This year, Westview High School has added AP Precalculus to its list of course offerings. The course is offered as a year-long AP Precalculus/AP Calculus AB class replacing the previous Honors Precalculus/AP Calculus AB class or a single-semester class by itself.
After College Board introduced AP Precalculus into its course in 2023, multiple schools in PUSD have included it in their course offerings.
The AP Precalculus course is broken down into three main units: polynomial and rational function manipulation, exponentials and logarithms, and trigonometry.
Currently, one section of single-semester AP Precalculus is offered at Westview. Math teacher Michael Nguyen teaches this AP Precalculus class.
“The target audience of this class is juniors and seniors who calculus is not in their future, at least at Westview,” Nguyen said. “I taught a lot of Integrated III [math] and an academic support class in the spring. I marketed the class to them [by saying], ‘Hey, if you’re interested in taking this class because you’re not going on to calc, here you go.’”
Thirty-nine students enrolled in the stand-alone AP Precalc class, making it the largest class Nguyen is teaching this year.
Lindsay Butman (12) is one of the many students taking Nguyen’s class. After taking Integrated Math I, II, and III her freshman, sophomore, and junior years, Butman was unsure of what math to take next.
“I want [to go into] the medical field, and in college, [for this] you need to do calculus,” Butman said. “I’ve never really been good at math, but I talked to [math teacher Bruce] Hubschmitt and he told me it’s kind of like Integrated III, but it expands more on the topics.”
After joining the class, Butman said that she’s gained a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts as the class goes more in-depth than previous math courses she’s taken.
“I’ve had homework for other math classes where it’s like, ‘Did we even learn this in the lesson?’” Butman said. “Then for AP Precalc homework, I see it and I’m like ‘I remember him explaining this exact problem.’ And I can place it together — what we learned in class and then what the homework is about and it makes sense.”
According to Nguyen, this class of students is one of the most enthusiastic classes he’s ever had.
“They’re engaged, they ask questions that are really meaningful – they really want to know how to do stuff,” Nguyen said. “They’re just so awesome.”
According to Milan Shah (12), another student in AP Precalculus, a big part of what makes the class so engaging is its teacher, Nguyen.
“I’ve always struggled with math and Nguyen was really one of the first teachers who made me feel like I can actually excel in math,” Shah said. “Mr. Nguyen makes sure that everyone [can] excel, and [instills in you the] belief that [you] can really excel in math. [The fact that] Mr. Nguyen believes in all of us really encourages me to participate and to stay engaged in the class.”
Similarly, Butman has found herself enjoying the lessons more and more as the class progresses.
“I’ve never understood math until this point,” Butman said. “I always listened but it wasn’t sitting in my brain. But, in this class I understand it. I can do it at home a week later and still know how to do it. I like learning in this class.”
