities. Some classes may take place in a self-contained building while others are more project based and occur throughout the Loveland community. Curriculum for use in the home is available from the LEAP lending library for those enrolled in the program.

For more information, visit https://www.tsdleap.org.

The LISA program is offered at Garfield Elementary School, Bill Reed Middle School, and Mountain View High School. LISA students benefit not only from the arts instruction embedded in their core classes but also from the many arts enrichment experiences available to them.

Extracurricular activities such as art and choir clubs, dance, and performance opportunities give LISA students plenty of chances to show their talents both in the schools and at local arts venues. All three schools build background knowledge and experiences in the arts through field trips and artist-in-residence opportunities.

Community collaborations are also a key component as students from all three schools partner with local groups and organizations for service-oriented extensions of their LISA experience.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics is offered at Berthoud High School as a focused educational program. STEM Engineering is offered at Thompson Valley High School and Mountain View High School.

An “Engineering Your World” program is hosted at Thompson Valley High School and a “Project Lead the Way” program is based at Mountain View High School and Berthoud High School. STEM strives to produce scientifically and mathematically literate graduates who can step into leadership positions at the most competitive postsecondary programs in the country.

The curriculum, educational enrichment and interactive approach will develop scientists capable of planning, conducting and communicating their own investigations. Students design their own research project and work with an adult mentor during their junior and senior years.

Included in the program is Pogil Chemistry, Project Lead the Way engineering classes and Advanced Placement options. Students interested in entering this rigorous program should call Berthoud High School at 970-613-7700. Three elementary schools—Big Thompson, Ivy Stockwell and Laurene Edmondson—and two middle schools—Turner and Walt Clark—are STEM focus schools. STEM provides a multiple-pathways-to-success approach so that all students can succeed. Students engage in problem-based learning centered on science, technology, engineering and math with literacy as the core. In collaborative groups, students solve real and relevant problems that cross all content areas with hands-on learning opportunities.

Thompson School District’s High Plains School is proud to offer families an education based on the STEAM model. Schools that use a STEAM framework to develop instruction intentionally design units and lessons to integrate concepts from science, math, history, and the arts.

Students learn skills in these content areas to support their reading, writing, and communication abilities. They also take that knowledge to an application level to help them understand why they are learning what they are learning.

Technology and the engineering design process are taught to and used by students to apply their content learning in real-world, relevant, and meaningful ways through a problem-based learning approach. Students create and design new products or experiences to solve relevant, real-world problems.

Students develop their critical thinking skills, local and global awareness, and communication and collaborative skills through this problem-based approach. A STEAM framework and problem-based learning approach sparks students’ creativity and helps them to develop character traits such as perseverance, responsibility, and citizenship, which will serve them well throughout their life.

To learn more about STEAM, please contact High Plains School at 970-679-9800.

Thompson Online and SOARS provides an online educational experience for students enrolled in Thompson School District. Students taking classes through Thompson Online may be enrolled in one or both of the programs identified above. Students may also be enrolled in Thompson Online part time (as little as one class) while enrolled in a regular school.

Thompson Online strives to create a student-focused online learning environment. Student needs are identified and an online learning plan is developed. The end result is a custom designed online learning experience for each student. Students have the ability to access curriculum and assignments 24 hours a day, seven days a week from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Online teachers interact with students through multiple venues (including face-to-face and online), creating a virtual learning environment. Additional instructional delivery and feedback is available in learning labs during the school year.

A student’s online experience is tailored to their instructional needs, pacing preferences and lab/teacher support needs. Courses can be delivered in both a synchronous and an asynchronous manner allowing for enrollments throughout the school year.

A synchronous enrollment is meant to work in conjunction with the school district’s semester schedule. An asynchronous enrollment is one in which a student begins and/or ends their semester-long class in a time period that may not line up with the traditional semester schedule. Thompson Online affords access to a variety of classes including credit recovery, core and comprehensive.

The Pathfinder Work-Based Learning (WBL) Program provides a variety of real-world opportunities for students at all levels to explore career paths while gaining valuable work experience, building career and college readiness skills, and making valuable connections to the community.

Through the Xello software platform high school students can apply for WBL Opportunities such as internships, apprenticeships, industry tours, job shadows, informational interviews, volunteer opportunities, and part-time/summer jobs.

Internship and Apprenticeship represent the highest level of work-based learning opportunities offered for high school students at all of our schools, and a variety of options and career pathways exist for students to explore. School year and summer internships, both paid and unpaid are available in a variety of industries.

For Apprenticeships, we partner primarily with the CareerWise Colorado youth apprenticeship program for 2 or 3 year apprenticeships where students earn $30K to $40K in wages, industry credentials, debt-free college credit, and high school elective credit. More information about all of these opportunities and instructions for accessing them in Xello can be found at tsd.org/WBL.