Math Progression/DE . . . ???

[ByGrace3]

My dd is taking Algebra 2 with Mr. D. this year. She is doing well, is a solid but not brilliant math student. She will start some DE classes next fall. She intends to go into a science field so has to take College Algebra, Precalculus, and Statistics for her desired degree program. The question is, do I just let her start in the fall with College Algebra, then Precalc in the spring or would she be better off taking high school precalculus next year and then do college algebra and college precalc her senior year? (is that year of high school precalc important or would it be redundant?) The only other non DE class I am considering for next year would be an Honors Physics class. 

[EKS]

I'd have her take the placement test at the college and enroll her in whatever math course she places into.  If you have her do precalculus at home, she may end up placing into calculus.

I'm a little confused by the course names though.  At our CC, college algebra and the algebra part of precalculus are the same thing.  The other part of precalculus is trig.

[ByGrace3]

28 minutes ago, EKS said:

I'd have her take the placement test at the college and enroll her in whatever math course she places into.  If you have her do precalculus at home, she may end up placing into calculus.

I'm a little confused by the course names though.  At our CC, college algebra and the algebra part of precalculus are the same thing.  The other part of precalculus is trig.

She will be taking the placement test soon . . . since it is early in Algebra 2 I'm not even sure she will pass the math part right now. (we are planning for her to just take one class this spring to get accustomed to the idea) As long as she passes the writing and reading she can take a non math/science class in the spring. 

Not sure on the class names. For her desired major it lists her needing precalculus and statistics is required for general ed for the college. She could place into precalc and skip college algebra, but I doubt that will be the case. 

I am actually picking classes from the school she plans to transfer to upon graduation (for graduation requirements) even though she will be taking these classes at the CC for the next two years. 

At the CC it looks like they have college algrebra with precalc, then another course is precalculus with algebra, and another precalc with trig. 

 

 

[BusyMom5]

As someone who has been trying to juggle similar things the last 2 years- DD is now thinking she will go to a 4 year that we hadn't planned on in Sophomore year 😉 You really have no idea where the next 3 years will take you!   And then we have Covid which is making DE no fun at all.  I would not encourage your DD to take any classes this year, and very little Jr year.  I wouldn't do the placement test, just let her learn the Algebra 2 this year, and decide where to go next year in the spring.  

[EKS]

11 hours ago, ByGrace3 said:

She could place into precalc and skip college algebra, but I doubt that will be the case.

Perhaps what they are calling "college algebra" is what I'm used to being seen called "intermediate algebra," which is Algebra 2.

[ByGrace3]

48 minutes ago, EKS said:

Perhaps what they are calling "college algebra" is what I'm used to being seen called "intermediate algebra," which is Algebra 2.

I don't think that is it, they have an "intermediate algebra" which is remedial for those that don't place into college algebra. 

[EKS]

27 minutes ago, ByGrace3 said:

I don't think that is it, they have an "intermediate algebra" which is remedial for those that don't place into college algebra. 

It's actually somewhat important to know what the different class names mean because if there is a limit to the number of times she can take the placement test, timing it so she doesn't have to retake something she already knows would be good.

[kiana]

I'm not sure about other states, but I know at least one that does college algebra, trig, precalc algebra as 3 3cr courses. There is also a 4cr precalculus algebra/trig for people who get an A/B in college algebra.

It's very common to have a two-semester sequence that is college algebra and then precalc, the 3-semester is a little bit more uncommon.

My guess is that they found that people with a C in college algebra were failing precalc in droves but couldn't really tighten up on standards in college algebra any more and so put this on as a sequence intended to help the C students review + consolidate. But that's just speculation. The college algebra scope + sequence does look pretty standard.