High School Enrichment Program (9th-12th Grade)

Students who are ready to be challenged may be interested in taking Honors Classes. These classes offer content that is provided in more depth with more complexity and faster pacing. Please check the High School counseling office webpage to access the course registration guide to see what Honors Classes are available.

AHS Course Registration Page

Austin High School offers college-level classes where students can take a test at the completion of the course to possibly earn college credit. Courses offered are based on enrollment and student request - check with the High School to see what is currently offered (see AHS course registration guide link above). Grade weighting is utilized for some of the course offerings. Please see the attached link for information about this.

Grade Weighting Information

Contact the High School Counseling Office to learn more about PSEO and concurrent courses available. Concurrent courses are offered at AHS through Riverland Community College. Please see the attached link for more information about PSEO courses.

PSEO Legislation

UMTYMP (pronounced "um-tee-ump") is an accelerated program for students who are highly talented in mathematics. During the first two years of UMTYMP, students cover all four years of the "traditional" high school curriculum - Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, and Math Analysis (Precalculus). During the final three years of the program, students earn up to 12 University credits in a sequence of Calculus courses. Students interested in this program apply and take a qualifying exam (families are responsible for the cost of the exam). The University of Minnesota determines who qualifies. Classes are held in Rochester, typically from 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m one night per week. The Hormel Foundation and Austin Public Schools pay the tuition and book fees and provide the transportation to Rochester for qualifying Austin Public School students. Students taking UMTYMP math classes have a study hall placed in their school schedule rather than a math class. For more information about this program, please visit www.mathcep.umn.edu.

Because of a generous donation from the Hormel Foundation, each year two students from Austin Public Schools are awarded scholarships to attend the Minnesota Institute for Talented Youth (MITY) Expand Your Mind Summer Enrichment Camps. These summer camps are held at Macalester College. Scholarships include tuition and room and board for the two-week session. This opportunity is available to students in grades 7-11. Students who are interested complete the application form (available in January on this site and in their school counseling office) and return it to their school office (or the Educational Services office at Austin High School) by the deadline noted on the application. Applications are judged by a team and all applicants are notified of the results.

All students who attend I.J. Holton Intermediate School (grades 5-6) in Austin get an experience in Project Lead the Way. The units in this program expose students to Science/Technology/Engineering/Mathematics (STEM) activities that are tied to the real-world. Ellis Middle School (grades 7-8) offers several electives that continue this STEM pathway. Austin High School also offers a class that continues this STEM experience for interested students.

The ACT (American College Testing) is a standardized test to determine a high school graduate's preparation for college level work. It is a knowledge/curriculum-based achievement test, measuring what a student has learned in school. This test score is one factor many colleges consider for admissions. A high-test score may help a student get into a specific college or even access certain scholarships.

All juniors in Austin Public Schools can take the ACT free of charge (one time) on the date set by the high school.

The Preliminary SAT(PSAT) is an optional standardized test administered to interested juniors and sophomores. The PSAT measures critical reading skills, mathematics problem solving skills and writing skills. Taking the PSAT qualifies a student for National Merit Scholarships and is the only test that the Hormel Food Corporation will accept for their scholarship program.

For more information on this test please talk to someone in the Austin High School Counseling Department.

Activities for high school students sponsored by the Gifted Services for Talent Development Department include the following:

• The APS Poetry Contest (Grades K-12)
• Science Olympiad (Grades 9-12)

Please see the high school handbook for other extracurricular activities that are offered.