<p>It seems like there is a big gap in our HS math offerings. Because Texas now requires 4 years of HS math, they are adding offerings for the lower lever math students - Math Models between Geometry and Algebra II. Algebra III instead of Pre-Calc. For the more advanced students, they offer the two AP Calc classes, and AP stats. However, if you're a middle of the road student who takes regular (not pre-AP) Pre-Calc as a junior, there is no "next class" to take senior year. Seems like there should be such a class as regular calculus. Does your HS offer it?</p>
<p>Hi,
My son's school offers regular calculus. He is taking it as a Junior,(he had pre-calc last year) and really likes the class. There are two sections of the class;each section has one Junior in it and the rest of the students are Seniors. Both of the Juniors will have the option of taking AP Calc next year and that's his plan. His school allows students to move between Honors and College Prep level classes based on teacher recommendations, and sometimes petitions from the family.</p>
<p>Missypie, my son's high school offers Algebra I and I, geometry, pre-calc and calculus. We eliminated AP Calculus AB because our admin felt the kids were not prepared for it. Should have an an advanced student, he or she has a few options, including community college or taking AP math classes online with the state's virtual high school.</p>
<p>Our school offers Calculus AB or BC as full year courses - most kids pass. There's alos a course in differential equations that a handful of kids take. There's no regular calculus. I know one of the teachers years ago said she'd love to teach a course that covered things that aren't covered in the usual sequence, matrix algebra, discrete math, more probability, but they still don't. My son's pre-calc class has already started doing calculus.</p>
<p>I'd give anything for schools like that.</p>
<p>Our order is Algebra I Freshman, Geometry Sophomore, Algebra II Junior, ??? Senior. I take Algebra 3 but you have to apply for the class.</p>
<p>My son's school (private boarding) offered regular calc as well as the AP courses. My son is not a math lover and he took the regular calc. At D's arts boarding academy there was just one calc course and it wasn't labeled AP but the kids took the AP exam and did great.</p>
<p>Nope. It was offered at my older d's hs and my son's hs, but not the one my youngest d now attends. Her math program sucks. The majority of students do not take Calc at all. In fact, of 25 NMSF and Commended students, at least half are taking pre cal or less as seniors. Honors teachers seem to pride themselves on teaching extremely HARD pre cal though.</p>
<p>Our public high school sequence (depending on the student's track) is generally Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra II (or honors), Trionometry/Math Analysis (or honors), AP Calculus AB, AP Calculus BC (best students just go directly to BC) and AP Stats.</p>
<p>There's some other class after Algebra II for the kids on the low track but I forget what it's called.</p>
<p>The calculus teacher is a good one, so many of the AB/BC students gets a passing AP score. The fast track students (ones who take AP Calculus as sophomores) sometimes skip AP Stats since it's not a rigorous as AP Calc, and opt instead to take on line or community college classes in linear algebra, multivariable calculus, differential equations.</p>
<p>At our HS, this is the math sequence I am most familiar with:
9th: Geometry/ Geometry Honors
10th: Algebra II/ Algebra II Honors
11th: Precalculus/ Precalculus Honors
12th: Calculus Honors/ Calculus AP
Also 11th or 12th: Probability and Statistics/ Statistics AP</p>
<p>For those who did not have Algebra I in middle school, the HS offers:
Algebra I Sequence I (full-year)
Algebra I Sequence II (next full-year) or
Algebra I (full-year)</p>
<p>Also offered (but I'm not sure where they fit in the sequence):
Intro. to Algebra II
Applied Geometry
Consumer Mathematics</p>
<p>Our HS has APCALC which is basically BC Calc, and Calc which is basically AB CALC. There are also - I think - two sections of Calc - one may move faster than the other.</p>
<p>Our school (800 students) has calculus, trig and stats that are not AP brand classes.</p>
<p>Perhaps a dumb question, but what is non-AP calc? Is is just a standard calc class without the focus on the AP test? Does it use a standard calc text like Stewart?</p>
<p>For what little I know, Calc is calc, a college level class. Calc AB just covers ~half the material of Calc BC, which is the standard college offering, covered in two quarters or two semesters.</p>
<p>
[quote]
We eliminated AP Calculus AB because our admin felt the kids were not prepared for it.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>momreads: Which text do you use? (I'm really curious since I've often wondered why our HS doesn't offer such.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Perhaps a dumb question, but what is non-AP calc? Is is just a standard calc class without the focus on the AP test? Does it use a standard calc text like Stewart?</p>
<p>For what little I know, Calc is calc, a college level class.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>You are probably right. At our school, the juniors who take pre-AP math all the way (including pre-AP preCalc) take AP Calc next. The juniors who take regular pre-Calc are strongly advised not to take AP Calc. So, what is regular pre-Calc leading up to, if not to Calculus?</p>
<p>I would think that regular Calculus would move slower, and provide at least an introduction to those who will have to take it in college.</p>
<p>missypie: yup, you are correct...and not only should they offer a college-prep calc class, they should also prob offer an honors calc class....not everyone is AP material in any subject...
When I was in HS in the 70's, our regular calc class was a great introduction and provided a great basis for the calc class in college....
I think that if your HS doesn't offer it, it may be beneficial to find one your son can take elsewhere (I don't remember where you live, but a community college may offer it)...
Hope this helps...</p>
<p>What's prompting this is that 10th grade Daughter is dropping down next week from preAP Algebra II to regular. She can learn the material, but not at the fast pace of the preAP class. Once she does that, her fate is set...no preAP Pre-Calc, so no Calc in HS, and no math class to take senior year. But I can't let her stay in pre-AP because she's not mastering the material before they move on.</p>
<p>We're on Integrated Math with phases 3-5 (3=college prep, 5=honors). Everyone takes a math placement test into Math 1-3 or AP Calc AB/BC (one guy in my class actually took Calc BC as a freshman...), and this year they pioneered a two-year Integrated Math sequence for phase 5s. We also offer Calc Concepts at phases 4 and 5, which is basically advanced pre-calc/"regular" calc depending on what teacher you get, since pre-calc is part of Integrated. Then there's AP Stats, Prob/Stats, and Discrete Math/Discrete Mathematical Modeling (phase 4/5) for those who don't want to take Calc after finishing the Integrated Math sequence.</p>
<p>However, since I attend a math/science magnet, YMMV.</p>
<p>missypie, could your D take AP Stats after finishing pre-calc?</p>
<p>Yes, Son is taking AP Stats (and not doing too well) after taking regular math in 9th-11th grades. But he wants to be a psychologist, so Stats makes sense. Daughter will probably get some sort of business-related degree where she'll need Calc in college.</p>
<p>missy: Stats is a great course but, yes, most biz programs require at least Calc lite (which is still AP-level material, but not detailed enough to score a 5). But, research-based psychology also requires calc (as do the other 'ologies').</p>
<p>Our school does offer an "Honors Calculus" in cooperation with the local community college. It is taught by an instructor from the high school following the CC's curriculum. My D had AP Calc (AB) last year but is taking BC as an independent study this year along with AP Stats. This is the first year there has been an honors calc course or anything other than AP. I don't think the demand was there.</p>
<p>I just received a reply to my query from the head of the school math department. She said that for years they've wanted to offer regular calc but the school district won't let them. The district says that the need can be met by taking calc dual enrollment at the local CC. But, she said, most of the students who are interested don't score high enough on the CC placement test to get into Calc. She invited me to lobby the powers that be.</p>