Our Oct 2022 PSAT scores aren’t up on Naviance yet.
Received some very frustrating news from school today. The AP Calculus teacher has left and won’t be returning for the rest of the school year, so now school is scrambling to find another instructor. GREAT! JUST GREAT! So I went and bought an AP Calculus AB study guide book off of Amazon today for D24. And am going to have her start reviewing the lectures in earnest on Modern States’ website for their online Calculus class (which you can use in order to take the CLEP calculus test for free). AND am going to have her use Khan Academy, too. Sent an email to the principal asking why the teacher left…I don’t expect an answer to that question, but it doesn’t hurt to ask anyway.
If she is in an official AP class, she should have access to the “AP classroom“ on the college board website for calculus AB. S23’s calculus AB teacher quit in January last year, and he was scrambling to learn the material and prepare for the test. We found the lectures available through the AP classroom, and they were so good! And, additionally, they were tailored to the AP test, so that was especially helpful for him. He ended up getting a 5, even without a teacher for half the year!
It is an official AP class. The class does have access to the “AP classroom.” I appreciate the suggestion! D24 has already watched some of those lectures and said the lectures are totally boring and put her to sleep. My kid does NOT do well with only online instruction…her 9th grade report card is a reflection of that (online instruction due to COVID…she got ~ 3 C’s). The principal mentioned that tutors will be available, so I already emailed her saying that we’d like one for D24. Right now, I’m just hoping that she’ll pass the class at the end of the year.
On the way home today, D24 said that right now, school does not have any math instructor qualified to teach calculus. So all of the AP Calculus BC students are in the same boat. Same for all of the kids taking whatever the next level of math above that is (I can’t remember the name of the class right now). …because all 3 of those classes were taught by this same instructor. So, for example, homework is getting assigned but there’s nobody to actually grade anything. It’s kind of a train wreck. To say I am frustrated is putting it mildly.
No idea why the teacher has left. For now, the plan is for D24 to dive into the Modern States’ calculus class while we wait for the AP test prep book to arrive from Amazon. She had honors calculus last year, so I’m hoping that if she at least passes the calculus CLEP exam by the College Board at the end of this school year, that can demonstrate to colleges she applies to that she can hack it.
Paying for a private tutor is not a financial option for us at the moment.
Can’t imagine the stress for all the kids and parents. AP classes are hard already and to add this on top is too bad. I hope the school can find someone to teach. Is you school a small school? If it’s part of school district hopefully they can find a teacher one of the the schools.
AP Calculus drama update:
The AP Calc teacher was an additional advisor for the Robotics club (which my DH volunteers for on Fri afternoons after school when the club meets). 2 robotics competitions ago, the AP Calc teacher couldn’t be there for the competition and the other advisor teacher told DH that AP Calc teacher wasn’t there because of a family emergency. I’m just guessing, but perhaps that’s why he’s no longer teaching for the rest of the year.
D24 is doing Modern States calculus right now as I type this. And DH is going to attempt to tutor her at home, too, since he took a year of engineering calculus + differential equations in college. Cross your fingers.
On a positive note, DH went to a physical therapist today for a shoulder problem he’s having and the PT offered to have D24 shadow with him if she’s interested in learning more about the profession. We got a “Huh…maybe!” out of her, which is promising.
So I gave in to my curiosity and called the guidance counselor at our school. It seems according to the person in charge of standardized tests that the schools are not supposed to upload the scores until after they are released to the students next week. So we are left hanging! Here in the metro NYC area I have heard of many large NYC public schools that released the scores so seems that this is pretty standard.
Sorry to hear that you have to wait for few more days. Not sure why schools get sooner yet college board won’t release the scores. Unnecessary anxiety i think.
They aren’t on Naviance here either. The Nov. SAT isn’t even on it yet. We have all brand new counselors this year, so I don’t think I’m really surprised. Hoping they get things figured out better for next year. I know seniors have struggled this year.
D24 said that on Thursday after school, 1 of the new calculus teacher candidates was doing a demo lesson and calculus students were invited to attend. That’s a good sign! Fingers crossed that they find somebody soon.
So I went and bought an AP Calculus AB study guide book off of Amazon today for D24. And am going to have her start reviewing the lectures in earnest on Modern States’ website for their online Calculus class (which you can use in order to take the CLEP calculus test for free). AND am going to have her use Khan Academy, too. Sent an email to the principal asking why the teacher left…I don’t expect an answer to that question, but it doesn’t hurt to ask anyway.