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Homeschool students who wish to take Calculus I or Calculus II have a few decisions to make about the format that will be best suited to their needs. Three options to consider include:
1) taking Calculus I and/or Calculus II as college level high school courses.
2) taking Calculus I and/or Calculus II as semester dual credit courses.
3) taking an Advanced Placement course - AP® Calculus AB covers Calculus I topics and AP® Calculus BC cover both Calculus I and Calculus II topics.
There are many considerations in making this decision and there is not one right answer for all students. Here are some pros and cons about each option:
Calculus I and Calculus II as high school level courses cover the material taught in a one semester college class and spread content out over an entire school year. Each course is challenging and rigorous and would resemble the difficulty of a college class. This can be a good option for any student, regardless of their intended degree. Those who are planning to go into a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) careers will be required to take Calculus I and likely Calculus II, so these high school classes will each cover the same material over the course of a year that college students will see in a one-semester Calculus I or Calculus II class. However, many students in non-STEM majors would benefit as well since Calculus I is a requirement for many college majors. A student who takes Calculus I and/or Calculus II as a high school class will not receive college credit and will need to register for Calculus I when they arrive on a college campus. However, taking Calculus I and/or Calculus II as a high school course can greatly ease the transition into college life. The pace and grading scale in the university setting is very different than the high school setting. It is helpful to have classes that cover familiar concepts as the student adjusts to all of the “new” in college life. It can build their confidence and help their GPA.
Calculus I or Calculus II as a dual credit course through a 2-year college or through an online program can be a good option for students who are ready for the pace of a one semester Calculus I or Calculus II course. These students need to realize that their grades will be based largely on three or four tests and a cumulative final exam. College grading systems can be unforgiving and the grade in a dual credit course sometimes counts toward the student’s college GPA so it is important to make sure the student will be successful in a one-semester Calculus course. Also, if your student knows where they plan to attend school, you can check to see if the credit will transfer. Some universities accept dual credit coursework, some do not. Usually that information is posted on the university website.
AP® Calculus AB (covers Calculus I) and AP® Calculus BC (covers Calculus I and Calculus II) can also be options for home educated students. These courses combine the content with focused test preparation for potential Calculus college credit. Students can register for an AP® exam at a local public or private high school. The exam is administered by the College Board in May each year. Universities more consistently allow credit based on the AP® test than based on dual credit coursework. Most of the time, a university’s website will state what AP® exam score they require to receive Calculus I/Calculus II credit.
High School Math Live offers various Calculus options. Our Calculus I/Calculus II courses are equivalent to most Calculus I / Calculus II semester courses at a university/college. HSML students have the following choices. Please read through each carefully. The prerequisite for all courses is Pre-Calculus/Honors Pre-Calculus. Click the course name to get more information.
Honors Calculus I: These students join “live” with our AP® Calculus AB students to learn the material over two semesters. They will learn at the same pace as AP® Calculus AB. There are some variations in homework assignments/assessments compared to AP® Calculus AB students, especially second semester. These students finish the course at the end of April.
AMP Honors Calculus I: These students learn the Honors Calculus I curriculum at their own pace. Please refer to this page for more information on our AMP classes. Course A is our fall semester of Calculus I and Course B is our spring semester of Calculus I.
AP® Calculus AB: This two-semester course covers only Calculus I topics. (AP® Calculus BC is a two-semester course that covers both Calculus I and Calculus II topics.) These students will meet “live” with the Honors Calculus I students to learn topics. Second semester has a large component of review for the AP® Calculus AB exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, students can possibly receive Calculus I credit.
AMP Honors Calculus II: These students learn the Honors Calculus II curriculum at their own pace. Please refer to this page for more information on our AMP classes. Course A is our fall semester of Calculus II and Course B is our spring semester of Calculus II.
AP® Calculus BC - BC Content Only (includes review of AP® Calculus AB material): This two-semester course is designed for students who have already completed Honors Calculus I/ AP® Calculus AB and are wanting to learn Calculus II material. Calculus II material is taught over a two-semester span. Fall semester will use recordings and spring semester beginning in February, we will meet “live” to prepare for the AP® Calculus BC exam (exam covers both Calculus I and Calculus II material). Upon successful completion of the exam, students can possibly receive Calculus I and Calculus II credit.
AP® Calculus BC: This two-semester course covers BOTH Calculus I and Calculus II topics. (AP® Calculus AB is a two-semester course that covers only Calculus I topics.) Students will prepare for the AP® Calculus BC exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, students can possibly receive Calculus I and Calculus II credit. These students will meet 3 times per week for the entire school year. This course is for highly motivated math students who have completed Pre-Calculus (preferably Honors) with high marks and who have time in their schedule for a fast-paced course and the time needed for math practice.
Another way to think about options for an HSML student.
If a student is ready for Calculus I as senior, they have the following options:
If a student is ready for Calculus I as a junior, they have the following options:
Junior Year:
1) taking Calculus I and/or Calculus II as college level high school courses.
2) taking Calculus I and/or Calculus II as semester dual credit courses.
3) taking an Advanced Placement course - AP® Calculus AB covers Calculus I topics and AP® Calculus BC cover both Calculus I and Calculus II topics.
There are many considerations in making this decision and there is not one right answer for all students. Here are some pros and cons about each option:
Calculus I and Calculus II as high school level courses cover the material taught in a one semester college class and spread content out over an entire school year. Each course is challenging and rigorous and would resemble the difficulty of a college class. This can be a good option for any student, regardless of their intended degree. Those who are planning to go into a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) careers will be required to take Calculus I and likely Calculus II, so these high school classes will each cover the same material over the course of a year that college students will see in a one-semester Calculus I or Calculus II class. However, many students in non-STEM majors would benefit as well since Calculus I is a requirement for many college majors. A student who takes Calculus I and/or Calculus II as a high school class will not receive college credit and will need to register for Calculus I when they arrive on a college campus. However, taking Calculus I and/or Calculus II as a high school course can greatly ease the transition into college life. The pace and grading scale in the university setting is very different than the high school setting. It is helpful to have classes that cover familiar concepts as the student adjusts to all of the “new” in college life. It can build their confidence and help their GPA.
Calculus I or Calculus II as a dual credit course through a 2-year college or through an online program can be a good option for students who are ready for the pace of a one semester Calculus I or Calculus II course. These students need to realize that their grades will be based largely on three or four tests and a cumulative final exam. College grading systems can be unforgiving and the grade in a dual credit course sometimes counts toward the student’s college GPA so it is important to make sure the student will be successful in a one-semester Calculus course. Also, if your student knows where they plan to attend school, you can check to see if the credit will transfer. Some universities accept dual credit coursework, some do not. Usually that information is posted on the university website.
AP® Calculus AB (covers Calculus I) and AP® Calculus BC (covers Calculus I and Calculus II) can also be options for home educated students. These courses combine the content with focused test preparation for potential Calculus college credit. Students can register for an AP® exam at a local public or private high school. The exam is administered by the College Board in May each year. Universities more consistently allow credit based on the AP® test than based on dual credit coursework. Most of the time, a university’s website will state what AP® exam score they require to receive Calculus I/Calculus II credit.
High School Math Live offers various Calculus options. Our Calculus I/Calculus II courses are equivalent to most Calculus I / Calculus II semester courses at a university/college. HSML students have the following choices. Please read through each carefully. The prerequisite for all courses is Pre-Calculus/Honors Pre-Calculus. Click the course name to get more information.
Honors Calculus I: These students join “live” with our AP® Calculus AB students to learn the material over two semesters. They will learn at the same pace as AP® Calculus AB. There are some variations in homework assignments/assessments compared to AP® Calculus AB students, especially second semester. These students finish the course at the end of April.
AMP Honors Calculus I: These students learn the Honors Calculus I curriculum at their own pace. Please refer to this page for more information on our AMP classes. Course A is our fall semester of Calculus I and Course B is our spring semester of Calculus I.
AP® Calculus AB: This two-semester course covers only Calculus I topics. (AP® Calculus BC is a two-semester course that covers both Calculus I and Calculus II topics.) These students will meet “live” with the Honors Calculus I students to learn topics. Second semester has a large component of review for the AP® Calculus AB exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, students can possibly receive Calculus I credit.
AMP Honors Calculus II: These students learn the Honors Calculus II curriculum at their own pace. Please refer to this page for more information on our AMP classes. Course A is our fall semester of Calculus II and Course B is our spring semester of Calculus II.
AP® Calculus BC - BC Content Only (includes review of AP® Calculus AB material): This two-semester course is designed for students who have already completed Honors Calculus I/ AP® Calculus AB and are wanting to learn Calculus II material. Calculus II material is taught over a two-semester span. Fall semester will use recordings and spring semester beginning in February, we will meet “live” to prepare for the AP® Calculus BC exam (exam covers both Calculus I and Calculus II material). Upon successful completion of the exam, students can possibly receive Calculus I and Calculus II credit.
AP® Calculus BC: This two-semester course covers BOTH Calculus I and Calculus II topics. (AP® Calculus AB is a two-semester course that covers only Calculus I topics.) Students will prepare for the AP® Calculus BC exam. Upon successful completion of the exam, students can possibly receive Calculus I and Calculus II credit. These students will meet 3 times per week for the entire school year. This course is for highly motivated math students who have completed Pre-Calculus (preferably Honors) with high marks and who have time in their schedule for a fast-paced course and the time needed for math practice.
Another way to think about options for an HSML student.
If a student is ready for Calculus I as senior, they have the following options:
- Honors Calculus I: Learn the material at a high school pace and plan to take the course in college.
- AMP Honors Calculus I: Learn the material at their own pace, completing as much as possible, and plan to take the course in college.
- AP® Calculus AB: Learn the material for Calculus I, take the AP® exam, and potentially earn college credit for Calculus I.
- AP® Calculus BC: Learn the material for Calculus I and Calculus II, take the AP® exam, and potentially earn credit for both Calculus I and Calculus II.
If a student is ready for Calculus I as a junior, they have the following options:
Junior Year:
- Honors Calculus I: Learn the material at a high school pace and plan to take the course in college.
- AMP Honors Calculus I: Learn the material at their own pace, completing as much as possible, and plan to take the course in college.
- AP® Calculus AB: Learn the material for Calculus I, take the AP® exam, and potentially earn college credit for Calculus I.
- AP® Calculus BC: Learn the material for Calculus I and Calculus II, take the AP® exam, and potentially earn credit for both Calculus I and Calculus II.
- If students took either Honors Calculus I, AMP Calculus I, or AP® Calculus AB in their junior year, options are:
- AMP Honors Calculus II: Learn the material at their own pace, completing as much as possible, and plan to take the course in college.
- AP® Calculus BC - BC content only (includes review of AP® Calculus AB material): Learn the material for Calculus II over two semesters, take the AP® exam and potentially earn credit for both Calculus I and Calculus II.
- AP® Calculus BC: Learn the material for Calculus I and Calculus II, take the AP® exam, and potentially earn credit for both Calculus I and Calculus II. Fall semester (Calculus I) and spring semester (Calculus II)
- If students took AP® Calculus BC in their junior year, they could take Calculus III as dual credit.
