The Integrated Math program is no longer being taught with blended concept learning and is categorized as College Prep (CP) courses, and the courses formerly categorized as CP are now labeled as Advanced College Prep (ACP).

In previous years Integrated Math courses were taught using blended concept learning, meaning that over a three year span, students would learn Algebra 1 and Geometry, each year learning concepts from both.

“Now instead of blending concepts, students are doing the traditional Algebra [1], Geometry, Algebra 2,” Director of Guidance Lisa Connery said.

According to math teacher Mary Rose Steele, this also reduces the time it takes for students to complete Algebra 1 and Geometry requirements.

“Integrated I, II and III have been broken down to Algebra 1 CP and Geometry CP, so they’ve been moved back from three years to two,” Steele said.

This year’s change means that freshmen in CP math will learn Algebra 1 and sophomore year they will learn Geometry, each at a basic level, instead of taking three years to learn them.

The reason behind this change stems from wanting to give students greater mobility in moving into more challenging classes.

“A student [can now] go up to an ACP course if they wanted to, whereas when they were in an integrated program, it was hard for  them to progress out into a different course just because of how the concepts were blended,” Connery said.

The blended concept courses added difficulty to transition to CP courses because the concepts being taught in integrated classes each year did not line up with what students in CP and Honors were learning.

The only difference between this year’s ACP course and last year’s CP course is a letter, Connery says.

“It’s just how we’re classifying the classes but [this level has] been the same all along,” Connery said.

Steele believes the switch from the old Integrated courses to the new CP courses is beneficial for students.

“I think it will make stronger students,” Steele said. “Now we’re really digging in and seeing across the different years with what students are learning and making sure they are getting the topics that they need and upping the difficulty of it.”