Calculus helps students get ahead of curve
Serena LeMand wants to study business in college, and like an increasing number of fellow Orange County students, she figures taking calculus during her senior year of high school will put her ahead of the curve.
“I know getting into college is really competitive, and I wanted to take classes that would set me apart,” said LeMand, 18, who attends Winter Park High. “I’m good at math, so I thought taking a hard math class wouldn’t be that bad.”
Students in Orange and Seminole counties are more likely to take calculus — a course that some educators say is integral to college admissions and preparation — than their peers in most Florida school districts.
Orange’s enrollment grew by
about 15 percent this year, and Seminole boasts the state’s highest proportion of students taking the class.
Seminole had about 27 students taking calculus per 100 seniors during the fall 2015 semester, according to an analysis by Paul Cottle, a professor of physics at Florida State University.
His calculation, based on data from the Florida Department of Education, indicates Orange has about 17 students taking calculus per 100 seniors, the seventhhighest rate. Lake has the ninth-highest proportion, with about 15 students taking calculus per 100 seniors.
Many of the counties at the top of the list, including Brevard and Leon, have large communities of professors, scientists and engineers. Cottle said he thought Orange’s improvement was a testament to the district’s concerted effort to get more students taking the toughest math courses.
“A lot of districts where the sailing should be a lot smoother are not doing nearly as well as Orange,” he said.
The ranking includes calculus courses in the Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and dual enrollment programs, which can yield college credit. The data also include honors calculus, which isn’t offered in Orange and doesn’t result in college credit.
Getting students to start thinking ahead while they’re in middle school and recruiting capable students for accelerated coursework is critical, said Scott Fritz, chief academic officer for Orange.
Schools consider many factors, even including scores from reading tests, to figure out who is a good candidate to start their high school math series in middle school.
Michael Blasewitz, executive director of secondary schools for Seminole, agreed. He said the district’s success in getting students through calculus starts years before they see a derivative for the first time.
“We don’t have to convince kids to take calculus – they’re just having success in advanced coursework all along and it ’s the next course in the sequence,” Blasewitz said.
Florida students must take four credits of math, including Algebra 1 and ge-
“College is so competitive now that they are terrified to do anything that might put them down a notch.” Winter Park High calculus teacher Joel Brielmaier
ometry, to graduate, but they don’t need calculus. It’s not necessarily required for admission to the state’s public universities, either.
A few educators argue students don’t need calculus until college. High schools should focus on teaching computer science and statistics instead, Johns Hopkins University professor Steven Salzberg wrote in Forbes in 2014.
Still, local school leaders say taking calculus in high school helps students down the line.
Winter Park Principal Tim Smith said getting qualified students to take calculus is a sign of good counseling. School staff help students pick courses that are right for them based on their goals and past academic performance.
“We don’t want kids to go into a class where they’re going to be not stretching or reaching their potential — the correct level is important,” he said.
But sometimes calculus is hard to sell. Joel Brielmaier, who teaches the course at Winter Park High, said he encounters resistance from bright students who don’t want to jeopardize their GPAs by signing up for a tough math course.
“College is so competitive now that they are terrified to do anything that might put them down a notch,” he said.
When talking to students on the cusp, Brielmaier said he explains the benefits.
They’ll have more time in front of the teacher if they take the class in high school, rather than college. They have the opportunity to earn college credit without paying tuition. And taking the class, even if they don’t earn a top grade, shows they’re willing to push themselves.
I think anybody who can take [calculus], should,” Brielmaier said.