Welcome Parents and Class of 2013

Bret Crock PHS Math Department chairperson (and Cross Country coach) 26th year teaching high school math in Douglas County

excerpted from: Crisis at the Core Preparing All Students for College and Work a report from ACT

... simply taking core is not enough. It’s the nature and the quality of the courses students take, not only the number, that determine if they will be ready for college and work.

There is a clear relationship between the rigor of the high school coursework students take and their readiness for college.

... taking and doing well in specific courses—such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and upper-level mathematics (beyond Algebra II) (Geometry at PHS)—has a startling effect on student performance and college readiness.

Percentage of ACT-tested high school graduates that meet the College Algebra Benchmark: 13% took less than three years of math 13% Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry

37%Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry 55%Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, other Advanced Math 74%Algebra I, Algebra II, Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus

Calculus takers, on average, outscored non-Calculus takers on the ACT by 5.3 points. 36 point scale (15%) Calculus is not tested on the ACT.

Of all pre-college curricula, the highest level of mathematics one studies in secondary school has the strongest continuing influence on bachelor’s degree completion. Finishing a course beyond the level of Algebra 2 (Geometry at PHS)... more than doubles the odds that a student who enters postsecondary education will complete a bachelor’s degree.

At PHS we recommend students advance to the next level if: 1. they have an A or B in a class. 2. they have a C in a class because they performed very well on tests, but not so well on other assigned work.

We do not recommend students advance to the next level if: 1. they have a C in a class because they performed poorly on tests, but did well on other assigned work. 2. they have a D or F in a class.

Perhaps tonight’s most important walk away... Three math credits are required for graduation from PHS. Four math credits are required for acceptance into a Colorado 4-year institution of higher education. Not all high school credits are created equally.

Signing up for Honors Math courses The student must have the DESIRE to be in an honors course. The student must be willing to WORK HARDER than they have before in a math class. The student must be QUALIFIED.

Traditional College bound sequences (Meets HEAR ) 9th10th11th12thPHSHEAR Alg 1 Alg 2 Geo Col Alg 4 4 Trig Alg 1 Alg 2 Geo Col Alg Trig Trig Alg 1 App Geo Alg 2 Geo 4 4 Topics Trig Alg 1 Alg 2 Geo Col Math 4 4 Trig Prob Stat

Non - College bound sequences (Does not Meet HEAR ) 9th10th11th12thPHSHEAR Alg P 1 Alg P 2 App Geo MoM 4 1 Topics DaD Alg P 1 Alg P 2 App Geo Alg Topics Alg P 1 Alg P 2 Alg 2 Geo 4 3 Trig

Advanced College bound sequences (Meets HEAR ) 9th10th11th12thPHSHEAR Alg 1 Alg 2 H Col Alg AB Trig Trig Alg 2 Geo Col Alg AB Trig Trig H Alg 2 Hon Geo Pre Calc BC Trig Calc A