Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Parenting and Advocacy Honors Biology vs AP Biology

This is fairly standard. Our school requires H.S. Biology & H.S. Chemistry before AP Biology, and H.S. Chemistry before AP Chemistry. (Honors or non-honors) And at least Algebra II before AP Physics. If you go look at the AP site this is what college board suggests. Our school doesn't allow any AP to be taken freshman year, except for the really rare kid who started Algebra as a 5th grader and who has already finished pre-calculus with an A. And no AP science till junior year. What kids who want to take the full load of Biology, Chem, Physics AP courses does is double up in their junior or senior year.

My son took Honors Biology last year and it's not junior high science. The text book was quite dense. The AP Biology class in our school expects not just H.S. Biology but H.S. Chemistry before you take it. AP Classes are 'supposed' to be college level. And the teacher/curriculum for A.P. Biology expects that kids are already proficient at material and often will skip over basic material. This is why they want you to take a test.

Yes your son could possibly already know this level of material and pick it up easy if he is gifted. I don't see why you should be upset by their requiring a test to skip over the H.S. class. I am impressed they are offering your son the chance to take the test and skip over the class.

I'm curious by your comment that in 12th grade he will then take an elective choice. What elective choice AP Environmental Science? Have you checked out the schools offerings? The second year of Physics? What AP Science classes does your school offer? There really are only 4 AP Science classes, with 4 versions of AP Physics one sequence with Calculus and one without. What version or versions of AP Physics do they offer. (Our school to my annoyance only offers the new AP Physics 1 - Mechanics without calculus.) Additionally there is AP Environmental Science. But at our school that is the AP Science class who didn't do well in science, even though I do think it's a worthwhile class.