A Math Problem: Students should be able to take math courses that fit their goals and adequately challenge them

History of the Americas, biology, Theory of Knowledge, English, Spanish 5, philosophy and Harbinger.

I’d been stressing over my junior-year classes for a month until I finalized my schedule a week ago.

Everything was planned out. Except for math.

Next year, beginning my studies in the International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma program, I thought I could choose between taking standard-level (SL2) math 2 or high-level (HL) math. I was wrong.

Even though I’m prepared for either math option after taking Honors Precalculus this year, HL isn’t being offered next year because not enough students are enrolling, rendering SL2 my only option.

IB students should be able to choose whether to take SL2 or HL math regardless of the class size. Having the right fit for students is essential because some IB students may want to pursue math-related careers where they need to know complex numbers and more in-depth differential equations.

Since I’m doing the IB diploma program, my math class must meet the requirements for IB, which here at SM East means taking their SL2 course.

Theoretically, I can take AP Calculus BC senior year — HL math is two years while SL2 is one, so I’ll run out of IB math classes to take. This is frustrating because I would qualify for Calculus BC right now if I wasn’t doing IB diploma. Although I want to gain the critical thinking skills and global perspective that IB diploma has to offer, it’s slowing down my progress in math.

My math track started in sixth grade. I was an online student because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but I went in person to my elementary school to take a test that determined my future path in math.

I sat in a classroom hunched over my exam paper, solving for “x” in math equations I had barely learned about yet.

I ended up being one of the 13 lucky sixth graders out of 450 who qualified for Pre-Algebra at Indian Hills Middle School. Most of the other students took integrated math — the standard middle school math.

Now, there are only 10 other sophomores in Precalculus — one student moved up a level in math, two came from different middle schools and four students moved schools.

Most of these students aren’t doing IB diploma, which means that there aren’t enough kids to fill a class of HL math.

Many of my sophomore friends would easily be a good fit for a higher-level math class and are frustrated that they couldn’t take Precalculus this year. They want more of a challenge, but they’re stuck where they are because it’s almost impossible to move up a whole year in math. If more sophomores were able to take Precalculus this year, the school would be able to offer HL because they’d have enough students to fill a class.

The test that sixth graders take to determine their capability of taking an advanced course that can affect their future high school options is clearly flawed. It’s wrong for 11-year-olds to be placed in a math class because of their performance on a single test that the district put into place four years ago.

Students should be able to take math classes of their choice, and there needs to be more opportunities for students in middle school to move up a level in math.

Kids should have the opportunity to take HL math or continue with the level of math that they’re prepared for. They shouldn’t have to take lower-level math classes simply because of a small eligible class size: the aftermath of an unfair district policy in middle school.

The test sixth graders take needs to be simplified or require a lower — fairer — score for students to qualify for Pre-Algebra. The test has a long-term effect on each student and is preventing students from progressing to higher-level math classes.