.         At the start of the upcoming 2024-2025 school year, Honors Precalculus with Trigonometry will be replaced by AP Precalculus. This change has been met with mixed reactions from students, with some expressing anger over missing out on what they perceive as a less challenging class that offers more tangible benefits. Meanwhile, freshmen and sophomores looking to take the class next year are anxious as to what to expect.

.         The curriculum of AP Precalculus differs from that of the honors program. One notable difference is the reduced emphasis on trigonometry, which was a major focus in the honors courses. Additionally, AP Precalculus introduces students to concepts like limits and continuity, which they typically wouldn’t encounter until taking AB Calculus or Applied Calculus.

.         AP Precalculus provides a 1.0 GPA boost, which is greater than the 0.5 offered by honors courses. However, just 297 colleges grant credit for this class, a number significantly lower compared to the 2,099 colleges that award credit for AP Calculus AB and the 2,077 that do so for AP Chemistry.

.         Introduced in 2023, AP Precalculus was initially considered for implementation at Westfield High School last year, as many current sophomores and juniors may remember. However, the initial effort was unsuccessful until now. With the introduction of AP Precalculus to the variety of AP courses at Westfield, it is anticipated to be among the initial AP classes taken by freshmen and sophomores, ultimately providing them with valuable exposure to the AP test environment and equipping them for success in future AP classes and exams.

.         “I think they should add Dual Enrollment Precalculus too,” said Niranjana Ezhilarasen, 11. “I think AP Precalculus will open their [future students’] minds, and make them feel so special. I’ll probably drop out of BC Calculus and take AP Precalc myself.”

.         Priya Bhangu, 9, states she is looking forward to the new courses as it will be “less stressful than honors.”