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Joined: Feb 2011
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What has been your recent experience?
Back in the Stone Age when I attended high school, the standards were relatively clear. Nowadays and into the future, I simply can't tell. I do know that the "written" standards have been and continue to creep upwards. Based on recent communication with the head of secondary math for our district, I know that DS (class of 2021) will need four math credits in high school, Calculus AB, Calculus BC and two of the three less common courses (Statistics, Linear Algebra and Differential Equations). For DD (class of 2021), it will be Algebra II, Pre-calculus, Calculus AB and either Calculus BC or Statistics. More generally, our district has moved from three high school math credits to four with one of them now required to be beyond the Algebra I, Algebra II and Geometry trio such as Pre-calculus or statistics. Is this the trend elsewhere as well?
I am more baffled by the current situation with the science courses. Apparently, the GT science sequences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Science) use college textbooks. The students commonly take the AP counterpart after the GT version although it is possible to take certain AP science courses as a freshman. This all seem redundant to me. If you are capable of mastering a subject through a college text, why would you need to repeat the subject under the auspices of the AP umbrella? Am I missing something? What is the difference?
For Literature/Language Arts, the GT sequence for Juniors and Seniors is AP Language Arts and AP Literature respectively. For Histories (World & U.S.) and Government, you can simply take the AP versions instead during the Freshman through Junior years.
In general, prerequisites for AP now seems to vary depending on the subject matter. Furthermore, it seems fairly common for Freshmen and Sophomores to have some AP courses. How common is this trend? Does this have the effect of diluting these courses?
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If you are capable of mastering a subject through a college text, why would you need to repeat the subject under the auspices of the AP umbrella? Students taking a course utilizing a college text prior to taking the related AP may be a way for schools to increase performance on AP exams, a boost to high school ratings under some ranking methodologies. Furthermore, it seems fairly common for Freshmen and Sophomores to have some AP courses. Students taking AP courses as high school Freshmen and Sophomores may be a way to increase access to AP courses for those with the ability/readiness to take these courses prior to Junior or Senior year.
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Joined: Mar 2013
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This still varies a lot depending on school district and state. My district in general doesn't allow AP courses as a freshman, and only offers one AP for sophomores.
My general understanding was that one either took Calculus AB OR Calculus BC, but that may depend on how it is taught. The way it's taught at DS's school taking AB, then BC would be repeating a lot of information. Calculus BC covers more material but my experience is it is taught as a either or option. But I could see how it could be intentionally taught that way - and possibly is at your school, but that isn't how it was taught when I was in H.S. nor as DS's High School.
My son is in the fastest normal math track. He took Geometry in 8th grade, Algebra II last year, is taking Pre-Calculus, will hopefully take BC Calc next year, and then will either take AB Statistics or AB Computer Science his senior year. Our school district does not teach any class beyond BC Calculus, the other math option computer science and statistics do not require calculus. The one or two kids that are off this track either tack courses at the local university or just don't take a full 4 years of math. In my state only 2 years of math taken IN H.S. is required, and passing Algebra.
What my district does is the "normal" track is Physical Science for 9th grade, Biology for 10th grade. (That is all that is required to graduate), Chemistry for 11th grade and then maybe one AP or class like Marine Biology, AP Environmental Science, or another AP if you did well enough. For the honors kids they take Biology 9th grade, Chemistry (10th grade), and then for junior & senior year have a choice between AP Biology, AP Chemistry, AP Physics I, all of witch require the regular or honors Biology & Chemistry course. The honors versions of these classes use what look like college texts.
As for Science, keep in mind that the AP Classes have changed. As of this year AP Physics B has changed drastically, to a 2 year sequence. Our district never taught AP Physics C (with calculus) and are now only offering AP Physics 1 (Mechanics w/ out Calculus) even though they have more than enough students who take AP Calculus junior year to fill a full year of Calculus based Physics.
As for Literature... if you are in the honors track. The school turns AP Literature into a unofficial 2-year course. Honors Sophomore English is American Lit and those students take AP Literature their junior year and do the British Literature in junior year. Then then offer AP Language as a senior class. For social students AP U.S. History is offered sophomore year, unlike every other school I know even in our district who offers in junior year. AP World or AP Eur are optional junior courses. All freshman are required to take a freshman social studies course.
In our district unless one is VERY advanced in math and in ready for Calculus one can't take an AP until sophomore year. In sophmore year you can only take AP History, and A.P. Music Theory if you have space in your schedule. But by junior year most top 'honors' students take 4 full AP Classes.
Last edited by bluemagic; 09/14/14 02:06 PM.
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In my high school, Calculus AB and BC were two sequential courses. It was excruciatingly slow.
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I suppose it may in fact boost the AP scores of those who needed repetition in the first place.
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I don't see why you would need two years to cover what is essentially three semesters of calculus. In my day, the two courses were sequential with Calculus AB taking one semester whereas Calculus BC took two semesters. In my kids' district today, Calculus AB is a required prerequisite for Calculus BC and the courses takes two semesters each. Calculus AB preps your for the AP Calculus AB exam while Calculus BC preps you to take the AP Calculus BC exam. Even if Calculus AB were not a required prerequisite for Calculus BC, it may be difficult to jump right to multi-variable calculus without any prior background. Calculus BC covers vector valued functions, partial derivatives, directional derivatives, multiple integrals, line & surface integrals and Green's & Stokes' Theorems.
I did see in our science sequence that there is actually AP Physics A, AP Physics B and AP Physics C and that you don't take all three. Our district also requires World History before American History and frankly I think that is a better approach.
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My high school covered AB & BC in three semesters so it was tolerable. In contrast, my kids' district allotting four semesters seem excessive.
Last edited by Quantum2003; 09/14/14 02:30 PM.
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Joined: May 2012
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Our district is algebra 2, Trig/CalculusA, Calculus BC. Senior year is a multivariable Calculus. Magnet 8th graders can take Algebra 2 at the high school.
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Joined: Mar 2013
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I am making the assumption that pre-calculus actually includes a fair amount of beginning Calculus. The last few chapters of DS's book is essentially beginning Calculus.
According to the AP Site.. AB is equivalent to one semester of calculus and BC is equivalent to the first two semesters. The AP does not tell a school how to implement this, just what is going to be on the test. A H.S. can obviously teach it where the first semester is done one year, and the second the next but the AP Board doesn't require it to be done that way.
I'm not happy with the way they do AP US in my school. The districts other H.S. do not do it this way, I am not sure why they started doing it this way. But I think they keep up because of tradition, and that it lines of with taking American Literature in 10th grade. But other high schools in my district, has kids take AP Language as a sophomore, and AP US & 'honors' American Lit as a junior.
Check to see how they lines up. According to the AP page, the official names of the Physics tests are now AP Physics I, AP Physics II, AP Physics C(Mechanics), AP Physics C(Electricity and Magnetism). Physics I & II are supposed to be one year cources. The two Physics C tests can be taken the same year, but are different tests so can be taught in one year or two.
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Joined: Mar 2013
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One thing to keep in mind that I only understood after reading a bit on the history of the AP Test. AP Courses are implemented differently by different schools. College board just created a set of tests (AP tests) that if you passes gave you college credit. There is no requirement you have every taken an official course. As the program grew in popularity, they added more details in terms of what a course should cover, and teaching guides.
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