AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description PDF

INCLUDES Course framework Instructional section   reate performance C task guidelines...

INCLUDES Course framework Instructional section   reate performance C task guidelines AP Computer ® Science Principles COURSE AND EXAM DESCRIPTION Effective Fall 2023 AP Computer ® Science Principles COURSE AND EXAM DESCRIPTION Effective Fall 2023 AP COURSE AND EXAM DESCRIPTIONS ARE UPDATED PERIODICALLY Please visit AP Central (apcentral.collegeboard.org) to determine whether a more recent course and exam description is available. What AP Stands For ® Thousands of Advanced Placement teachers have contributed to the principles articulated here. These principles are not new; they are, rather, a reminder of how AP already works in classrooms nationwide. The following principles are designed to ensure that teachers’ expertise is respected, required course content is understood, and that students are academically challenged and free to make up their own minds. 1. A  Pstandsforclarityandtransparency.Teachersandstudentsdeserveclear expectations. The Advanced Placement Program makes public its course frameworks and sample assessments. Confusion about what is permitted in the classroom disrupts teachers and students as they navigate demanding work. 2. APisanunflinchingencounterwithevidence.APcoursesenablestudentstodevelop as independent thinkers and to draw their own conclusions. Evidence and the scientificmethodarethestartingplaceforconversationsinAPcourses. 3. APoppos  escensorship.APisanimatedbyadeeprespectfortheintellectual freedom of teachers and students alike. If a school bans required topics from their AP courses, the AP Program removes the AP designation from that course and its inclusion in the AP Course Ledger provided to colleges and universities. For example, the concepts of evolution are at the heart of college biology, and a course that neglects such concepts does not pass muster as AP Biology. 4. A  Popposesindoctrination.APstudentsareexpectedtoanalyzedifferent perspectives from their own, and no points on an AP Exam are awarded for agreementwithaspecificviewpoint.APstudentsarenotrequiredtofeelcertain ways about themselves or the course content. AP courses instead develop students’ abilities to assess the credibility of sources, draw conclusions, and make up their own minds. As the AP English Literature course description states: “AP students are not expectedoraskedtosubscribetoanyonespecificsetofculturalorpoliticalvalues, butareexpectedtohavethematuritytoanalyzeperspectivesdifferentfromtheir ownandtoquestionthemeaning,purpose,oreffectofsuchcontentwithinthe literary work as a whole.” 5. A  Pcoursesfosteranopen-mindedapproachtothehistoriesandculturesof differentpeoples.Thestudyofdifferentnationalities,cultures,religions,races,and ethnicities is essential within a variety of academic disciplines. AP courses ground such studies in primary sources so that students can evaluate experiences and evidence for themselves. 6. E  veryAPstudentwhoengageswithevidenceislistenedtoandrespected. Students are encouraged to evaluate arguments but not one another. AP classrooms respect diversity in backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. The perspectives and contributions of the full range of AP students are sought and considered. Respectful debate of ideas is cultivated and protected; personal attacks have no place in AP. 7. A  Pisachoiceforparentsandstudents.Parentsandstudentsfreelychooseto enroll in AP courses. Course descriptions are available online for parents and studentstoinformtheirchoice.Parentsdonotdefinewhichcollege-leveltopics are suitable within AP courses; AP course and exam materials are crafted by committeesofprofessorsandotherexperteducatorsineachfield.APcoursesand exams are then further validated by the American Council on Education and studies thatconfirmtheuseofAPscoresforcollegecreditsbythousandsofcollegesand universities nationwide. The AP Program encourages educators to review these principles with parents and students so they know what to expect in an AP course. Advanced Placement is always achoice,anditshouldbeaninformedone.APteachersshouldbegiventheconfidence and clarity that once parents have enrolled their child in an AP course, they have agreed to a classroom experience that embodies these principles. © 2023 The Advanced Placement Program, AP, AP Central, and the acorn logo are registered trademarks of the College Board. All other products and services may be trademarks of their respective owners. Visit College Board on the web: collegeboard.org.  Contents v Acknowledgments 1 About AP 4 AP Resources and Supports 6 Instructional Model 7 About the AP Computer Science Principles Course 7 College Course Equivalent 7 Prerequisites COURSE FRAMEWORK 11 Introduction 13 Course Framework Components 15 Computational Thinking Practices 17 Course Content 20 Course at a Glance 23 Big Idea Guides 24 Using the Big Idea Guides 27 BIG IDEA 1: Creative Development 41 BIG IDEA 2: Data 57 BIG IDEA 3: Algorithms and Programming 97 BIG IDEA 4: Computer Systems and Networks 109 BIG IDEA 5: Impact of Computing INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES 129 Selecting and Using Course Materials 132 Instructional Strategies 140 Developing Computational Thinking Practices 152 Using Strategies for Collaboration 153 Differentiating Computer Science Instruction CURRICULUM ALIGNMENT 157 Curriculum Alignment 158 Unit at a Glance EXAM INFORMATION 163 Exam Overview 175 Sample Exam Questions  SCORING GUIDELINES 188 Video, Program Requirements, and Written Response 1 191 Written Response 2 STUDENT HANDOUTS 197 Create Performance Task 203 Guidelines for Completing the Performance Task APPENDIX 211 APPENDIX 1: AP CSP Exam Reference Sheet 219 APPENDIX 2: AP CSP Conceptual Framework  Acknowledgments In partnership with the National Science Foundation, the AP Program collaborated with secondary and postsecondary educators and members of computerscienceeducationprofessionalorganizationstodeveloptheAP Computer Science Principles course framework. College Board would like to acknowledge the contributors and reviewers for their assistance with and commitment to the development of this course. All individuals’namesandtheiraffiliationswerecurrentatthetimeofcontribution. Christine Alvarado, University of California, San Diego, CA Bradley Bearden, Dadeville High School, Dadeville, AL Daniel Bonarigo, Riverside Brookfield High School, Chicago, IL Adam Cannon, Columbia University, New York, NY Joseph Coglianese, Troy High School, Fullerton, CA Jacqueline Corricelli, West Hartford Public School, West Hartford, CT Tom Cortina, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA Sandy Czajka, Riverside Brookfield High School, Riverside, IL Marilyn Fitzpatrick, Charles H. Flowers High School, Springdale, MD Dan Garcia, University of California, Berkeley, CA Jeff Gray, The University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL Jessica Jarboe, Milton High School, Milton, MA Brande Jones, Woodward Academy, College Park, GA Douglas Kiang, Punahou High School, Honolulu, HI Jennifer Rosato, The College of St. Scholastica, Duluth, MN Alexander Schenk, Collegiate School of Medicine and Bioscience, St. Louis, MO Cheryl Swanier, University of Massachusetts - Amherst, Amherst, MA Paul Tymann, Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester, NY Chinma Uche, CREC Academy of Aerospace and Engineering, Windsor, CT Jill Westerlund, Hoover High School, Hoover, AL Carol Yarbrough, Alabama School of Fine Arts, Birmingham, AL College Board Staff Shu-Kang Chen, Executive Director, AP STEM Crystal Furman, Director, AP Computer Science Principles Laura Keegan, Director, Product Development and Editorial AP Classroom Instruction Daniel Klag, Senior Director, Assessment Specialist, Computer Science Dana Kopelman, Executive Director, AP Assessment and Assessment Production Claire Lorenz, Senior Director, AP Classroom Instruction Products Daniel McDonough, Senior Director, AP Content and Assessment Publications Maureen Reyes, Executive Director, AP Course Innovations Monica Roman, Senior Director, AP Program Management Natalya Tabony, Senior Director, AP Strategy AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | v Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board Allison Thurber, Vice President, AP Curriculum and Assessment Jason VanBilliard, Senior Director, AP Math & Computer Science Department Head SPECIAL THANKS Jan Cuny, Owen Astrachan, Amy Briggs, and the National Science Foundation AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | vi Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board About AP College Board’s Advanced Placement® Program (AP®) with formative Topic Questions that teachers can assign enables willing and academically prepared students throughout the year to measure students’ progress as topursuecollege-levelstudies—withtheopportunity they acquire content knowledge and develop skills. to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both—whilestillinhighschool.ThroughAPcourses in 38 subjects, each culminating in a challenging Enrolling Students: exam, students learn to think critically, construct solid Equity and Access arguments,andseemanysidesofanissue—skills College Board strongly encourages educators to that prepare them for college and beyond. Taking AP make equitable access a guiding principle for their coursesdemonstratestocollegeadmissionofficers AP programs by giving all willing and academically that students have sought the most challenging prepared students the opportunity to participate curriculum available to them, and research indicates in AP. We encourage the elimination of barriers that students who score a 3 or higher on an AP Exam that restrict access to AP for students from ethnic, typically experience greater academic success in racial, and socioeconomic groups that have been college and are more likely to earn a college degree traditionally underserved. College Board also believes thannon-APstudents.EachAPteacher’ssyllabus that all students should have access to academically is evaluated and approved by faculty from some of challenging coursework before they enroll in AP classes, the nation’s leading colleges and universities, and AP which can prepare them for AP success. It is only Exams are developed and scored by college faculty and through a commitment to equitable preparation and experiencedAPteachers.Mostfour-yearcollegesand access that true equity and excellence can be achieved. universities in the United States grant credit, advanced placement, or both on the basis of successful AP Examscores—morethan3,300institutionsworldwide Offering AP Courses: annually receive AP scores. The AP Course Audit The AP Program unequivocally supports the principle AP Course Development that each school implements its own curriculum that will enable students to develop the content understandings Inanongoingefforttomaintainalignmentwithbest and skills described in the course framework. practicesincollege-levellearning,APcoursesand examsemphasizechallenging,research-based The AP Program does have a short list of curricular curricula aligned with higher education expectations. andresourcerequirementsthatmustbefulfilled before a school can label a course “Advanced Teachers can choose to adopt the curriculum of Placement”or“AP.”SchoolswishingtoofferAP one of the AP endorsed providers or design their courses must participate in the AP Course Audit, a own curriculum for AP Computer Science Principles, process through which AP teachers’ course materials selectingappropriatecollege-levelreadings, are reviewed by college faculty. Teachers can also assignments, and resources. This course and exam adopt a syllabus from an AP endorsed provider description presents the content and skills that during this process.The AP Course Audit was created are the focus of the corresponding college course to provide teachers and administrators with clear and that appear on the AP Exam. The intention guidelines on curricular and resource requirements of this publication is to respect teachers’ time for AP courses and to help colleges and universities and expertise by providing a roadmap that they validate courses marked “AP” on students’ transcripts. can modify and adapt to their local priorities and This process ensures that AP teachers’ courses meet preferences.ByorganizingtheAPcoursecontent or exceed the curricular and resource expectations and skills into topics, the AP Program is able to that college and secondary school faculty have provide teachers and students establishedforcollege-levelcourses. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | 1 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board The AP Course Audit form is submitted by the AP is scored by thousands of college faculty and expert teacher and the school principal (or designated AP teachers. The performance tasks are scored either administrator)toconfirmawarenessandunderstanding at the annual AP Reading or online. All AP Readers of the curricular and resource requirements. A syllabus are thoroughly trained, and their work is monitored or course outline, detailing how course requirements throughout the Reading for fairness and consistency. In are met, is submitted by the AP teacher for review by each subject, a highly respected college faculty member college faculty. serves as Chief Faculty Consultant and, with the help of AP Readers in leadership positions, maintains the Please visit collegeboard.org/apcourseaudit for more accuracy of the scoring standards. information to support the preparation and submission of materials for the AP Course Audit. Scores on the performance task are weighted and combinedwiththeresultsofthecomputer-scored multiple-choicequestions,andthisrawscoreis How the AP Program converted into a composite AP score on a 1–5 scale. Is Developed AP Exams are not norm-referencedorgradedona The scope of content for an AP course and exam is curve.Instead,theyarecriterion-referenced,which derivedfromananalysisofsyllabiandcourseofferings means that every student who meets the criteria for of colleges and universities. Using this research and an AP score of 2, 3, 4, or 5 will receive that score, no data, a committee of college faculty and expert AP matter how many students do so. The criteria for the teachers work within the scope of the corresponding number of points students must earn on the AP Exam college course to articulate what students should toreceivescoresof3,4,or5—thescoresthatresearch know and be able to do upon the completion of the AP consistently validates for credit and placement course. The resulting course framework is the heart purposes—include: of this course and exam description and serves as a blueprint of the content and skills that can appear on an § The number of points successful college students AP Exam. earn when their professors administer AP Exam questions to them. The AP Test Development Committees are responsible for developing each AP Exam and ensuring the exam § The number of points researchers have found to questions are aligned to the course framework. The AP be predictive that an AP student will succeed when Exam development process is a multiyear endeavor; all placedintoasubsequent,higher-levelcollege AP Exams undergo extensive review, revision, piloting, course. and analysis to ensure that questions are accurate, § Achievement-leveldescriptionsformulatedby fair, and valid and that there is an appropriate spread of college faculty who review each AP Exam question. difficultyacrossthequestions. Committee members are selected to represent a variety Using and Interpreting AP Scores of perspectives and institutions (public and private, The extensive work done by college faculty and small and large schools and colleges) and a range of AP teachers in the development of the course and gender, racial/ethnic, and regional groups. A list of each exam and throughout the scoring process ensures subject’s current AP Test Development Committee that AP Exam scores accurately represent students’ members is available on apcentral.collegeboard.org. achievement in the equivalent college course. Frequent and regular research studies establish the validity of AP Throughout AP course and exam development, College scores as follows: Board gathers feedback from various stakeholders in both secondary schools and higher education Credit College Grade institutions. This feedback is carefully considered to AP Score Recommendation Equivalent ensure that AP courses and exams are able to provide studentswithacollege-levellearningexperienceand 5 Extremelywellqualified A theopportunitytodemonstratetheirqualificationsfor 4 Wellqualified A−, B+, B advanced placement or college credit. 3 Qualified B−, C+, C How AP Exams Are Scored 2 Possiblyqualified n/a The exam scoring process, like the course and exam development process, relies on the expertise of both 1 No recommendation n/a APteachersandcollegefaculty.Whilemultiple-choice questions are scored by machine, the performance task AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | 2 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board While colleges and universities are responsible for educators—makeimprovementstothewaythey setting their own credit and placement policies, most teach or score because of their experience at the private colleges and universities award credit and/or AP Reading. advanced placement for AP scores of 3 or higher. § Gain in-depth understanding of AP Exam and Additionally, most states in the US have adopted AP scoring standards: AP Readers gain exposure statewide credit policies that assure college to the quality and depth of the responses from the credit for scores of 3 or higher at public colleges and entire pool of AP Exam takers and thus are better universities.Toconfirmaspecificcollege’sAPcredit/ able to assess their students’ work in the classroom. placement policy, a search engine is available at § Receive compensation: AP Readers are apstudent.org/creditpolicies. compensated for their work during the Reading. BECOMING AN AP READER Expenses, lodging, and meals are covered for Each June, thousands of AP teachers and college Readers who travel. faculty members from around the world gather for § Score from home: AP Readers have online seven days in multiple locations or from home to distributed scoring opportunities for certain evaluate and score the performance task section of the subjects, including AP Computer Science APExams.Ninety-eightpercentofsurveyededucators Principles. Check collegeboard.org/apreading who took part in the AP Reading say it was a positive for details. experience. § Earn Continuing Education Units (CEUs): There are many reasons to consider becoming an AP AP Readers earn professional development hours Reader, including opportunities to: and CEUs that can be applied to PD requirements by states, districts, and schools. § Bring positive changes to the classroom: Surveys show that the vast majority of returning How to Apply APReaders—bothhighschoolandcollege Visit collegeboard.org/apreading for eligibility requirements and to start the application process. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | 3 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board  AP Resources and Supports By completing a simple activation process at the start of the school year, teachers and students receive access to a robust set of classroom resources. AP Classroom AP Classroom is a dedicated online platform designed to support teachers and students throughout their AP experience. The platform includes a variety of powerful resources and tools to provide yearlong support to teachers and enable students to receive meaningful feedback on their progress. BIG IDEA GUIDES Appearing in this publication and on AP Classroom, these planning guides outline all required coursecontentandskills.Eachbigideaguideorganizescontentintotopicsandprovidestips on taking the AP Exam. TOPIC QUESTIONS Formative AP questions provide feedback to students on the areas where they need to focus and are designed to meet students where they are in the material. Topic Questions are best usedforspot-checkingstudentunderstandingwhileteachingthetopicsidentifiedinthe course framework. They can be used in class or as homework based on teacher preference. The questions can reveal misunderstandings and help teachers target content and skills to emphasizeinlessonsandhelpstudentsunderstandwhyanansweriscorrectorincorrect. Because the Topic Questions are formative, the results of these assessments cannot be used toevaluateteachereffectivenessorassignlettergradestostudents,andanysuchmisuses aregroundsforlosingschoolauthorizationtoofferAPcourses.* AP QUESTION BANK This online library of real AP Exam questions provides teachers with secure questions to use intheirclassrooms.Teacherscanfindquestionsindexedbycoursetopicsandskills,create customizedtests,andassignthemonlineoronpaper.Thesetestsenablestudentstopractice and get feedback on each question. *Toreportmisuses,pleasecall877-274-6474(International:+1-212-632-1781). AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | 4 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board Digital Activation In order to teach an AP class and make sure students are registered to take the AP Exam, teachersmustfirstcompletethedigitalactivationprocess.Digitalactivationgivesstudents and teachers access to the available resources and gathers students’ exam registration information online, eliminating most of the answer sheet bubbling that has added to testing time and fatigue. AP teachers and students begin by signing in to My AP and completing a simple activation process at the start of the school year, which provides access to all AP resources, including AP Classroom and AP Digital Portfolio. To complete digital activation: § Teachers and students sign in to, or create, their College Board accounts. § TeachersconfirmthattheyhaveaddedthecoursetheyteachtotheirAPCourseAudit account and have had it approved by their school’s administrator. § Teachers or AP Coordinators, depending on who the school has decided is responsible, set up class sections so students can access AP resources and have exams ordered on their behalf. § Students join class sections with a join code provided by their teacher or AP Coordinator. § Studentswillbeaskedforadditionalregistrationinformationuponjoiningtheirfirstclass section, which eliminates the need for extensive answer sheet bubbling on exam day. While the digital activation process takes a short time for teachers, students, and AP Coordinators to complete, overall it helps save time and provides the following additionalbenefits: § Access to AP resources and supports:Teachershaveaccesstoresourcesspecifically designed to support instruction and provide feedback to students throughout the school year as soon as activation is complete. § Streamlined exam ordering: AP Coordinators can create exam orders from the same online class rosters that enable students to access resources. The Coordinator reviews, updates, and submits this information as the school’s exam order in the fall. § Student registration labels: For each student included in an exam order, schools will receiveasetofpersonalizedAPIDregistrationlabels,whichreplacestheAPstudentpack. The AP ID connects a student’s exam materials with the registration information they providedduringdigitalactivation,eliminatingtheneedforpre-administrationsessionsand reducing time spent bubbling on exam day. § Targeted Instructional Planning Reports: AP teachers will get Instructional Planning Reports (IPRs) that include data on each of their class sections automatically rather than relying on special codes optionally bubbled in on exam day. § Integration with AP Digital Portfolio: Class sections and student enrollment information are automatically sent to the AP Digital Portfolio. This automatic integration replaces any process teachers have used previously. The AP Digital Portfolio is where students will uploadperformancetasksandsubmitthemasfinal. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | 5 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board  Instructional Model Whether teachers choose to develop their own curriculum or adopt an AP endorsed provider's curriculum, integrating AP resources throughout the course can help students develop skills and conceptual understandings. The instructional model outlined below shows possible ways to incorporate AP resources into the classroom. Plan Teachers may consider the following approaches as they plan their instruction. § Review the overview at the start of each big idea guide to identify essential questions, conceptual understandings, and skills for each big idea. § Use the Big Idea at a Glance table to identify related topics that build toward a common understanding across big ideas, and then group those topics into units or modules, ensuringappropriatesequencing,scaffolding,andpacingforstudents. § Identify useful strategies in the Instructional Approaches section to help teach the concepts and skills. Teach When teaching, supporting resources can be used to build students’ conceptual understanding and mastery of skills. § Use the topic pages in the big idea guides to identify the required content. § Integratethecontentwithaskill,consideringanyappropriatescaffolding. § Employanyoftheinstructionalstrategiesidentifiedduringtheplanningstage. § Use the available resources on the topic pages to bring a variety of assets into the classroom. Assess Teachers can measure student understanding of the content and skills covered in the big idea and provide actionable feedback to students. § While teaching each big idea, use AP Classroom to assign students the Topic Questions ashomeworkorasanin-classtask. § Providequestion-levelfeedbacktostudentsthroughanswerrationales;providetopic-and skill-levelfeedback. § Create additional practice opportunities using the AP Question Bank, and assign them through AP Classroom. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | 6 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board About the AP Computer Science Principles Course APComputerSciencePrinciplesintroducesstudentstothebreadthofthefieldofcomputer science. In this course, students will learn to design and evaluate solutions and to apply computer science to solve problems through the development of algorithms and programs. They will incorporate abstraction into programs and use data to discover new knowledge. Students will also explain how computing innovations and computing systems, including the Internet, work, explore their potential impacts, and contribute to a computing culture that is collaborative and ethical. It is important to note that the AP Computer Science Principles coursedoesnothaveadesignatedprogramminglanguage.Teachershavetheflexibility to choose a programming language(s) that is most appropriate for their students to use in the classroom. College Course Equivalent APComputerSciencePrinciplesisequivalenttoanintroductory,college-levelbreadth course in computer science. Prerequisites It is recommended that students in the AP Computer Science Principles course have successfullycompletedafirst-yearhighschoolalgebracoursewithastrongfoundationof basiclinearfunctions,compositionoffunctions,andproblem-solvingstrategiesthatrequire multipleapproachesandcollaborativeefforts.Inaddition,studentsshouldbeabletousea Cartesian (x, y) coordinate system to represent points on a plane. It is important that students andtheiradvisersunderstandthatanysignificantcomputersciencecoursebuildsupona foundation of mathematical reasoning that should be acquired before attempting such a course. Prior computer science experience is not required to take this course. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description  V.1 | 7 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK. AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES Course Framework Introduction Computer science involves problem-solving, hardware, and algorithms that help people utilize computers and incorporate multiple perspectives to address real-world problems in contemporary life. As the application of computer science is integrated into more aspects of our lives, it is important to understand the impact of computer science and how to maintain privacy, safety, and security not only when using computers but also while being the innovators of new computing applications. The course strives to engage all students, including those who have traditionally been underrepresented in computer science—such as female students, students of color, students with disabilities, and rural students—by allowing them to discover the power of computer science through rewarding yet challenging concepts. Awell-designedAPComputerSciencePrinciples Students practice their computer science skills when course that includes opportunities for students to designinganddevelopingprogramsthataddressreal- collaborate to solve problems of their choice can help world problems and when investigating computing address traditional issues of equity and access. Such innovations they use or are interested in better a course can broaden participation in computing while understanding. providing a strong and engaging introduction to the breadth of topics in the discipline. Compatible Curricula TheAPComputerSciencePrinciplescoursereflects The AP Computer Science Principles course what computer science teachers, professors, and surveys topics across several knowledge areas researchers have indicated are the main goals of an recommended by the Association for Computing introductory,college-levelcomputersciencecourse: Machinery (ACM) and the Institute of Electrical and § Computational Solution Design—Designand ElectronicsEngineersComputingSociety(IEEE-CS). evaluate computational solutions for a purpose. Topics from the following knowledge areas have been includedinthisbreadth-firstapproachtocomputer § Algorithms and Program Development—Develop science: “Networking and Communication”, ”Parallel and implement algorithms. and Distributed Computing,” “Software Development § Abstraction in Program Development—Develop Fundamentals,” “Programming Languages,” programs that incorporate abstractions. “ArchitectureandOrganization,”“Computational § Code Analysis—Evaluateandtestalgorithmsand Science,” “Information Assurance and Security,” and programs. ”Algorithms and Complexity.” Teachers can review the § Computing Innovations—Investigatecomputing Computer Science Curricula from ACM and IEEE-CS innovations. to see their complete curriculum guidelines. § Responsible Computing—Contributetoan inclusive, safe, collaborative, and ethical computing culture. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 11 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board The AP Computer Science Principles course vertically Resource Requirements aligns with the core concepts in the Computer Students should have access to a computer system(s) Science Teachers Association (CSTA) K–12 that contains appropriate software to create and edit Computer Science Framework. Most of the K–12 programs and allows students to practice, complete, Core Practices and Concepts are extended in the and submit the AP Computer Science Principles AP Computer Science Principles course, and the performance task. The computer must have Internet expecteddepthofknowledgeissignificantlyhigher access and be able to access the sites necessary in the AP course. This vertical alignment allows CS for students to be successful in the course and teachers to make connections from earlier courses assessment. The school ensures that each student tothecollege-equivalentAPComputerScience has access to the AP Computer Science Principles Principles course. Exam Reference Sheet (see Appendix), as well as performance task directions. The school ensures that AP Computer Science Program eachstudenthasacollege-leveltextorcurricular AP Computer Science Principles is one of two AP resources deemed necessary by the teacher for Computer Science courses available to students. individual use inside and outside of the classroom. The AP Computer Science A course complements AP Computer Science Principles through a focused study of the Algorithms and Programming big idea. Students can take these two courses in either order or concurrently, as allowed by their school. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 12 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board Course Framework Components Overview This course framework provides a description of what students should know and be able to do to qualify for college credit or placement. The course framework includes two essential components: 1 COMPUTATIONAL THINKING PRACTICES The computational thinking practices are central to the study and practice of computer science. Students should practice and develop these skills on a regular basis over the span of the course. 2 COURSE CONTENT Thecoursecontentisorganizedintobigideas,whicharecross-cutting concepts that build conceptual understanding and spiral throughout the course. The content and conceptual understandings within the big ideas reflectwhatcollegesanduniversitiestypicallyexpectstudentstomaster to qualify for college credit and/or placement. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 13 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.  1 AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES Computational Thinking Practices The table that follows presents the computational thinking practices that students should develop during the AP Computer Science Principles course. The practices form the basis of tasks on the AP Exam. The learning objectives found in the big idea guides are each aligned to one of the skills from a practice. Teachers will want to be sure to integrate the practices and the course content with enough repetition to prepare students to transfer these skills when taking the AP Exam. More detailed information about teaching the computational thinking practices can be found in the Instructional Approaches section of this publication. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 15 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board  AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES Computational Thinking Practices: Skills Practice 1 Practice 2 Practice 3 Practice 4 Practice 5 Practice 6 Computational Algorithms Abstraction Code Computing Responsible Solution and Program in Program Analysis 4 Innovations 5 Computing 6 Design 1 Development 2 Development 3 Evaluate and test Investigate computing Contribute to an Design and evaluate Develop and implement Develop programs that algorithms and programs. innovations. inclusive, safe, computational solutions algorithms. incorporate abstractions. collaborative, and ethical for a purpose. computing culture. SKILLS 1.A Investigate 2.A Represent 3.A Generalize 4.A Explainhow 5.A Explain 6.A Collaboratein the situation, algorithmic data sources a code segment how computing the development context, or task. processes through variables. or program systems work. of solutions. without using a functions. 1.B Determine programming 3.B Use 5.B Explainhow 6.B Usesafe and design an language. abstraction 4.B Determine knowledge can be and secure appropriate to manage the result of code generated from methods when method or 2.B Implement complexity in a segments. data. using computing approach to and apply an program. devices. achieve the algorithm. 4.C Identifyand 5.C Describe purpose. 3.CExplain correct errors the impact of 6.C Acknowledge how abstraction in algorithms a computing the intellectual 1.C Explainhow manages and programs, innovation. property of others. collaboration complexity. including error affectsthe discovery through 5.D Describe development of a testing. the impact of solution. gathering data. 1.D Evaluate 5.E Evaluatethe solution options. use of computing based on legal and ethical factors. *NOTE: All computational thinking practices except Computational Thinking Practice 6 are assessedinthemultiple-choicesectionoftheAPExam. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 16 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board  2 AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES Course Content Based on the Understanding by Design® (Wiggins and McTighe) model, this course framework provides a description of the course requirements necessary for student success, with a focus on big ideas that encompass core principles, theories, and processes of the discipline. The framework also encourages instruction that prepares students for advanced computer science coursework anditsintegrationintoawidearrayofSTEM-relatedfields. Big Ideas The big ideas serve as the foundation of the course and help students create meaningful connections among concepts. They are often overarching concepts or themes that become threads that run throughout the course. Revisiting the big ideas and applying them in a variety of contexts enables students to develop deeper conceptual understanding. Below are the big ideas of the course and a brief description of each. BIG IDEA 1: CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT (CRD) When developing computing innovations, developers can use a formal, iterative design process or a less rigid process of experimentation. While using either approach, developers will encounter phases of investigating andreflecting,designing,prototyping,andtesting.Additionally, collaboration is an important tool at any phase of development, because considering multiple perspectives allows for improvement of innovations. BIG IDEA 2: DATA (DAT) Data are central to computing innovations because they communicate initial conditions to programs and represent new knowledge. Computers consume data, transform data, and produce new data, allowing users to create new information or knowledge to solve problems through the interpretation of those data. Computers store data digitally, which means that the data must be manipulated in order to be presented in a useful way to the user. continued on next page AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 17 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board  BIG IDEA 3: ALGORITHMS AND PROGRAMMING (AAP) Programmers integrate algorithms and abstraction to create programs for creative purposes and to solve problems. Using multiple program statementsinaspecifiedorder,makingdecisions,andrepeatingthesame process multiple times are the building blocks of programs. Incorporating elementsofabstraction—bybreakingproblemsdownintointeracting pieces,eachwiththeirownpurpose—makeswritingcomplexprograms easier. Programmers need to think algorithmically and use abstraction to defineandinterpretprocessesthatareusedinaprogram. BIG IDEA 4: COMPUTING SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS (CSN) Computer systems and networks are used to transfer data. One of the largest and most commonly used networks is the Internet. Through a series of protocols, the Internet can be used to send and receive information and ideas throughout the world. Transferring and processing information can be slow when done on a single computer, but leveraging multiple computers to dotheworkatthesametimecansignificantlyshortenthetimeittakesto complete tasks or solve problems. BIG IDEA 5: IMPACT OF COMPUTING (IOC) Computersandcomputinghaverevolutionizedourlives.Tousecomputing safely and responsibly, we need to be aware of privacy, security, and ethical issues. As programmers, we need to understand the potential impacts of our programs and be responsible for the consequences. Ascomputerusers,weneedtounderstandanypotentialbeneficialor harmfuleffectsandhowtoprotectourselvesandourprivacywhenusing a computer. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 18 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board ThefivebigideasinAPComputerSciencePrinciples,andtheirweightingonthe multiple-choicesectionoftheAPExam,arelistedbelow. TOPICS Each big idea is broken down into teachable segments called topics. The topic pages (starting on page 32) contain all required content for each topic. Although most topics can be taught in one or two class periods, teachers are encouraged to pace their course to suit the needs of their students and school. Big Ideas Exam Weighting Big Idea 1: Creative Development 10–13% Big Idea 2: Data 17–22% Big Idea 3: Algorithms and Programming 30–35% Big Idea 4: Computer Systems and Networks 11–15% Big Idea 5: Impact of Computing 21–26% AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 19 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board Course at BIG Creative BIG a Glance IDEA IDEA Data 1 Development 2 10–13% AP Exam Weighting 17–22% AP Exam Weighting 1 1 Plan 6 1.1 Collaboration 2 3 2.1 Binary Numbers The Course at a Glance provides 1 1.2 Program Function 1 2.2 Data Compression ausefulvisualorganization 3 and Purpose 4 Extracting Information of the AP Computer Science 5 2.3 1 Program Design from Data Principles curricular 4 1.3 and Development components, including the 6 2 2.4 Using Programs following: 1 1.4 Identifying and 5 with Data 4 Correcting Errors § Big ideas, along with approximate weighting § Progression of topics within each big idea § Spiraling of practices across big ideas This Course at a Glance is organizedbybigideasrather than units of instruction. Within each big idea are topics. Teachers and AP endorsed providers can group topics together to create units or modules. Teach COMPUTATIONAL THINKING PRACTICES Practices spiral across big ideas. 1 Computational 4 Code Analysis Solution Design 5 Computing 2 Algorithms Innovations and Program 6 Responsible Development Computing 3 Abstraction in Program Development Assess AssigntheTopicQuestions— either as homework or in class—foreachbigidea.The Topic Questions are formative AP questions that provide feedback to students on the areas where they need to focus. Topic Questions Topic Questions Multiple-choice: ~20 questions Multiple-choice: ~20 questions AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 20 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board  Computer BIG IDEA Algorithms and BIG IDEA BIG IDEA Impact of Systems and 3 Programming 4 Networks 5 Computing 30–35% AP Exam Weighting 11-15% AP Exam Weighting 21–26% AP Exam Weighting 3 3.1 Variables and 5 4.1 The Internet 5.1 Beneficial and Harmful 5 4 Assignments Effects 1 4.2 Fault Tolerance Digital Divide 3 3.2 Data Abstraction 5 5 5.2 2 3.3 Mathematical 4.3 Parallel and Distributed 5 5.3 Computing Bias 1 4 Expressions Computing 1 5.4 Crowdsourcing 4 3.4 Strings 5.5 Legal and Ethical 5 2 Concerns 3.5 Boolean Expressions 4 5 5.6 Safe Computing 2 3.6 Conditionals 4 2 3.7 Nested Conditionals 4 2 3.8 Iteration 4 1 3.9 Developing Algorithms 2 2 3.10 Lists 4 1 3.11 Binary Search 3 3.12 Calling Procedures 4 3 3.13 Developing Procedures 2 3.14 Libraries 2 3.15 Random Values 4 1 3.16 Simulations 1 3.17 Algorithmic Efficiency 1 3.18 Undecidable Problems Topic Questions Topic Questions Topic Questions Multiple-choice: ~90 questions Multiple-choice: ~10 questions Multiple-choice: ~20 questions Performance Task: ~20 prompts AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 21 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board THIS PAGE IS INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK.  AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES Big Idea Guides Designed with input from the community of AP Computer Science Principleseducators,thebigideaguidesofferallteachershelpful guidance in building students’ skills and knowledge. It is important to remember that big ideas are themes that run across the entire school year, rather than units of instruction. Within each big idea are topics. Teachers and AP endorsed providers can group topics together to create units or modules for instruction. In some cases, it may be appropriate for a topic to appear in more than one unit or module. AbenefitoftopicsisthattheyenabletheAPProgramtoprovide interested teachers with formative Topic Questions that they can assign to their students, either throughout a unit or module or at the end, to gauge progress toward success on the AP Exam. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 23 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board Using the Big Idea Guides BIG IDEA OPENERS BIG IDEA 10–13% AP EXAM WEIGHTING The Essential Questions are thought-provoking questions that 1 motivate students and inspire inquiry. They are organized by the Creative Development enduring understandings that appear in the big idea. Developing Understanding provides an overview that Developing Understanding contextualizes and situates the key content of the big idea within the scope of the course. Big Ideas are overarching ESSENTIAL Collaboration is crucial when developing computing innovations, because having multiple QUESTIONS perspectives offers opportunities to improve the design of innovations. In this big idea, students work collaboratively to design and develop programs using an iterative development process. concepts or themes that become threads that run throughout CRD-1 They identify the needs of all users by gathering input from people from different backgrounds § How has working and demographics. Once the program is developed, they test it to ensure it meets these needs. collaboratively with the course. Effective collaboration can often differ from group work, because it requires equal participation other students improved and voice from all members of the group. Early in the school year, it may be helpful for teachers an overall project? to establish practices and norms that facilitate a collaborative environment and provide § What are some ways students with time to practice working together. Content in this big idea is often paired with Big you can collect Idea 3: Algorithms and Programming. additional feedback on your program to use for Building Computational can be a good place to start writing their Building Computational Thinking Practices describes specific improvements? skills within the practices that are appropriate to focus on in documentation. It may be more helpful to Thinking Practices concentrate on documenting smaller code CRD-2 1.B 3.A 4.A 4.C segments rather than trying to describe that big idea. § What are some ways larger sections all at once. you currently plan your When designing a solution to a problem, work before starting a programmers consider both the program itself and the way the user will interact project? with the program: the user interface. Preparing for Preparing for the AP Exam provides helpful tips and common § What apps or programs have you stopped using A well-designed user interface makes it the AP Exam easy for the user to understand what data because you didn’t like Students will be expected to design and are required as input for the program to student misunderstandings identified from prior exam data. the design of how you implement a program of their choice for the complete its tasks. interacted with it? Create performance task. While students When creating diagrams of their programs, select their own topic for this task, they are students will benefit from considering how required to include certain elements, such as they want their program to behave based on lists and procedures, in their program code. identified inputs. Planning ahead may help Providing students with exemplars may help them determine what abstractions can be them consider the types of programs that developed and can help identify logic errors can be developed while still meeting this early in development. requirement. When implementing program design, Students will need practice identifying programmers often use documentation and correcting errors to prepare for the to explain the purpose of various code AP Exam. One way to give students this segments and describe how they function practice is to provide them with prewritten together in the program. Students’ diagrams program code to correct. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description Course Framework V.1 | 29 00762-093-CED-CSP_Big Idea 1.indd 29 3/5/20 4:17 PM The Big Idea at a Glance table shows the topics and related BIG IDEA Creative Development learning objectives and skills. The Unit/Module column has 1 been left blank so that teachers can indicate where they are BIG IDEA AT A GLANCE going to place each topic in their course. Teachers who are using an AP endorsed provider can determine where each topic Objective Learning is being taught in their provider’s curriculum. Topic Skills Unit/Module CRD-1.A, CRD-1.B, 1.1 Collaboration 1.C Explain how collaboration affects the development of a solution. The Skills for each topic show how the content in that topic has 6.A Collaborate in the development of solutions (not assessed). CRD-1.C 1.2 Program Function and 1.A Investigate the situation, context, or task. been linked to specific AP Computer Science Principles skills. CRD-2.A, CRD-2.B, CRD-2.C, CRD-2.D Purpose 3.A Generalize data sources through variables. 4.A Explain how a code segment or program functions. 1.3 Program Design and 1.B Determine and design an appropriate method or CRD-2.E, CRD-2.F, CRD-2.G, Development approach to achieve the purpose. 1.C Explain how collaboration affects the development of a solution. 4.A Explain how a code segment or program functions. 6.C Acknowledge the intellectual property of others (not CRD-2.H assessed). CRD-2.I, CRD-2.J 1.4 Identifying and Correcting 1.B Determine and design an appropriate method or Errors approach to achieve the purpose. 4.C Identify and correct errors in algorithms and programs, including error discovery through testing. Go to AP Classroom to assign Topic Questions as you teach the topics in Big Idea 1. Review the results in class to identify and address any student misunderstandings. 30 | Course Framework V.1 AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description 00762-093-CED-CSP_Big Idea 1.indd 30 3/5/20 4:17 PM AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description Course Framework V.1 | 24 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board Using the Big Idea Guides The Sample Instructional Activities page includes optional Creative Development BIG IDEA activities that can help teachers tie together the content and 1 skill of a particular topic. SAMPLE INSTRUCTIONAL ACTIVITIES The sample activities on this page are optional and are offered to provide possible ways to incorporate instructional approaches into the classroom. They were developed in partnership The Big Idea Planning Notes section provides space for with teachers from the AP community to share ways that they approach teaching some of the topics and skills in this big idea. Please refer to the Instructional Strategies section beginning teachers to make notes on their approach to the individual on p. 132 for more examples of activities and strategies. topics and the big idea as a whole. Activity Topic Sample Activity 1 1.1 Sharing and responding Have students develop a list of three questions that they would like to use data to answer. Then, in small groups, ask each student to share one of their questions. The group will respond with feedback to improve the focus and direction of the question. Students should take turns sharing their questions until all questions have been considered. Finally, ask each group to come to a consensus on which three questions they will answer with data. 2 1.3 Diagramming In small groups, have students play a board game for 10 minutes. As they play, ask them to record the actions (such as rolling the dice or moving their piece) and decisions made in a diagram or flowchart. Have students trade games with another group and play the game using the diagram for directions. Students should identify and correct where the diagram might not be accurate or have missing steps. See the Language and Logic of Computing: Algorithmic Thinking Teaching and Assessing Module in the Professional Learning section of AP Classroom for a more detailed lesson plan and video example. Big Idea Planning Notes Use the space below to plan your approach to the topics in this big idea. Consider what resources and instructional strategies you might want to use. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description Course Framework V.1 | 31 TOPIC PAGES Algorithms and Programming BIG IDEA The Skillssectionoffersoneormoreskillsrelatedtothetopic. 3 TOPIC 3.11 SKILLS 1.A Where possible, available resources are listed that might help Binary Search Investigate the situation, context, or task. teachers address a particular topic in their classroom. 1.D Evaluate solution options. Enduring understandings arethelong-termtakeawaysrelated to the big ideas that leave a lasting impression on students. Required Course Content AVAILABLE RESOURCES § Classroom Resources > Students build and earn these understandings over time by exploring and applying course content throughout the year. Binary Search § External Resource > Searching Algorithms ENDURING UNDERSTANDING from CS Unplugged Learning objectives definewhatastudentshouldbeableto AAP-2 The way statements are sequenced and combined in a program determines the computed result. Programs incorporate iteration and selection constructs to do with content knowledge to progress toward the enduring represent repetition and make decisions to handle varied input values. understandings. Each learning objective is paired with a LEARNING OBJECTIVE ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AAP-2.P AAP-2.P.1 recommended skill, and that skill appears in a colored box after For binary search algorithms: The binary search algorithm starts at the a. Determine the number of middle of a sorted data set of numbers and iterations required to find a eliminates half of the data; this process repeats until the desired value is found or all elements the learning objective. value in a data set. 1.D have been eliminated. b. Explain the requirements necessary to complete a X EXCLUSION STATEMENT (EK: AAP-2.P.1): binary search. 1.A Specific implementations of the binary search are Essential knowledge statements describe the knowledge outside the scope of the course and the AP Exam. AAP-2.P.2 required to perform the learning objective. Data must be in sorted order to use the binary search algorithm. AAP-2.P.3 Binary search is often more efficient than Exclusion statementsdefinecontentorspecificdetailsabout sequential/linear search when applied to sorted data. content that does not need to be included in the course. The content in the exclusion statements will not be assessed on the AP Computer Science Principles Exam. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description Course Framework V.1 | 83 AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 25 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board REQUIRED COURSE CONTENT LABELING SYSTEM BIG IDEA ENDURING LEARNING ESSENTIAL UNDERSTANDING OBJECTIVE KNOWLEDGE DAT DAT-1 DAT-1.A DAT-1.A.1 Data The way a computer Explain how data can be Data values can be stored represents data internally represented using bits. in variables, lists of items, or isdifferentfromtheway 3.C standalone constants and can the data are interpreted be passed as input to (or output and displayed for the from) procedures. user. Programs are used to translate data into a representation more easily understood by people. NOTE: Labels are used to distinguish each element of the required course content and are used throughout this course and exam description. Additionally, they are used in the AP Question Bank and other resources found on AP Classroom. Enduring understandings are labeled sequentially according to the big idea that they are related to. Learning objectives are labeled to correspond with the enduring understanding they relate to. Finally, essential knowledge statements are labeled to correspond with the learning objective they relate to. AP Computer Science Principles Course and Exam Description CourseFramework V.1 | 26 Return to Table of Contents © 2023 College Board  AP COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES BIG IDEA 1 Creative Development 10–13%