Author Spotlight
Ellen Bowser
IB Higher Level Math 1 and 2 will no longer be offered as classes next fall with Honors Calculus 3 and Differential Equations likely to be dropped in the coming years due to a decrease of students in the prerequisite classes.
IB HL math is a two-year course offered to students who take Honors Precalculus as sophomores and covers parts of calculus 1 and 2 with some differential equations and statistics. Juniors and seniors are able to take HL 1 and HL 2, respectively.
Now, juniors can only take SL 2 — a class available to those who either took SL 1 or Honors Precalculus the year prior. SL 2 only covers parts of calculus 1 and statistics.
These changes can limit opportunities for high-achieving students, according to Christopher Burrows, the AP Calculus BC and former IB HL 1 math teacher.
“Those classes provide opportunities for students, not only in regards to what colleges they can get into but what scholarship opportunities are provided to them,” Burrows said.
Then-junior Anna Ravis was just one of 10 people to take the IB Higher Level two-year math class — a class that will be unavailable to any SM East students next year. Although the class is challenging according to Ravis, the now-senior recognizes the value of this unique course.
According to Ravis, only three students signed up for HL 1 last year, causing this math track to be discontinued at SM East.
“I think [the school] should continue to offer it because it’s a great class,” Ravis said. “While it is challenging, it has taught me a lot.”
Before 2022, AP Calculus BC was typically two smaller classes, allowing both more flexibility for students to fit the class into their schedule and for one-on-one time with their teacher, according to Burrows.
“I would have to assume that a smaller enrollment in the class would make the class easier for students,” Burrows said. “They get a chance to interact with the teacher more and get their questions answered. A larger enrollment seems more like a lecture hall.”
In 2021, Indian Hills began requiring incoming seventh graders to take math placement tests in sixth grade to take Algebra 1 in seventh grade, and the impacts of this requirement are beginning to hit East — only 10 sophomores are currently enrolled in Honors Precalculus.
There are even possibilities Calculus 3 and Differential Equations — the math track after Calculus BC — will be discontinued in the coming years due to the small number of students coming in with prerequisites to take these classes, according to Burrows. Honors Calculus 3 and Differential Equations student senior Clayton Weaver is upset at this possibility.
“[Honors Calculus 3] might not be as essential as Calc AB or BC, but it’s a very important class, especially for people going into math-related fields,” Weaver said. “Doing something like Calc 3 is a really core class and you’re going to have to go through it again, so having that preparation makes a huge difference.”
The few students that test into Algebra 1 in middle school must travel to East during the first hour to take Honors Geometry, which is no longer offered at the middle school. Honors Geometry was last available at the middle school five years ago so the trickle-down effect is finally hitting East.
Sophomore Molly Chaffee is currently taking Honors Precalculus and was one of the few students who traveled to East two years ago to take Honors Geometry. Now, only around 10 students on her track remain in the advanced track taking Honors Precalculus.
“[Taking Geometry] was definitely difficult because it made my school day longer because I had to go first period at 7:40 a.m.,” Chaffee said. “That made my school day 7:40 a.m. to 3:45 p.m..”
For now, students who take Honors Precalculus as sophomores will only have the option to take AP Calculus BC and then Honors Calculus 3 and Differential Equations if they choose to pursue this rigorous math track. So any IB Diploma students will be unable to pursue the high-level track unless they use their elective slot to take Calculus BC and Calculus 3.
The unavailability of IB HL math is unlikely to change in the future, as only 12 eighth graders are currently on that high-level math track, according to East enrollment. Furthermore, Calculus 3 and Differential Equations may also become unavailable in coming years.
“[IB HL math] is a pretty unique opportunity,” Ravis said. “I think that [ East] should continue to offer it because it’s a great class […] It’s gonna prepare me well for college as I’m covering a very broad range of topics within math.”
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