Honors vs On-level Precalc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

This is an extremely demanding schedule even without the math class added to the list. At the W school where I teach, Honors Precalc has a reputation as being taught like an AP class. I’d caution against adding Honors Precalc or would save one of the other APs for senior year.

Is MCPS offering AP Precalculus next year?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

This is an extremely demanding schedule even without the math class added to the list. At the W school where I teach, Honors Precalc has a reputation as being taught like an AP class. I’d caution against adding Honors Precalc or would save one of the other APs for senior year.

Is MCPS offering AP Precalculus next year?

I’m not aware of any schools that are. It seems like a less rigorous course than honors precalc, and regular orecalc already prepares kids to take calc AB, so I’m not sure why they would roll out AP precalc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

This is an extremely demanding schedule even without the math class added to the list. At the W school where I teach, Honors Precalc has a reputation as being taught like an AP class. I’d caution against adding Honors Precalc or would save one of the other APs for senior year.

Is MCPS offering AP Precalculus next year?

I’m not aware of any schools that are. It seems like a less rigorous course than honors precalc, and regular orecalc already prepares kids to take calc AB, so I’m not sure why they would roll out AP precalc.

But they will, I bet.

[Anonymous]

The only math pathway from Algebra 2 in 10thbtk AP Calculus in 12th goes through Honors Precalculus (unless maybe you do summer school after 11th to catch up).

AP Calculus AB requires either 1 year of Honors Precalc or the 2-Year sequence of basic Precalculus and basic Calculus.


(AP Precalc is the essentially the same level as non-honors Precalculus, but with College Board modifications. It is not intended for study on track for Calculus )

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/poolesvillehs/uploadedfiles/departments/math/mathpathways.pdf

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

This is an extremely demanding schedule even without the math class added to the list. At the W school where I teach, Honors Precalc has a reputation as being taught like an AP class. I’d caution against adding Honors Precalc or would save one of the other APs for senior year.

Is MCPS offering AP Precalculus next year?

I’m not aware of any schools that are. It seems like a less rigorous course than honors precalc, and regular orecalc already prepares kids to take calc AB, so I’m not sure why they would roll out AP precalc.

But they will, I bet.

VA districts -- FCPS & APS -- are eliminating honors precalc and replacing it with AP precalc. Agreed, it doesn't make sense as AP precalc is less rigorous than honors precalc but they're doing it nonetheless.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

This is an extremely demanding schedule even without the math class added to the list. At the W school where I teach, Honors Precalc has a reputation as being taught like an AP class. I’d caution against adding Honors Precalc or would save one of the other APs for senior year.

Is MCPS offering AP Precalculus next year?

I’m not aware of any schools that are. It seems like a less rigorous course than honors precalc, and regular orecalc already prepares kids to take calc AB, so I’m not sure why they would roll out AP precalc.

But they will, I bet.

VA districts -- FCPS & APS -- are eliminating honors precalc and replacing it with AP precalc. Agreed, it doesn't make sense as AP precalc is less rigorous than honors precalc but they're doing it nonetheless.

Ok, but we are MCPS so that's not helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

This is an extremely demanding schedule even without the math class added to the list. At the W school where I teach, Honors Precalc has a reputation as being taught like an AP class. I’d caution against adding Honors Precalc or would save one of the other APs for senior year.

Is MCPS offering AP Precalculus next year?

I’m not aware of any schools that are. It seems like a less rigorous course than honors precalc, and regular orecalc already prepares kids to take calc AB, so I’m not sure why they would roll out AP precalc.

But they will, I bet.

VA districts -- FCPS & APS -- are eliminating honors precalc and replacing it with AP precalc. Agreed, it doesn't make sense as AP precalc is less rigorous than honors precalc but they're doing it nonetheless.

Ok, but we are MCPS so that's not helpful.

Often districts monitor neighboring districts' policy changes. It's one (of many) inputs into their decision process.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

Talk with your student's math teacher and guidance counselor for input. ECs also might affect the decision. One option is to enroll in Honors and if it's too difficult, drop to non-honors after a couple of weeks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD, currently in 10th grade, is in Honors Alg2 this year. So far she earned a B one quarter and a low A the next quarter. She wants to take Non-honors Precalc next year because she thinks Honors will be "too hard." I would like her to take AP Calc AB senior year. Will on-level precalc be sufficient to prepare her for it? I'm inclined to have her stick with Honors but wanted to get some input.

Rest of 11th grade schedule:
AP English Lang
AP World History
Honors Physics
Foreign Language 4
AP Econ
Arts Elective

This is an extremely demanding schedule even without the math class added to the list. At the W school where I teach, Honors Precalc has a reputation as being taught like an AP class. I’d caution against adding Honors Precalc or would save one of the other APs for senior year.

Is MCPS offering AP Precalculus next year?

I’m not aware of any schools that are. It seems like a less rigorous course than honors precalc, and regular orecalc already prepares kids to take calc AB, so I’m not sure why they would roll out AP precalc.

But they will, I bet.

VA districts -- FCPS & APS -- are eliminating honors precalc and replacing it with AP precalc. Agreed, it doesn't make sense as AP precalc is less rigorous than honors precalc but they're doing it nonetheless.

Ok, but we are MCPS so that's not helpful.

Often districts monitor neighboring districts' policy changes. It's one (of many) inputs into their decision process.

Mcps does care.

[Anonymous]

No. If she is struggling in honors Alg 2, she is not going to do well in honors pre-calc. The other classes on her schedule are very manageable, but if she already struggles, there is no need to take honros.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
The only math pathway from Algebra 2 in 10thbtk AP Calculus in 12th goes through Honors Precalculus (unless maybe you do summer school after 11th to catch up).

AP Calculus AB requires either 1 year of Honors Precalc or the 2-Year sequence of basic Precalculus and basic Calculus.


(AP Precalc is the essentially the same level as non-honors Precalculus, but with College Board modifications. It is not intended for study on track for Calculus )

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/poolesvillehs/uploadedfiles/departments/math/mathpathways.pdf

Appreciate this diagram but it looks like it’s from 2016. On th current sure, it looks like Honors Pre-Calculus is required for AP Calculus BC but regular Pre-Calculus is sufficient for AP Calculus AB.

http://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/CourseLists/Index/234

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The only math pathway from Algebra 2 in 10thbtk AP Calculus in 12th goes through Honors Precalculus (unless maybe you do summer school after 11th to catch up).

AP Calculus AB requires either 1 year of Honors Precalc or the 2-Year sequence of basic Precalculus and basic Calculus.


(AP Precalc is the essentially the same level as non-honors Precalculus, but with College Board modifications. It is not intended for study on track for Calculus )

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/poolesvillehs/uploadedfiles/departments/math/mathpathways.pdf

Appreciate this diagram but it looks like it’s from 2016. On th current sure, it looks like Honors Pre-Calculus is required for AP Calculus BC but regular Pre-Calculus is sufficient for AP Calculus AB.

http://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/CourseLists/Index/234

My MCPS Junior is in regular pre calc and is registered for and recommended for AP Calc AB next year. This is absolutely an available pathway.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
The only math pathway from Algebra 2 in 10thbtk AP Calculus in 12th goes through Honors Precalculus (unless maybe you do summer school after 11th to catch up).

AP Calculus AB requires either 1 year of Honors Precalc or the 2-Year sequence of basic Precalculus and basic Calculus.


(AP Precalc is the essentially the same level as non-honors Precalculus, but with College Board modifications. It is not intended for study on track for Calculus )

https://www2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/siteassets/schools/high-schools/k-q/poolesvillehs/uploadedfiles/departments/math/mathpathways.pdf

Appreciate this diagram but it looks like it’s from 2016. On th current sure, it looks like Honors Pre-Calculus is required for AP Calculus BC but regular Pre-Calculus is sufficient for AP Calculus AB.

http://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/CourseLists/Index/234

My MCPS Junior is in regular pre calc and is registered for and recommended for AP Calc AB next year. This is absolutely an available pathway.

Thanks for confirming.