Reply to How can precalc be an AP class?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Precalculus courses show wide variations between different states and even different counties within states. I’m sure colleges welcome the standardization that comes with making a precalculus class AP level. At least, they now know what content a student has mastered in precalculus. A small percentage of students have completed Calculus in high school. Most have not. And many counties such as MCPS have done away with final exams so having AP Precalculus means those kids have to take a rigorous 2-3 hour final exam. Finally, AP classes tend to be more difficult than their CC equivalent [/quote]

AP precalculus syllabus intentionally not a full year course because they want to give schools the flexibility to fit it into their own multi year math curriculum.

[/quote]
The AP Precalc exam was originally designed to cover all four units, same as a typical full-year precalc class. However, math reformers, including Jo Boaler, protested, saying that was too much content. The College Board capitulated and made the AP Precalc exam cover only the first three units which are majority Algebra 2 content and made Unit 4 optional.

Precalc is a sensitive topic for math reformers. Claims that students can take Algebra 1 in 9th grade and get to calculus by 12th grade rest on the use of an Algebra 2/Precalculus compression course in 11th grade. San Francisco's compression course is an infamous example; it contained so little precalc content that the UC did not deem the course to be precalc. Had the AP Precalc exam covered all four units as originally planned, it would have stood in stark contrast to the watered down Algebra 2/Precalc compression courses that reformers favor. As such, their plea for the College Board to water down the AP Precalc exam, which was honored.[/quote]

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