Collegeboard adds new AP Pre-Calculus course
AP Precalculus is a new course that will be added to the fall of the 2023 school year, but Amador students will not be affected.
May 30, 2022
On May 17, the Advanced Placement Program announced the launch of Advanced Placement Precalculus as a new course addition to the fall of 2023. AP courses are faster paced compared to regular courses and can help students earn college credit.
The AP Precalculus course aims to guide students for success in college math and careers in STEM in the future. However, Amador will not be offering AP Precalculus, as the current honors precalculus course offers the same rigor and acceleration.
“The AP Precalculus class and what [Amador] offers as honors precalculus are basically the same class. AP Precalculus is not being offered for college credit anyways because precalculus is a high school class. It is just for placement in college,” said Colette Woodruff, math teacher at Amador.
Amador’s honors precalculus course already offers students a grade boost because of its difficulty. Therefore, Amador students are not affected by the new course.
“I think honors precalculus is already sufficient and I think the teachers prepare the students well [for future math courses].The honors course at Amador is already weighted, so I don’t understand the need for an AP Precalculus course,” said Myra Qin (’23).
Other schools and teachers have contrasting perspectives about the new course. Some believe that AP Precalculus will be advantageous for all students and provide more opportunities for students even if they are not interested in careers in mathematics.
“AP Precalculus will open the door for many students to advanced course studies in mathematics and will bring a college-level course to students who may not have access to other AP math classes,” said Brendan Murphy, math teacher at John Bapst Memorial High School in Maine.
Currently there are sixteen math courses offered at Amador. Of those sixteen courses, six are advanced. Students at Amador have access to many resources to help them succeed, such as teacher office hours and peer tutoring. Although other schools may offer AP Precalculus, Amador’s honors course is sufficient and will help prepare students towards the same goal in the future.
“I would have just stuck with honors. For the students, I think it is a waste of time and resources because the honors course is already good,” said Qin.
