Enrichment Opportunities

AVID provides scaffolded support that educators and students need to encourage college and career readiness and success. AVID 9 and 10 are designed with a focus on organization and academic skills to help students transition into high school and to be successful in rigorous college preparatory classes. AVID 11 continues to build on academic skills, but the focus changes to college readiness. Students review career goals and begin to design education plans that involve college exploration, test preparation, and financial aid awareness. AVID 12 begins the transition to post-secondary educational planning. Students focus on taking the SAT/ACT, exploring college, and completing college and financial aid applications.

Prerequisite: Students in AVID 12 must have completed a previous AVID class.

Tutorial courses provide students with the assistance they need to successfully complete their coursework. Students may receive help in one or several subjects.​

Independent Study courses, typically organized as a mentorship with a teacher or outside professional, enable students to conduct investigations related to their field(s) of interest.

The overarching mission of Seminar in each year of high school is to support students with their successful transition to high school; development as learners, community members, and friends; and progression to post-secondary plans. Seminar content includes understanding of the relationship between social, emotional and academic learning; faculty mentorship and guidance; and professional skill development so that students become caring, confident and competent citizens and workers.

Study Hall courses provide students with the opportunity and time to complete classroom assignments or school projects. Students typically work on their own, without the help of a tutor; however, they are supervised and usually remain in the classroom.

Study Hall courses provide students with the opportunity and time to complete classroom assignments or school projects. Students typically work on their own, without the help of a tutor; however, they are supervised and usually remain in the classroom.

Study Skills courses prepare students for success in high school and/or for postsecondary education. Course topics may vary according to the students involved, but typically include reading improvement skills, such as scanning, note-taking, and outlining; library and research skills; listening and note-taking; vocabulary skills; and test-taking skills. The courses may also include exercises designed to generate organized, logical thinking and writing.

The Advanced Placement (AP) program, offered by the College Board, enables students to pursue college-level studies while still in high school. AP offers students the opportunity to participate in a rigorous curriculum that exposes students to high academic intensity and quality.

AP Examinations are administered each year in May and represent the culmination of college-level work in a given discipline in a secondary school setting. Rigorously developed by committees of college and AP high school faculty, the AP Exams test students' ability to perform at a college level. Students who perform well may earn college credit and/or advanced standing at thousands of universities worldwide.

Based on the amount of work required outside of the classroom, students who want to enroll in more than three Honors and/or AP level classes per semester should carefully consider their academic, personal and extracurricular activities. Students are encouraged to consult with their school counselor. Note: Starting with the incoming class of 2022, students will be limited to taking no more than nine AP classes over the course of their high school career.

Visit the CollegeBoard website for more details about AP courses and exams, including exam dates and fees. Financial assistance is available for economically disadvantaged students. See a school counselor for more information.

Students may choose to get a jump-start on a college degree or certificate by taking college classes while in high school. This can be accomplished through Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit classes, which allow eligible students to earn high school and college credit simultaneously.

Students can save money toward higher education by taking Dual Enrollment classes, which are taught in their high school during the regular school day at no cost. Alternately, a student may choose to enroll in Dual Credit classes, which are taken on the college campus. Students are responsible for any expenses associated with Dual Credit classes.

Students participating in Dual Enrollment or Dual Credit courses follow the college add/drop policy and deadlines. Course offerings vary from year to year. Courses taken in the core areas (English, history/social sciences, mathematics, and science) are weighted as Dual Enrollment/Dual Credit courses.

Students who successfully complete these courses earn college credit from the partnering higher education institution. Credit transfer to another college or university depends upon the policies of that individual college or university.

Albemarle County Public Schools offers a variety of Dual Enrollment and Dual Credit opportunities in partnership with Piedmont Virginia Community College. A smaller number of Dual Enrollment opportunities exist in partnership with Reynolds Community College.

Learn more about admission requirements at Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC) »

In partnership with Piedmont Virginia Community College (PVCC), eligible students can earn an associate degree in General Studies while in high school. Monticello High School serves as the Early College Scholars Degree Program “home” due to its close proximity to PVCC; Dual Enrollment college-level courses are offered on both campuses. All students, regardless of their base school, can participate. Eligibility includes GPA, maturity and skills to succeed in college-level courses, and capacity to complete 63 credits for the associate degree. The benefits of Early College include transferability of college credit to a four-year college/university, college tuition savings, and ability to competitively join the workforce immediately upon high school. Students can meet with their school counselors to learn more and/or contact the Monticello High School Counseling Department.

Students can participate in the Scholars Studios to pursue arts-focused pathways. Formerly known as the Arts and Letters Pathway, these studios are an extension of the Visual, Performing, and Media/Publication Arts classes at all comprehensive ACPS high schools. Pursuing this distinction permits students to choose from among four strands with 18 areas of concentration, and in addition to course study, students will participate in job shadowing, mentorships, and a capstone project to be completed during the senior year in the pathway strand. Students do not need to leave their base school to participate.

Students wanting to complete a pathway must complete a Declaration of Intent form and may enter the pathway in either 9th or 10th grade.

Encore Studio: Music and Theater

• Band
• Orchestra
• Chorus
• Piano
• Guitar
• Audio Production
• Theater Performance
• Technical Theater

Vivid Studio: Studio Art and Media/Publications

• Drawing/Painting
• Sculpture
• Ceramics
• Crafts
• Photography
• Journalism
• Broadcasting
• Filmmaking
• Creative Writing
• Graphic Design

In order to receive the graduation distinction of Arts and Letters, students must complete the following requirements:

• Four years of one strand of coursework (third and/or fourth year can be AP or Dual Enrollment course in pathway)
• Audition or competition piece in each year
• Job shadowing in 10th-grade year (minimum of 2 days or 10 hours)
• Work-based learning mentorship in 11th-grade year (summer or yearlong during the academic year, minimum of 25 hours; 40 hours will meet the CCCRI requirements)
• Capstone project in 12th-grade year to be monitored by supervising teacher
• At least one additional elective course aligned with the pathway based on the student’s interest (examples include: Entrepreneurship, Psychology, other AP or Dual Enrollment course aligned with pathway sequence)

Governor’s Senior Year Plus: Early College Scholars Agreement is intended to allow and to encourage eligible high school seniors to complete requirements for a high school diploma and concurrently earn at least 15 hours of transferable credits toward a college degree. This results in a more productive senior year and reduces the amount of college tuition for families. See your school counselor for more information.

Students will complete one or more of the following throughout their high school career: a senior capstone project, portfolio, performance-based assessment, or structured experiment that relates to a work-based learning, service-learning, or community engagement activity. Such capstone project, portfolio, performance-based assessment, or structured experiment shall align with and further develop the knowledge and skills attained through such work-based learning, service-learning, or community engagement activity.

Work-based learning (WBL) is a school-coordinated, coherent sequence of on-the-job experiences that relate to students’ career goals and/or interests, are based on instructional preparation, and are performed in partnership with local businesses, industries, or other organizations in the community. WBL enables students to apply classroom instruction in a real-world business or service-oriented work environment.

The Virtual Learning program provides opportunities for students in Grades 9-12 to complete coursework in a virtual setting. Albemarle County Public Schools (ACPS) offers virtual courses led by ACPS teachers that are aligned to the same standards and at the same level of rigor as traditional classroom offerings.

For a complete listing of virtual courses offered through ACPS and guidelines for taking virtual courses with Virtual Virginia and other institutions, visit our Virtual Learning web page or contact your school counselor.

As a program of the Virginia Department of Education, Virtual Virginia (VVA) at this time offers online Advanced Placement (AP), world language, core academic, and elective courses to students throughout the Commonwealth.

The Virtual Virginia program is available to students in Grades 9-12 who are pursuing courses that are not offered at their high school.

For a complete listing of virtual courses offered through ACPS and guidelines for taking virtual courses with Virtual Virginia and other institutions, visit our Virtual Learning web page or contact your school counselor.

Work-Based Learning (WBL) is a method of instruction that integrates an applied professional experience within a Career and Technical Education (CTE) course. Students investigate careers and gain insight into their strengths, interests and values through a range of WBL experience options, from short-term job shadowing to longer duration experiences such as internships, apprenticeships, service learning, and more. WBL brings relevancy to academics and helps students gain direction for future educational and career choices. WBL experiences are developed in partnership with local industry and community organizations in alignment with VDOE standards; students can also source WBL experiences. More information is available through each school’s Career Center and Career Specialist.