[el_devo]

It isn't that the math is too hard, it's that the students want to run before they learn to walk.

I'm a 17 year old in high school right now and having taken Calculus AB and BC (I and II) the teacher was constantly skipping material that I think was very important to have a general understanding of Calculus. Needless to say, I read the book to learn everything she was skipping, and I was also the only one who got a 5 on the AP exam. My classmates weren't stupid, they had just learned to solve very specific problems rather than actually learning Calculus. The very specific testing curricula hurt actual learning.

Another issue lies in the fact that (at least at my school) calculus and other high maths are seen as only for the very smartest kids. We need to change that. If students are required to have been exposed to calculus they won't be in as much shock when they get to college.

The availability of higher classes is a big problem as well. I was super lucky to find a public school program that allowed me to take classes with a community college, because otherwise there would have been no classes for me to take past sophomore year and Calculus I. I'm taking Multivariate Calculus next semester, and I doubt many high school students have this opportunity at all.

I realize that I'm in the minority here. Not many high school students have the opportunity to take Calculus III their senior year, and that really needs to change.