If you have a child who is close to entering high school, there are some math-related research items and decisions to be made soon related to having your child take Calculus.
Your first research step needs to be with your child: (1) Is your child interested in a math-intensive career like engineering or anything in the sciences, and (2) Is your child in some sort of honors or other accelerated program that will have 1st year Algebra taken in 8th grade? If your child KNOWS that math-intensive anything is of NO interest, then the decision is made--no Calculus.
If your child is on any type of accelerated program, these are generally designed to allow Calculus to be taken in high school.
However, this does notmean that Calculus must be taken during those years.
The second research step needs to be with the high school your child will be attending.
Find out if Calculus is being offered.
Not all schools do.
Many offer Calculus in the form of AP (Advanced Placement) classes.
This means the class is being taken during high school for college credit.
If AP Calculus is offered, is it AB Calculus or BC Calculus? The difference lies in the number of possible semester credits the student can earn.
In college, Calculus is a three semester course.
If your child takes the "AB" exam and scores the maximum possible 5 points, then two semesters of credit will be given and one more semester of Calculus must be taken in college.
Five points on the "BC" exam allows the student credit for all three semesters, and Calculus requirements are completed.
Let's assume your child is interested in a math-intensive career, that he/she is on an accelerated track, and that the school offers both AB and BC Calculus.
Does this mean your child for sure should take Calculus? Not necessarily.
There are several issues to consider--some positive and some negative--before making this decision.
2 Positive Issues to Consider Before Making the Calculus Decision: (1) Money.
If your child scores enough points to earn credits for 1, 2, or 3 semesters of college credit, you can save thousands of dollars in college tuition costs.
Of course, more semester credits = more savings.
Testing out of all three semesters also saves the textbook cost.
(Calculus books are unbelievably expensive--as if made out of gold!) (2) Time.
If your child takes several AP classes and passes all with 4's and 5's, he/she might actually be able to start college as a sophomore.
This saves an enormous amount of money and shortens the entire college experience.
Both of these issues are desirable and certainly make the Calculus issue worth the consideration.
There are a couple of negative issues to consider, though, before making that final decision.
2 Negatives Issues to Consider Before Making the Calculus Decision: (1) High school Calculus can be grueling work and very time-consuming.
If your child is involved is many school activities--band, drama club, sports, etc.
--the time required for successful completion of Calculus may force your teen to be "spread too thin" and take all the enjoyment out of the final year of school and/or cause your child to not be successful on the AP exam.
(2) There is a great deal to be said for CONTINUITY--having the same instructor for all semesters of Calculus.
If your child can only take AB Calculus, then it will be impossible to test out of the entire course.
This means your child will take part of Calculus under one instructor in a high school environment and the remainder under a different instructor in a college environment.
This situation is often problematic.
My personal recommendation is to let high school be high school and college be college.
Wait on Calculus--if finances allow.