AP Math . . . and More?

You might be familiar with Judah Christian School’s outstanding performance in AP English courses. But are you aware of its equal, if not greater, success in AP math courses? In fact, not only have AP math courses at Judah been successful, but AP Calculus AB has been available at Judah for more than a decade. 

Since AP Calculus’s insertion into the Judah math curriculum in 2010, Judah students have been punching well above their weight. Their AP scores have consistently been considerably above national averages, with 78 percent of Judah students over the years getting a 3 or higher on their AP Calculus exam. Compare that 78 percent at Judah to the 64 percent of students nationwide who scored a 3 or higher on the exam last year. In fact, 61 percent of Judah students over the years scored a 4 or an exam-best 5, which is, again, a double-digit edge compared to the 49 percent of students who scored a 4 or a 5 on last year’s AP Calculus exam nationwide. 

What’s more, starting in the 2023–2024 school year, AP Calculus is no longer the only AP math option at Judah, as Judah has now implemented the newly created AP Precalculus course into its math curriculum. While it is still a new and developing AP math course, in the one year that Judah students took the AP Precalculus exam, 100 percent of Judah students got a 3 or above. In fact, 100 percent of Judah students got a 4 or a 5. 

Longtime math teacher Mrs. Behrends had this to say about the Judah AP offerings in math: “If students are really wanting to rise to that challenge, it’s a good thing.” As Judah’s AP pioneer and resident AP expert, Mrs. Behrends has key insight into how to teach an AP course. Not only is she the cultivator of AP classes at Judah, but Mrs. Behrends also has more than 40 years of experience as an upper-level math teacher. Students say that she presents the material in a clear and organized way, which is essential in an AP math class. 

With the introduction of new AP classes, such as AP Precalculus, here at Judah Christian School, people are wondering, will there be more? AP English teacher Mr. Himick thinks so. He said, “It’s one part of offering academic excellence — excellence for Jesus. People pay to send their students here, and if we can offer classes that are at the highest level of academic excellence, and if those classes can potentially give students college credit while they are still in high school, that validates the quality of the education we provide.” 

Mr. Himick isn’t alone in this sentiment. Future superintendent Blake Porter shares a similar perspective on AP classes. He said, “If we’re going to continue to compete well in this community, we’re going to have to have more AP courses.” 

Here is what we do know. There is definitely demand for more AP courses at Judah. Mrs. Miller, Judah’s guidance counselor and AP exam proctor, said that some students have even taken AP tests for classes not currently offered at Judah at the AP level. She said, “We have had students take AP exams for classes that we don’t offer. For example, chemistry is one that’s not yet an AP class, but students have taken the AP Chemistry exam. AP Physics too. It’s been a few years, but some students took the AP Spanish exam.”

But why is it important that we have more AP courses here at Judah? Well, as said in previous AP articles, AP courses prepare students to take AP exams, which give students college credit. All of this credit can add up. 

As it stands right now, there are five AP course options at Judah. Let’s say you decide to take four of them. If you were to take junior year AP Literature and AP Precalculus at Judah and get a 4 on both of their exams and then go to the University of Illinois, you would receive four credits for — and be exempted out of — UIUC’s Rhetoric 105 class, which is the university’s required freshman-year writing class. You would also receive three credits for a 100-level college math course. This brings you up to seven college credits from your junior year at Judah. Two high school classes at Judah could effectively get you credit for two college classes at the University of Illinois. 

Similarly, for your senior year, if you take the AP Rhetoric and AP Calculus courses at Judah and get 4s on their respective exams, you would receive three literature credits and five more math credits at the U of I. This brings your total to 15 credits, which is a full semester’s worth of college, all before you even begin your first day of college. 

This scenario might seem like a wild hypothetical, but there is already one student doing exactly that here at Judah. This student has taken the AP English Literature and AP Precalculus courses and their respective exams. Soon they will take the AP English Language and AP Calculus AB exams. While this is not a path for every student, it is an excellent option for those who want to gain college credit before they graduate high school. 

Regardless of your post-high school plans, and whether AP courses factor into them, you can’t deny that Judah’s success in its current AP programs — and its plans to implement more — paint a clear picture of where Judah Christian School intends to be: academically excellent, Christ-centered.

—Zach Schaefer, class of ’25