HS students earn top score in AP Calculus
Twenty-eight students earned the highest score of 5 on the Advanced Placement exam. In this challenging class, HS Math Teacher Justin Fitzpatrick teaches two semesters of college-level calculus in less than two semesters of High School.
By Justin Fitzpatrick, HS Math Teacher
Each year, at the start of AP Calculus BC, I lay out three goals for the class. One of the goals is that every student gets a 5 on the AP exam. On that first day, I let students know that each of them is capable of making a 5, and the only real prerequisite for the class is that they should believe it, too. This belief is only the beginning. Achieving that lofty goal requires a full academic year of disciplined work, and the work is challenging. I often lament that I have to teach BC's two semesters of college calculus during, in fact, slightly less than two semesters of High School in order to allow time to review for the exam, and this pacing requires the students to carry a very significant burden indeed, both inside and outside the classroom.
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Each year, at the start of AP Calculus BC, I lay out three goals for the class. One of the goals is that every student gets a 5 on the AP exam. On that first day, I let students know that each of them is capable of making a 5, and the only real prerequisite for the class is that they should believe it, too. This belief is only the beginning. Achieving that lofty goal requires a full academic year of disciplined work, and the work is challenging. I often lament that I have to teach BC's two semesters of college calculus during, in fact, slightly less than two semesters of High School in order to allow time to review for the exam, and this pacing requires the students to carry a very significant burden indeed, both inside and outside the classroom.
That burden is lightened considerably by the love of mathematics and the mutual support of classmates, qualities that are immediately clear and present in abundance in every good class. The 2023-2024 class had 28 students in two sections, a record number for my 12 years teaching the course. But the many hands, perhaps, made for light work, as the mutual support all the students had for one another made for one of the most pleasant classroom experiences I can ever recall. Whether the students enjoyed the experience as much as I did from day to day — difficult as that would be — I cannot say, but I do know that they greatly enjoyed the results of the AP exam, which saw 28 of them get the top score.
Another goal I set for the students at the start of each year is that they understand the math well enough to be positioned for success in their future mathematical studies. This goal is the most important one that motivates the day-to-day experience of the class. Getting a 5 on the AP test doesn't ensure this. When I taught at the university level, many students who made 5s were not ready for university-level calculus. However, I could not be more certain that these USN students are poised for long-term academic success, both mathematically and otherwise. They have set a great example for all of USN, and it was a total pleasure to enjoy my front-row seat for a full academic year.
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2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
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University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.