AHS Course Catalog

Amsterdam High School seeks to be a safe and respectful learning community where students and teachers collaborate to engage, support and prepare all students for success. In addition to its robust academic offerings, including an engineering and technology sequence and several AP classes, students are encouraged to take advantage of extracurricular activities that include a variety of clubs, organizations and athletics opportunities. 

The Guidance Department assists students and parents each school year with course selection. For information on high school classes as well as the opportunities listed below, contact your guidance counselor.

Advanced Placement exams

GASD students can take Advanced Placement exams during their high school career. Participating colleges allow students to receive college credit upon successful completion of the AP exam on a variety of subjects. AHS offers the following AP classes:
  • Biology
  • Calculus AB
  • Calculus BC
  • Chemistry (offered odd year- i.e. Spring 2021)
  • English Language and Composition
  • English Literature and Composition
  • Physics I (offered even year- i.e. Spring 2022)
  • U.S. Government and Politics
  • U.S. History
  • World History: Modern

College in the High School program

Through partnerships with Fulton-Montgomery Community College and the University in High School program through SUNY Albany, GASD students have the opportunity to gain college credits in high school for the following classes: 
 
  • American Political Systems
  • Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
  • Analytic Geometry and Calculus I
  • Business Law I
  • Contemporary Mathematics
  • English I
  • English II
  • Entrepreneurship
  • General Biology II
  • General Chemistry I
  • General Chemistry II
  • Intermediate Algebra
  • Intermediate Spanish I
  • Intermediate Spanish II
  • Introduction to Economics
  • Introduction to Psychology
  • Introduction to Theatre
  • Marketing
  • Pre-Calculus
  • Reading and Writing Poetry
  • Speech
  • Studies in Major Authors or Genres
  • Survey of American History I
  • Survey of American History II
  • Theater History

Smart Scholars 

Amsterdam High School students enrolled in the Smart Scholars program have the opportunity to earn at least 22 college credits from Fulton-Montgomery Community College by the time they graduate from high school.

Smart Scholars targets self-motivated students who would be first-generation college attendees in their families, or who might not otherwise be able to attend college. Recommendations for the grant-funded program come from teachers and guidance counselors.

Smart Scholars participants prepare for college classes as freshmen and sophomores with courses and activities at AHS and take their first college course at FMCC the summer before their junior year. As juniors, they attend classes at FMCC two mornings a week, and, as seniors, they attend every weekday.

Academic support is offered throughout the school year, and students are encouraged to attend summer programs before their junior and senior years. Interested students should contact their guidance counselor for more information about the application process.

Career and Technical Education at HFM BOCES 

Students in 11th and 12th grades can take advantage of 15 different Career and Technical Education opportunities offered at the Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery BOCES facility. Busing is provided for both the morning and afternoon programs. See Career and Technical Education for course descriptions.