Reply to skipping intro classes on HS

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]My child took AP Physics 1 in 9th grade and AP Bio in junior year with no prereqs. Took honors chem in 10th and AP Calc in 11th. [/quote]

Forgot to add that he thought Honors chemistry was a waste of time and should have taken AP chem. [/quote]

I don't know why they make kids take regular chem before AP chem - it wasn't always this way. I think it's related to a sentiment in my school that is used to judge whether a child is "ready" for AP - they will not be accepted in the AP pre-screeners our school has set up if the teacher thinks the student will get a "B".  That seems odd to me and likely to cut a lot of students out who could benefit from the challenge. [/quote]

They want to avoid students getting into the class unprepared, because this slows down the class. AP classes are for students capable of taking college level classes. For science classes like Physics and chemistry you need to be on top of things.

Unprepared kids with pushy parents get into these classes and it doesn’t end good for the student.

If you need more evidence, take a look at an AP exam from college board for a realistic assessment.[/quote]

AP exams are post-tests, so they aren't helpful as pre-tests assessing readiness for enrollment.

MCPS creates this problem by forcing double-period AP sciences, just to make time for occasional labs.
AP does NOT recommend every day double-period. AP recommends a 104-to-125 day x 45minute pace, https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-biology-course-at-a-glance_0.pdf

https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-biology-course-and-exam-description.pdf

"Flexible or modular scheduling may be implemented in order to meet the time requirements identified in the course outline for lab and field experiences. 
You may find that [b]at minimum, one double period a week[/b] is needed to allow adequate time for authentic lab experiences"

Other schools do things like mixing PE into the double-period, instead of MCPS absurdity of having 1 of 4 years be the "PE every day year"

[/quote]

Is this for you or your child? What grade, and what courses do they want to take? There are ways to bypass the requirements but it depends what you’re trying to do.

Are you trying to take Physics 1 in 9th and the high school requires honors physics as a prerequisite? Then show you don’t need to take the prerequisite. Talk to the department head, ask for alternatives. Offer to take the honors physics exam, take an online class that covers the material and get a certificate of completion to show the school. If that doesn’t work check the local community college for summer class that satisfy the prerequisite. They might still not allow it but if you’ll be courteous and persistent it might work.

Going in with the mindset that the American educational system and MCPS are stupid and somewhere overseas you’d get what you want is the opposite of what you should do.

Be reasonable with what you want. Are you planning for AP Physics, Chemistry, biology and Calculus the same year? That’s completely idiotic.

From now till August there’s time to work something up. Start by looking at course placement policies and figure out how to meet the spirit and letter.[/quote]

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