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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Most kids in AP Pre-Calc at our school are juniors. It replaced the intensified/honors version of the class. They will go in to take AP Calc senior year. [/quote]
Schools in this area have placed calculus-bound kids into AP Precalc. But the course was not designed for them. When launching the course, the College Board said they designed it for kids who would take precalc as a senior which is why the course was not focused on just preparing students for calculus. The CB said they expected most students taking the course would fit the above profile and urged districts to not exclude non-honors students from AP Precalculus. It has never been clear why DMV districts disregarded that advice and put honors students into AP Precalc but not non-honors students.  [/quote]

I don’t live in DMV and mostly juniors at our school will take it. After Alg 2, but before Calc AB.

Sounds like the College Board did not properly plan it.

[/quote]
It was a good plan as conceived. Students taking Algebra 1 in 8th grade or earlier have a chance to earn AP calculus credits in high school. But for students who take Algebra 1 in 9th grade, they only get to precalc by senior year (absent summer courses/doubling up) and do not have a chance to earn AP math credits. Therefore, AP Precalc was conceived as a way of giving 9th grade Algebra 1 students a chance to earn AP math credits too.

However, despite its conception, some districts have placed honors students into AP Precalc and not non-honors students as had been intended. Why? Hard to know. There is a popular movement now to discourage students from pursuing the calculus pathway in lieu of statistics/data literacy. AP Precalc would make the calculus pathway more attractive so perhaps non-honors students were excluded from AP Precalc to make it less likely they take the calculus pathway. Or, districts may be in an arms race with each other and want to give honors students as many AP credits as possible. Hard to know what the reason was. Maybe a combination of both.

The net result is a sub-optimal outcome where calculus-bound students are being directed into AP Precalc even though they don't need AP Precalc credits, while non-honors students are not being placed into AP Precalc even though they would benefit from AP Precalc credits.[/quote]

My DC’s private has 2 AP PreCalc classes. One is for seniors maxing out at Precalculus and one is for students that are headed to AP AB Calculus the following year. The one for non-seniors has additional units so the students are ready for AB Calculus. It is basically the old honors precalculus class. They can only take BC after they take AB. [/quote]
That system could work. AP Precalc has three units that are covered on the exam and an optional fourth unit. The exam content is roughly 2/3 Algebra 2. Potentially, the class for seniors might just cover the three units tested on the AP Precalc exam. The class for students heading to Calc AB would likely cover exam content plus the optional unit, which together would cover the content of a standard precalc course. The group that potentially suffers with AP Precalc are students heading to BC; traditionally, for them, part of precalc is spent on introductory calculus so BC is less rushed. That is difficult to fit into AP Precalc if students are being prepared for the AP Precalc exam. BC students would be better off with the prior honors precalc course. [/quote]

My kid (soph) just took the AP precalc test this week.  At his school, the final unit of AP precalc (which started two weeks ago and will end in June when school is out), is intro calc so that they will be prepared to take AP Calc BC next year.  I think thats actually a pretty good strategy.  [/quote]
AP precalculus is watered down old regular Precalculus.  AP Precalc doesnot prepare student for even AP Calc AB, let alone the even more challenging Calc BC.  The entire purpose of introducing AP precalc is to address lack of diversity in AP math credentials.  [/quote]

It’s evolving from that original idea. Each school will vary in how students use it. Sure, some will end at AP Pre Calc. But many will take it sophomore or junior year and use it as a spring board for Calc AB or eventually BC.

At our school, there is a more advanced Pre Calc class. It’s call “Pre Calc Honors with Calc A” but to admissions officers it probably sounds pretty similar to  AP Pre Calc. In fact, “Pre Calc Honors with Calc A” is the higher track class. It’s a demanding class that very few students take at our school.

Many students will be relieved to be able to take AP Pre Calc instead. [/quote]

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