Bristol Central High School

The philosophy of the mathematics department is to develop mathematically literate and productive students who can effectively and efficiently apply mathematics in their lives to make informed decisions about the world around them. To be mathematically literate, one must understand major mathematics concepts, possess computational facility and have the ability to apply these understandings to situations in daily life. The opportunity to think critically and creatively to solve problems is important to deepen mathematical knowledge and foster innovation. A rich mathematical experience is essential to provide the foundational knowledge and skills that prepare students to be mathematically literate, productive citizens. Through their experience, students should be able to demonstrate understanding of the skills and content knowledge in each of the following conceptual categories:

• Number and Quantity
• Algebra
• Functions
• Modeling
• Geometry
• Statistics and Probability

Suggested course sequencing:

What career options might I have with a background in Mathematics?

The mathematics curriculum has been developed to prepare all students to be ready for college and careers with an emphasis on algebra, functions and modeling. The goals of the mathematics department are to develop mathematically proficient students by providing experiences that develop students' ability to:

• Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them
• Reason abstractly and quantitatively
• Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others
• Model with mathematics
• Use appropriate tools strategically
• Attend to precision
• Look for and make use of structure and regularity in repeated reasoning; and
• Work collaboratively to investigate ideas and solve problems.

Most mathematics courses are offered in accelerated and academic levels. Students are required to take three years of mathematics at either level and are highly encouraged to take a fourth year to meet the admission requirements of many colleges and universities.

The accelerated mathematics program is offered to capable and interested students who have displayed superior ability and achievement in previous mathematics courses. The purpose of this program is to provide an opportunity for acceleration and enrichment.

To select a sequential accelerated mathematics course, a student should have a grade of "83" or better in his/her previous mathematics course and/or received the recommendation of the mathematics department. If a student has completed Algebra I in eighth grade, he/she may be able to select Calculus in their senior year after successfully completing the first three years of the sequence. Students who successfully complete the study of Calculus should obtain a mathematical experience equivalent to, at best, one year beyond the standard college preparatory mathematics sequence and may be able to obtain advanced placement credit upon matriculating at a college or university.

All mathematics courses will make extensive use of graphing calculator technology. It is strongly recommended that all students enrolled in mathematics courses own a TI-84 graphing calculator.