Dear Parents and Guardians,
I apologize for not properly communicating with parents about a change in our Math curriculum this year. As you know, PVHS is an IB World School, and we are very proud of the educational opportunities the program provides our students. Our graduates continue to rave about the merits of the IB program and IB courses. Over the past several years, we have recognized that we need to adjust our math program to better prepare students for advanced math courses. We have received feedback over the course of that time from parents, educators, and higher education about the Advanced Regents pathway. Our discussions have been in-depth and comprehensive. The conclusion is that the Algebra II Regents curriculum misses trigonometry components that will better prepare students for advanced courses in calculus and statistics. Our array of IB courses, DCC courses, U Albany, and Siena College courses provide students with the key courses they need as they make their post-secondary plans.
Students can still sit for the Algebra II Regents if they would like, and teachers will have practice Regents exams and can guide them with other information they may need to know. Many of the schools in our region have done away with offering Algebra II Regents and the Advanced Regents Diploma because it prevents schools from providing more accelerated trigonometry options for students. Last year we made the Physics Regents optional so that our students could be exposed to a more in-depth physics curriculum.
I hope this clarifies our math program and the reasoning behind a shift to infusing trigonometry into our Algebra II offerings.
Sincerely,
Matt Mello
Principal
Putnam Valley HS