Pre-calc does not prepare kids for calculus!
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Anonymous
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I was at BTSN tonight and learned that students who take on grade level pre-calculus (so not honors) will not be prepared to take Calculus AB the next year. This greatly concerns me. I understood that dropping out of the honors track wouldn't prepare my child for BC, but I thought it would prepare her for AB.
All of her friends scared her and told her that honors would be so much work so she dropped down, but now I am really upset for letting her. How is it that this course was not designed to prepare students? SHould I force her back in the honors track even though she doesn't want to (her math is strong, but she does not "like" it)? I'm a very upset parent tonight! |
Anonymous
| I don’t understand how you can be surprised by this. |
Anonymous
I'm normally pretty on top of things- but definitely not a pushy parent. But why does a class that is called pre-calculus not lead to calculus? How was I to know that? |
Anonymous
| How can pre-calculus not prepare one for calculus? What is not in the curriculum that should be? I get the impression you don’t know much about math. |
Anonymous
It doesn’t lead to calculus it doesn’t lead to AP which is above honors. MCPS has honors level calculus. |
Anonymous
| I would be surprised by this. Who said this? So many kids drop down from Honors Pre-Cal to On Level PreCal that it would be strange for it not to prepare kids for Calculus. Especially since some of this occurs Sophomore year for some. |
Anonymous
I mean it does lead to calculus just not AP. |
Anonymous
Yes and most kids take AB or BC Calculus after taking Pre-Cal. So which school isn’t preparing kids for Calculus? |
Anonymous
Why not? What’s the difference? Calculus is calculus. |
Anonymous
Glad I'm not the only one. It was the teacher at BTSN when talking about options for next year. He listed several classes, but did not include Calculus, so I asked him and he confirmed that it would be extremely rare for a child in a grade-level class to be able to take even Calculus 1. I guess almost everyone goes on to statistics following precalculus! |
Anonymous
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Honors PCalc more similar level with AB
than a regular PreCalc. Honors faster paced. AB not always well designed and of course depending on teacher, can be poorly taught. Work with a tutor. |
Anonymous
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How can you not understand that a regular math course will never lead to an AP math course?
Languages are Honors level before the AP level. Honors Chem is taken before AP Chem. To get to AP World History, the track is AP Gov and AP US History. You cannot be mad if you didn't do your due diligence, OP. |
Anonymous
??? This normal trajectory in MCPS Honors PreCal > AB or BC Calc PreCal > AB Calc or AP Stats AB Calculus is Calc 1. |
Anonymous
| If she is taking Precalculus this year then yes at least have her try honors. But I thought regular Precalculus led to Calculus with applications. |
Anonymous
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I would absolutely email the teacher for clarification of this and/or the math lead for that school. And if the answer is they respond again that Yes it does not prepare student’s for Calculus, then copy in the Principal, Resource Teacher, and CO math department noting that they certainly owe the community and detailed explanation as to why this information hasn’t been made clear prior to registration.
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