Advanced Computer Science A

This one-semester course is intended to introduce you to the concepts of computer programming. This course has 20 lessons organized into four units, plus four Unit Activities. Each lesson contains one or more Lesson Activities.  In Advanced Computer Science A, you will describe the basic concepts of computer programming. You will compile and run a simple Java program. You will use arithmetic, relational, and logical operators. You will implement algorithms, and use different types of loop and decision-making statements. You will create and use classes. You will create and manipulate one-dimensional and two-dimensional arrays. You will perform sequential search, binary search, selection sort, and insertion sort on an array. You will explain and implement object-oriented programming design. You will implement inheritance, polymorphism, and abstraction. Further, you will describe privacy and legality in the context of computing.  Your teacher will grade your work on the Unit Activities, and you will grade your work on the Lesson Activities by comparing them with the given sample responses. The Unit Activities (submitted to the teacher) and the Lesson Activities (self-checked) are major components of this course. There are other assessment components, namely the mastery test questions that feature along with the lesson; the pre- and post-test questions that come at the beginning and end of the unit, respectively; and an end-of-semester test. All of these tests are a combination of simple multiple-choice questions and technology-enhanced (TE) questions.

AP courses may require additional materials to be purchased by the student, such as textbooks, lab equipment, or specific software. These extra resources are often necessary to meet the advanced curriculum demands and ensure successful preparation for the exams.