<Notes>Desirable Forms of High School Education for Realizing a High School and University Articulation System: The possibility of introducing Advanced Placement Program to the Japanese Educational System and Its Future Prospects

It is an urgent task to develop global human resources for moving toward Society 5.0. One of the governmental policies to foster global human resources is to realize a high school and university articulation system appropriate for a new era. However, under most of the current systems which bridge the gap between high schools and universities in Japan, the financial, labor and time burden on both students and institutions is considerable. This paper focuses on the Advanced Placement (AP) program of the United States which is beneficial for each position: students, high schools and universities. The AP program-created by an American non-profit organization, the College Board-offers students college-level course work and examinations in high schools. Students can develop college-ready skills in the program and may earn college credits if they obtain adequate scores on the examinations. The AP program enables smooth cooperation between high schools and universities and the further development of high school education. It also leads in the long term to the human resource development for a new society. However, at the same time, several challenges to introducing the AP program to the Japanese school system must be considered. Exploring ways to overcome these barriers, this paper will examine the possibility of introducing the AP program to Japanese institutions and its future prospects