Integrated Math 2A will now be offered as an in person course over the summer for incoming PHS freshman and sophomores in addition to the challenge test which allows you to test into IM2B/3.
IM2A covers the first half of the IM2 text book in an effort to adequately prepare students for IM2B/3. Students who choose to take the challenge test must self study and pass with a 90 percent or higher.
“I know this girl who got an 86 on the [challenge] test. She was so close. If they would have done [IM2A] earlier [IM2A] she could have been double compressed now,” PHS freshman Asha Patel said.
This is not the first time IM2A has been offered as a class over the summer. It was offered seven years ago but shut down because of parent complaints.
“A lot of parents were unhappy that they had to give up so much of their summer, and ability to travel. So instead of offering the class, we switched to a challenge exam that you could take,” said PHS math teacher and math department chairperson Samuel Colburn.
The administration is still in the process of selecting a teacher for the course.
“Principal Yoshihara said ideally a PHS math teacher,” said Colburn.
The administration is also unsure if the class will have enough funding to be able to run.
“Schools don’t receive any funding for summer programs, when you come to school now your attendance drives revenue,” PHS Principal David Yoshihara said.“That’s not true for summer [programs], it’s a different mechanism and that’s why we’re asking for donations and parent support.”
Since the school does not have students’ attendance driving revenue they will have to rely on the district and broader community for funds.
“Ultimately it’ll come from the district’s what we call broadly general fund so that’s the broad pot of money for all funds but certainly we will ask for parent donations and support,” Yoshihara said.
The amount of days and hours has yet to be determined and the department is providing feedback.
“We were thinking 20 days, four hours a day, but we’re thinking, maybe we don’t need that much time, so maybe three hours a day,” Colburn said.
Yoshihara said that the math department is providing feedback on how many days the courses should run for, how many hours it should be and when they finish their report then the schedule will be released.
“Anyone in IM1, a ninth grader included, can do this,” Colburn said.
Yoshihara said the course has been re implemented to be more accessible than the challenge test and to give students who don’t test well a better chance at double compressing.
“We were looking at ways where we could support kids who wanted to get into IM2B from middle school who did not test well or did not want to take the challenge test,” Yoshihara said.
Colburn said that now some families are frustrated when they take the test and don’t pass it, so they want a more absolute way to get in, so now the district is considering offering both.
