All freshmen in High School District 211 enroll in a mathematics course. Placement at the freshman level is determined by entrance test scores and junior high school performance. A second year of mathematics is taken during the sophomore year and additional mathematics courses are required until the student successfully completes a 300-level course. Freshmen who have successfully completed junior high school algebra may be placed in M217 Plane and Solid Geometry or M218 Accelerated Plane and Solid Geometry. Other freshmen may be placed in M117 Algebra 1, M114 Algebra 1, M113 Algebra I, M111 Introduction to Secondary Mathematics, M120 Essential Mathematics, or M100 Applied Mathematics 1. A student who fails to meet the grade prerequisite for any course must repeat the requisite course to improve the grade in order to proceed to the next sequential course.
College-bound students are encouraged to complete four years of mathematics, including trigonometry. Advanced Placement testing in computer science (AP Computer Science Principles and AP Computer Science A) and statistics also are available. District 211 also partners with Harper College for dual credit courses M435 Quantitative Literacy, M436 Statistics and College Algebra, and M437 Calculus for Business and Social Scientists. Students must qualify via Harper standards for dual credit courses.
