So my student was switched into common core math in 8th grade.
8th grade: Math 8 (Common Core)
9th grade: Integrated Math 1
10th grade: Integrated Math 2+ Block (which means it took 2 class periods all year long)
11th grade: Integrated Math 3+ Block
12th: he will take AP Calc A/B
So how would this calculate for Cal Poly SLO’s desired 10 semesters of Math for the rigor category? (He got A’s all the way through Math and currently has a total GPA of 4.67.) Surely, the state of California has millions of students facing this same quandary this year and Cal Poly has figured this out, right? Right? small voice Right?
Is “block” a separate math course that shows on the record as such (with its own grades)?
Usually, integrated math 1 + 2 + 3 = algebra 1 + geometry + algebra 2 in the traditional sequence. Does “block” add the trigonometry and precalculus material that normally comes after either of the integrated math or traditional sequence before the student takes calculus?
Hi! Thanks for replying! Yes, they are each separate math courses, each with its own grade. “Block” in this sense means it took 2 class periods each semester. His high school schedules periods 1-4 on “A” days and 5-8 on “B” days. My student had math on both A & B days for sophomore and junior years. I just asked him if he did trig and pre-calc in his Math 3+ Block class and he started laughing “Mooom, that’s ALL we did! I’m signed up for Calculus next year!” LOL. But still, I just checked the UC Approved Class List and at our high school only AP Calculus A/B, AP Calc B/C and AP Statistics are marked “UC-honors”. There are no Common Core math classes on their list marked “Honors” so I’m trying to figure out if he will get full credit for the Math Rigor score.
Regarding UC-designated honors courses, it is typical for high school labeled honors courses below precalculus and trigonometry (“advanced mathematics”) not to have the UC honors designation.
For reference, here are the typical high school math courses, normally one year each:
Mathematics I
Mathematics II
Mathematics III
Advanced mathematics (precalculus and trigonometry)
Calculus
Note that both types of sequences existed before Common Core, and both types of sequences exist in high schools using Common Core based curricula. Some high schools apparently switched to the integrated math sequence about the same time that they switched to Common Core based curricula, leading some to think that the integrated math sequence is a feature of Common Core.
Thank you everyone, most sincerely, for your help and observations.
So I looked more carefully at the High School Class Catalog and the Course Description submitted by the district. His junior year math called “Integrated Math 3+ Block” DOES have the checkbox checked “seeking Honors designation” (although I’m reading above from u/VickiSoCal “Honors” doesn’t count for rigor; thanks for that observation). Here’s the course description:
“This course is the second course in a two-course sequence that is designed to condense three years
of mathematical knowledge into a two-year span, allowing students to be prepared to take Calculus
during their senior year. It is designed using the Common Core State Standards for Integrated Math 3
and Pre-Calculus. This A-G mathematics course will provide 10 credits toward graduation. Students
will learn through collaboration, data gathering, experimentation, and conjectures. Technology will
also play an important role in learning, to collect and model data, to make conjectures about the
data, and to develop a robust understanding of the Standards for Mathematical Practice.”
It seems that if you are put into the common core track, your pre-calc and trig will be spread over Math 2+ and 3+, but these courses aren’t designated as “Advanced Math” in any way that I can tell. I’m wondering if CalPolySLO will be able to tell whether it was Advanced. It would be a bummer to not get credit since he did take it (and got A’s too, I don’t want to discount his hard work!) And… since he took 2 periods of Integrated Math+ in 10th grade and in 11th grade, will he get credit for the full 10 semesters Mathematics? Because I’m concerned Math 8 won’t count toward the 10 desired semesters.
Wow this is intense. But… but… but… this school is so well-respected… and reasonably priced… and near our home and incredibly beautiful…
u/ucbalumnus: My kid’s high school has some weird &$^% going on in their math department. Only Math Analysis has “Advanced Mathematics” on the UC/CSU course listing website. It seems that the Common Core Math 3+ should have been designated “advanced math” as well.
As far as “how many semester grades will he get”, his transcript shows
Year/Semester Course Grade Units UC/CSU Course Listing designation
2014-15 1st semester INTEG MATH 1 A 5.00 Mathematics I
2nd semester INTEG MATH 1 A 5.00 Mathematics I
2015-16 1st semester INTEG MATH 2+ BLK A 10.00 Mathematics II
2nd semester INTEG MATH 2+ BLK A 10.00 Mathematics II
2016-17 1st semester INTEG MATH 3+ BLK A 10.00 Mathematics III
2nd semester INTEG MATH 3+ BLK A 10.00 Mathematics III
and then of course next year
2017-18 1st semester AP CALC A/B 5.00 Calculus
2nd semester AP CALC A/B 5.00 Calculus
So that’s 8 semesters, but the Math2 and Math3 are worth 10 units each instead of the regular 5 so I don’t know if I can enter that on CalPoly’s application website or if they will notice the extra work on their own.
The real objective at Cal Poly is to give maximum reward to students who have maths through Calculus in HS. The algorithm is set in stone though. Just call admissions and ask how they look at your student’s classes. They won’t discuss the MCA, but they will give you info about math. Good luck.
According to http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1014&context=statsp (page 5), completion of 4 semsters of algebra and 2 semesters of geometry (or presumably 6 semesters of integrated math if your high school uses that type of sequence) are expected (no MCA bonus points, but MCA penalties if not completed). Up to 4 semesters of advanced math (presumably such things as precalculus and/or calculus) will give MCA bonus points.
You may want to ask CPSLO directly how the double credit math courses are counted.
There’s been at least one update since then, but what @ucbalumnus is pointing to is still true. The minimum, meaning without it you don’t get in, is Algebra II. Then each semester beyond that adds 125 MCA points. If you want to understand it completely refer to post #52 in Confused About MCA.
Well hopefully they know how to correlate the new Common Core math with the old. Surely they do because how else could a student get to Calculus their senior year if they hadn’t taken the correct preparatory work somewhere/somehow? He is prepared for Calculus, so that means he took Trig/Pre-calc, which means he took Geometry, Algebra 2 and Algebra 1. It seems to me that asking for a certain number of semesters is unnecessarily confounding and confusing and now doesn’t take the Common Core pathway into consideration. Thanks so much for your help, I really appreciate your commitment to this site & forum.
Just got off the phone with CalPoly admissions advisor. They will not count the 2 class periods of Math in Soph and Jr years as multiple semesters. To get to the 10 semesters Math Rigor we have to show that the math he did in 8th grade (Common Core Math 8) is not the same material as was covered in Freshman yr Integrated Math 1… if so then they might count it toward the 10 semesters desired. So now we’re in a quandary. He was going to take Journalism this year to improve his English rigor score (to 10) but maybe he should drop that idea and take Statistics instead because Math semesters are worth more points than English semesters. However, if they end up accepting his Math 8, we’ve dropped his extra English class, he’s done a year of statistics he didn’t need right now and loaded him up academically in a year that he already has 3 APs. I really really hate common core right now, they never should have shifted kids that were already mid-stream. Sorry for ranting.
I used to advise that too, but then a poster said a CP advisor said it was considered advanced math. I’d call on that. Remember the rigor score caps at 750 even though he can get more. Just get to 750 any way possible.