The Advanced Placement Program (AP) has gone through many changes. The AP Program was initiated in the 1950s in response to colleges and public schools that wished to establish and assess college level curricula for academically advanced high school students. From inception, the AP Program has remained focused on and committed to the education of all students. To this point, educators can receive curricular guidelines, assessment rubrics, publications, and training in AP procedures. The overarching belief is that no qualified student should be denied an opportunity to take an AP examination, and, moreover, an AP candidate does not necessarily need to be taught in AP courses by AP instructors. In this paper, the author presents an overview of the AP program, with particular emphasis on the AP Studio Art Program and its portfolios. (Contains 4 figures.)