AP Calc AB and/or BC curriculum vs. AP Precalc (Precalc Trig Hns) curriculum in FCPS
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Anonymous
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Do FCPS math teachers use a standard College Board syllabus/curriculum to teach AP Calc AB and/or BC? Or do they do their own version of teaching Calculus I and/or II, and just call it "AP Calc __"?
I'm asking b/c DC is in AP Precalc and it's been kind of frustrating. DC got a perfect score on the PSAT math section, and has always done pretty well in Hns math classes (A's and A-'s, never anything lower). But, AP Precalc is ... not going well according to DC's grade in the class (particularly grades on the exams). Recently, DC took the AP Precalc practice test questions provided by the College Board (at home) and got all but one correct. DC seems to be learning what College Board expects. DC said the questions were far easier than what is on the tests in AP Precalc class. Clearly, there is a divergence between what FCPS is using as the curriculum for AP Precalc (which supposedly is their former Precalc Trig Hns curriculum with the label of "AP Precalc" slapped on it) and what College Board is using to measure readiness for AP Calc. My questions: (1) If you can pretty much ace the AP Precalc exam questions, does that mean you would do fine in AP Calc BC? Are College Board's exam questions for AP precalc good measures of one's readiness for AP Calc BC? and (2) Regarding the curriculum for AP Calc AB and/or BC -- do FCPS teachers actual follow College Board's curriculum? Or do some FCPS math teachers do their own thing for teaching Calc AB and/or BC? (making it harder than what College Board does for those classes) It's odd that DC can ace the College Board's AP Precalc test prep questions, and yet, DC's grade is a low C or C-in AP Precalc. DC's teacher told everyone in the class to not even think about taking AP Calc BC unless they have an A or A- in Precalc. So, it's just a really weird disconnect that one can be acing the published practice questions, and yet be doing so low in the class that they are discouraged from taking the higher of the two AP Calc classes. Thoughts? And info on how AP Calc AB or BC is taught? Which class is the right class for next year? |
Anonymous
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AP Precalc exam is intentionally minimalist because they are afraid to test anything you might have learned in Algebra 2 or Geometry class in your district, and because it is intended for students who might never take Calculus. And even beyond Precalculus, AP math asks basic multiple choice questions. (Is your student solving those questions without using the multiple choice options?)
It is not a complete honors level high school precalculus class. Your school is doing well to ask more than that minimum. It's also possible your class has exceptionally hard assessments. You should focus on the current class first! Where are points being lost? AP Calculus tests are quite easy tests of basic concepts, with a very generous curve (70% = 5). My kid can solve most questions, but too slowly, even though they have only learned a few hours of informal calculus conversations. So your student might be fine on the exam even if your class has much higher standards |
Anonymous
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Thanks.
My question is not how DC will do on the AP precalc exam or AP calc exam, but whether doing well on AP Precalc exam questions is a valid indicator of being prepared for AP Calc BC (or AB) as it is taught in FCPS. Do math teachers in FCPS adhere to CB's curriculum for AP Calc? Because they don't for AP Precalc. DC's performance on AP precalc questions is nearly perfect, but DC's grade in the same class is a C or lower. How do we use this info? |
Anonymous
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I think your math department is probably teaching the class as an AP class should be taught and evaluated-College Level. Your kid will be prepared for AP Calc AB or BC next year. If you are at a school where they took away Honor Pre Calc Trig (forcing those who want to continue on math track to take AP Pre Calc this year), the class is not going to be diluted for “those who won’t go onto take calculus”. My child is in AP Pre Calc and it’s hard, they but in a lot of effort with homework and studying and they are getting B, B+, A-‘s on tests/quizzes. But one test got low C.
This is the first year for AP Pre Calc . Maybe the College Board is going light on the test or at least the practice question. |
Anonymous
| Does anyone have FCPS AP Calc AB curriculum. Can you please share? |
Anonymous
Our high school is one of the highlighted and my child will take AP Precalcus instead of Honor Precalc Trig. Do you know why schools are taking away the honor course? Can they teach the honor and let students take the AP Precalc test? |
Anonymous
| I would go with AB next year. I can teach curriculum of CB and still have a wiggle room on how deep to go into each concept and how pre-req skills heavy to make my assessments. So whether or not your child is prepared for BC is very much school specific. And teachers who taught consequent courses in the same school would be in the best position to answer. You already have your answer though - C in Precalculus is an indicator you are not prepared for BC taught in the same school. |
Anonymous
AP classes have a 1.0 grade bump whereas honors only has a 0.5 grade bump. It's all about the GPA. |
Anonymous
| BC Calc is hard. If your child is struggling with the Pre-Calc curriculum, they should think twice about taking BC. |
Anonymous
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I was the OP of this thread.
For much of the 2nd and 3rd quarters, my DC had a C+ in AP Precalc. In the 4th quarter, he did well enough to make the final grade a B! He got a 5 on the AP Precalc exam. The only reason he took it (and I paid the extra $40 for late fee) was because it looked like he was going to be getting a C- or D in the class, and I wanted is record to have a counter-weight showing that he actually did know the College Board's precalc curriculum. That said, DC's teacher told kids in Jan/Feb that only those getting an A or A- in AP precalc should go on to AP Calc BC. Since DC had such a hard time through the year (with practices being easy and tests being much harder), he is taking AP Calc AB. DC had a perfect score on PSAT math. He had over a 700 on the SAT math (I don't remember the exact score). And yet, the AP precalc curriculum at his FCPS HS was brutal. So, he has no desire to take AP Calc BC. He's going into a major that will require Calc I, II and III and beyond... so he's not against math. This class turned him off. Thankfully, the grading system allows kids to show "mastery" at the end and it can help their grade. |
Anonymous
| I wanted *HIS* record... |
Anonymous
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OP’s son should be just fine taking Calc AB, both from a preparation for STEM college major viewpoint and also from a college admissions viewpoint.
As an example, most Engineering schools do want to see *some* form of Calculus in HS, but most do not require Calc BC or even Calc AB. They usually want to see some form of HS Calculus simply because the college course pacing in many E Schools assumes every students has had *some* exposure to Calculus before college. |
Anonymous
| AP pre-calc was originally designed for students not on the most rigorous math track and who would not be taking calculus. As designed by the college board, it is easier than most schools' honors pre-calc. Just another example of how the college board's desire for money and weighted grade inflation is hurting students. |
Anonymous
Which high school is this OP? |
Anonymous
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As documented elsewhere, at least some high schools (McLean) offered a BC version of this class last year (intending to prep students for AP BC).
The huge disconnect for OP's child is a head scratcher. Maybe see where they are on alcumus or something? |