Math teacher Kyle Fintel teaches his AP Precalculus class with the precision only a veteran teacher provides . Photo courtesy of senior Gus Moody.
Two years after College Board debuted an AP Precalculus course and exam, San Luis Obispo High School has jumped on the bandwagon.
Not unlike Honors Precalculus (offered in previous years), AP Precalculus offers a one-point GPA boost and its curriculum focuses on expanding algebra skills and preparing students for the rigor of calculus. Historically, many students choose to skip Precalculus by taking a special exam or taking the course over the summer.
Now, Precalc may prove a more attractive option for students seeking college credit or even just the AP label on their application resumes. That said, this wasn’t integral to all students’ decisions.
“The AP part was kind of just a cherry on top … It wasn’t a deal [maker] by any means,” said junior Waucoba Hunter.
In the University of California system, math credits can be satisfied only through AP Calculus tests (statistics is a separate category). Precalculus is not listed on the website. For many collegiate STEM pathways, such as Cal Poly’s popular mechanical engineering program, math requirements start at Calculus I, raising the question of whether the AP credit is worth the hefty fee. Hunter plans on being an engineering major, and won’t be taking the AP test this spring.
Despite the fact that Precalculus credits offer little advantage in terms of college credit, AP Precalculus is more geared towards preparing students for the test. This comes at the expense of some non-tested material being removed, though there are significant curriculum advantages too.
“The one nice thing about AP Precalc is it’s a universal standard,” said Math Department Head and Precalculus teacher Steven Arata. “It makes it better for the expectations of calculus teachers, and in that same vein calculus professors in college.”
Essentially, a lot of the increased rigor in this course comes from the expectations of an AP class rather than the content.
“I won’t say that Honors Precalc was any easier, because it really wasn’t,” said Arata.
This is a outlook reflected by students as well.
“I think that there’s a lot of value in Precalc,” said junior Lucas Infante, “but I feel like it kind of is recursory.”
By making it an AP class, Precalc can serve the purpose of introducing students to the standards of a SLOHS AP math class — no retakes, no group tests, and higher expectations — without the content being too suffocating.
Sources: universityofcalifornia.edu, calpoly.edu
