Double up on Math at JR?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Has anyone successfully had their kid double up on algebra 2 and geometry in 10th grade at JR? In terms of college admissions, is it better to top out at pre-calc in high school with As, or push further to AP calc with a B?

Doesn't matter because you have no way to know if you'll get a B in Calc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

In case anyone is interested, I can speak to this: one kid took honors pre-calc last year (before AP was offered), and other is in AP pre-calc this year. AP does seem materially different, according to them—heavier on the calc prep, less alg2/trig-focused. Honors pre-calc was pretty easy for my kid who has never considered math a strength; other kid in AP now who is very strong in math seems to find it a little more challenging than prior math classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

Interesting. In many districts (and private schools) the new AP precalc curriculum is a fraction of the material of their traditional precalc class. Many are not offering AP precalc for this reason.

By it's very nature precalc is an ambiguous class. At some schools it's pretty simple and almost all algebra 2. At others it overlaps most of the material of AP calc AB.

My one kid is now in private (other two are in DCPS) and went from his school's honors pre-calc class to his school's AP Calc AB class and has since realized that fall of AB will be entirely review of what he learned last year in. We're 4 weeks in and that's definitely the case. He probably should have done BC but that class is known to be a beast (1.5 hours of homework a night, maybe 2 As given to a class of 20 kids). He elected to focus on humanities instead because he was pretty beaten up by honors pre-calc (also a beast---a handful of As (maybe 4?) out of 30 kids)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

Interesting. In many districts (and private schools) the new AP precalc curriculum is a fraction of the material of their traditional precalc class. Many are not offering AP precalc for this reason.

By it's very nature precalc is an ambiguous class. At some schools it's pretty simple and almost all algebra 2. At others it overlaps most of the material of AP calc AB.

My one kid is now in private (other two are in DCPS) and went from his school's honors pre-calc class to his school's AP Calc AB class and has since realized that fall of AB will be entirely review of what he learned last year in. We're 4 weeks in and that's definitely the case. He probably should have done BC but that class is known to be a beast (1.5 hours of homework a night, maybe 2 As given to a class of 20 kids). He elected to focus on humanities instead because he was pretty beaten up by honors pre-calc (also a beast---a handful of As (maybe 4?) out of 30 kids)

I’m the poster just above you, and I assume the premise is that AP pre-calc is setting kids up to move straight into AP Calc BC or college-level calculus (for seniors taking AP pre-calc). So it’s less review and more…calc.

[Anonymous]

Our private allows taking Algebra II H as an elective with Geometry H in Sophomore year, in order to get to AP Calc in Senior year

[Anonymous]

My DC attempted to double up on math at JR and was denied, counselor cited DCPS policy is one math class only.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

Interesting. In many districts (and private schools) the new AP precalc curriculum is a fraction of the material of their traditional precalc class. Many are not offering AP precalc for this reason.

By it's very nature precalc is an ambiguous class. At some schools it's pretty simple and almost all algebra 2. At others it overlaps most of the material of AP calc AB.

My one kid is now in private (other two are in DCPS) and went from his school's honors pre-calc class to his school's AP Calc AB class and has since realized that fall of AB will be entirely review of what he learned last year in. We're 4 weeks in and that's definitely the case. He probably should have done BC but that class is known to be a beast (1.5 hours of homework a night, maybe 2 As given to a class of 20 kids). He elected to focus on humanities instead because he was pretty beaten up by honors pre-calc (also a beast---a handful of As (maybe 4?) out of 30 kids)

I’m the poster just above you, and I assume the premise is that AP pre-calc is setting kids up to move straight into AP Calc BC or college-level calculus (for seniors taking AP pre-calc). So it’s less review and more…calc.

Quite the opposite. AP Precalc is for humanities and marketing majors who will never take an class at AP calc AB or higher.

"AP" Precalc is worthless to anyone who takes Calc AB or college Calc 1, because they won't get college credit for Precalc. But it's useful for people who need a math credit and will not take non-Marketing calculus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

Interesting. In many districts (and private schools) the new AP precalc curriculum is a fraction of the material of their traditional precalc class. Many are not offering AP precalc for this reason.

By it's very nature precalc is an ambiguous class. At some schools it's pretty simple and almost all algebra 2. At others it overlaps most of the material of AP calc AB.

My one kid is now in private (other two are in DCPS) and went from his school's honors pre-calc class to his school's AP Calc AB class and has since realized that fall of AB will be entirely review of what he learned last year in. We're 4 weeks in and that's definitely the case. He probably should have done BC but that class is known to be a beast (1.5 hours of homework a night, maybe 2 As given to a class of 20 kids). He elected to focus on humanities instead because he was pretty beaten up by honors pre-calc (also a beast---a handful of As (maybe 4?) out of 30 kids)

I’m the poster just above you, and I assume the premise is that AP pre-calc is setting kids up to move straight into AP Calc BC or college-level calculus (for seniors taking AP pre-calc). So it’s less review and more…calc.

Quite the opposite. AP Precalc is for humanities and marketing majors who will never take an class at AP calc AB or higher.

"AP" Precalc is worthless to anyone who takes Calc AB or college Calc 1, because they won't get college credit for Precalc. But it's useful for people who need a math credit and will not take non-Marketing calculus.

I mean…I have a kid in it, who is an accelerated math kid and will take BC next year. And I had a kid take honors. They have compared notes, and AP is more accelerated.

But I’m sure it also serves the purpose you note. Both things can be true!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

Interesting. In many districts (and private schools) the new AP precalc curriculum is a fraction of the material of their traditional precalc class. Many are not offering AP precalc for this reason.

By it's very nature precalc is an ambiguous class. At some schools it's pretty simple and almost all algebra 2. At others it overlaps most of the material of AP calc AB.

My one kid is now in private (other two are in DCPS) and went from his school's honors pre-calc class to his school's AP Calc AB class and has since realized that fall of AB will be entirely review of what he learned last year in. We're 4 weeks in and that's definitely the case. He probably should have done BC but that class is known to be a beast (1.5 hours of homework a night, maybe 2 As given to a class of 20 kids). He elected to focus on humanities instead because he was pretty beaten up by honors pre-calc (also a beast---a handful of As (maybe 4?) out of 30 kids)

I’m the poster just above you, and I assume the premise is that AP pre-calc is setting kids up to move straight into AP Calc BC or college-level calculus (for seniors taking AP pre-calc). So it’s less review and more…calc.

Quite the opposite. AP Precalc is for humanities and marketing majors who will never take an class at AP calc AB or higher.

"AP" Precalc is worthless to anyone who takes Calc AB or college Calc 1, because they won't get college credit for Precalc. But it's useful for people who need a math credit and will not take non-Marketing calculus.

I can’t imagine reputable universities will give college credit for AP Pre Calc. It’s such a money grab by college board.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC attempted to double up on math at JR and was denied, counselor cited DCPS policy is one math class only.

They lied to your child. DCPS kids absolutely can take two math classes at once.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

Interesting. In many districts (and private schools) the new AP precalc curriculum is a fraction of the material of their traditional precalc class. Many are not offering AP precalc for this reason.

By it's very nature precalc is an ambiguous class. At some schools it's pretty simple and almost all algebra 2. At others it overlaps most of the material of AP calc AB.

My one kid is now in private (other two are in DCPS) and went from his school's honors pre-calc class to his school's AP Calc AB class and has since realized that fall of AB will be entirely review of what he learned last year in. We're 4 weeks in and that's definitely the case. He probably should have done BC but that class is known to be a beast (1.5 hours of homework a night, maybe 2 As given to a class of 20 kids). He elected to focus on humanities instead because he was pretty beaten up by honors pre-calc (also a beast---a handful of As (maybe 4?) out of 30 kids)

I’m the poster just above you, and I assume the premise is that AP pre-calc is setting kids up to move straight into AP Calc BC or college-level calculus (for seniors taking AP pre-calc). So it’s less review and more…calc.

Quite the opposite. AP Precalc is for humanities and marketing majors who will never take an class at AP calc AB or higher.

"AP" Precalc is worthless to anyone who takes Calc AB or college Calc 1, because they won't get college credit for Precalc. But it's useful for people who need a math credit and will not take non-Marketing calculus.

+1
AP precalc is intended to help people who otherwise wouldn't take Calc AB take the class. In many school districts it is less rigorous than honors calc, which prepares students for AB or BC. It sounds like that's not the case in DCPS, but that means that likely reflects an honors calc class that wasn't particularly rigorous.

[Anonymous]

As a math teacher, please don't let your kid take Algebra 1 and Geometry at the same time - they really need their Algebra skills for Geometry!!!

But I have many high level students take Geometry and Algebra 2 at the same time sophomore year. If they are truly high level kids, not kids whose parents are pushing them to take classes out of their ability level, then they always do well. Then in junior year they take trig/precalc, and take Calc senior year, and succeed in both.

I am not an advocate of taking Geometry in the summer, even though I developed our school's summer school Geometry class and have taught it. I have fund that the kids who do this don't have enough time to learn the in-depth Geometry thinking skills they need for trig and calc - I have to spend much more time remediating those kids than the one who took Geometry as a year long class. Geometry is so much more than skills - it develops mathematical thinking though proofs. And there just isn't enough time in a summer school class, that is usually only a month or six weeks long, to learn the thinking that supports doing and understanding proofs. It's like trying to condense training for a marathon into a month when it takes a year or more to train for one - trying to run the hundreds of miles needed to train for a marathon in a month or 6 weeks instead of over a year or more just breaks down the body and practically guarantees injury. There are a very few who can handle it, but the vast majority can't.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just FYI, Deal has said that after this school year, they will no longer be allowing any students to double up on math, per DCPS policy. So that policy may well extend to JR too, even if they allowed doubling up in the past.

Thanks. So the only option if my kid wants to go beyond pre-calc in high school is to take summer math at some point?

I am not trying to complicate your decision...but again, I don't think they care in HS if you decide to take two "math electives" at the same time. Pre-Calc, Stat, Calc AB and Calc BC are considered electives and not required Math.

If you want to follow the progression and not double up Pre Calc and Calc, then yes you should plan to take say Geometry over the Summer. DCPS has an approved vendor list (many, maybe all virtual), but you want to make sure you get sign-off from the school / DCPS prior to registering.

What counselor or admin is allowing kids to take PreCalc and AP Calc at the same time? That makes absolutely no sense. And your elective logic makes no sense. Spanish III and Spanish IV are both electives. It doesn’t mean you take them at the same time. There are sequences to courses.

This is NOT the same as taking Geometry and Algebra II the same year. That happens pretty frequently in high schools.

I am not employing any elective "logic". Simply stating that since these classes are electives, there are often no institutional restrictions to taking them together. I bet a kid could in fact take Spanish III and Spanish IV at the same time if that is what they wanted to do. Just so happens it occurs more frequently in Math.

FWIW, the kids I know that double up on Precalc anc Calc are advanced in Math. Not sure why they did not accelerate earlier (and some were transfers). Many had already had exposure to PreCalc, but not in a way that gave them DCPS credit. Honors Precalc is also not a heavy lift (the new AP Precalc may be more?). These kids wanted to be done with Calc by Junior year (they all got a 4 or 5 on the AP Calc BC test) and then take AP Stats Senior year (which is a much easier class).

Again, I am not a proponent of this progression, but simply conveying what I know some kids have done historically.

Interesting. In many districts (and private schools) the new AP precalc curriculum is a fraction of the material of their traditional precalc class. Many are not offering AP precalc for this reason.

By it's very nature precalc is an ambiguous class. At some schools it's pretty simple and almost all algebra 2. At others it overlaps most of the material of AP calc AB.

My one kid is now in private (other two are in DCPS) and went from his school's honors pre-calc class to his school's AP Calc AB class and has since realized that fall of AB will be entirely review of what he learned last year in. We're 4 weeks in and that's definitely the case. He probably should have done BC but that class is known to be a beast (1.5 hours of homework a night, maybe 2 As given to a class of 20 kids). He elected to focus on humanities instead because he was pretty beaten up by honors pre-calc (also a beast---a handful of As (maybe 4?) out of 30 kids)

I’m the poster just above you, and I assume the premise is that AP pre-calc is setting kids up to move straight into AP Calc BC or college-level calculus (for seniors taking AP pre-calc). So it’s less review and more…calc.

Quite the opposite. AP Precalc is for humanities and marketing majors who will never take an class at AP calc AB or higher.

"AP" Precalc is worthless to anyone who takes Calc AB or college Calc 1, because they won't get college credit for Precalc. But it's useful for people who need a math credit and will not take non-Marketing calculus.

I mean…I have a kid in it, who is an accelerated math kid and will take BC next year. And I had a kid take honors. They have compared notes, and AP is more accelerated.

But I’m sure it also serves the purpose you note. Both things can be true!

That's wild. In most districts and private schools AP precalc is significant (like 50%) less rigorous than their long-standing standard pre-calc curriculum. I have no idea what DCPS pre-calc was teaching if it was less than the AP pre-calc exam. DCPS is such a joke.