At Jasper Place High School, we care about your future, and we want you to select the Math courses that are best suited to you and your goals!
Math programming at the high school level is focused around the foundational knowledge you will need in the future. More specifically, Alberta Education is encouraging students to make their choices for high school math courses based on the skills they need after high school. Whether you need general information or post-secondary pre-requisites, we hope the information on this site will be helpful. Start your journey by reading the information below, and then continue your research on various Post-Secondary Institution websites.
Information Disclaimer
Remember, many post-secondary faculties (e.g. medicine, dentistry, some business faculties, etc...) are NOT direct-entry faculties (from high school) but may require high school calculus for enrollment.
The Alberta Mathematics program includes 4 sequences. At the grade 10 level, most students choose between 10-3 and 10C. At the grade 11 level, a student who passed 10C would now choose between 20-2 and 20-1. These sequences are both considered “academic” and lead to 30-2 and 30-1, respectively. These are both widely accepted at a number of post-secondary institutions. A student in the 10-3, 20-3 and 30-3 sequence is more likely to have goals of entering the workforce or beginning apprenticeship with any of a number of trades following high school.
The Alberta Education Program
The following excerpts are directly from the Alberta Education website:
-1 Stream
Mathematics 20-1 and 30-1 if I want to study mathematics or sciences at a university, college, or technical institute and go on to a related career.
Mathematics 20-1 and 30-1 is for students who plan to enter post-secondary programs such as engineering, mathematics, sciences, some business studies, or other programs that require advanced math skills. The sequence is a co-requisite for Mathematics 31 and may be required for post-secondary calculus courses.
-2 Stream
Mathematics 20-2 and 30-2 if I want to attend a university, college, or technical institute after high school, but do not need calculus skills.
Mathematics 20-2 and 30-2 is for students wishing to study at the post-secondary level in diverse fields, including arts programs, civil engineering technology, medical technologies, and some apprenticeship programs. This path will fulfill most students' needs. Mathematics -2 is designed with a great deal of flexibility, so that the student can switch sequences in Grade 11 or Grade 12 if his or her interests change.
By these descriptions, it is clear that both the -1 and -2 sequences are ACADMEMIC.
How to choose
The following factors should be considered when you are making the choice for your Grade 11 math course.
The Graduation Factor
Currently, a student in Alberta needs to earn credits in a 20-level math in order to graduate. Coming out of Math 10C or 10-3, it is strongly recommended that a student select a course sequence that ensures a passing grade to earn those credits.
The Ability Factor
Jasper Place High School recommends a grade of 65% or higher in 10C to enroll in 20-1. Generally (with some exceptions) a student should be at a level of 70% or higher in order achieve a similar grade between Math 10C and 20-1. The same holds true for Math 20-1 and 30-1.
The Math 20-2/ 30-2 sequence is an academic program and achieving a higher grade at that level may be beneficial for post-secondary acceptance. In other words, a higher grade in 30-2 is likely more beneficial than credits (but a lower grade) in 30-1 for many post-secondary programs.
The Content Factor
The Math 20-1/ 30-1 sequence is a pre-calculus sequence with topics primarily based on algebraic concepts. Math 20-2 and 30-2 is a much broader study of mathematics content containing both algebraic and non-algebraic (e.g. statistics, reasoning, etc...) concepts. Alberta Education recommends 20-1 and 30-1 for students who will be studying calculus in high school and university (i.e. taking Math 31 in high school, and at least one calculus course in university/college).
The Post-Secondary Factor
Often the primary reason a student is selecting the 20-1, 30-1 sequence over the 20-2, 30-2 sequence is because they want to keep “all doors open”. The reality is that a higher grade in mathematics opens more doors than the sequence a student chooses if a math course will be used for admission. Most colleges and universities accept Math 30-2 for many of their programs, and at an equal status to 30-1.
Do some research and figure out what math is required for programs of interest!
The “Changing Sequence” Factor
In this new program, a student can change sequences to 20-1 after completion of 20-2 or 30-1 after completion of 30-2. The doors are always open and you are never locked into your initial program choice.
Please note that we also have an AP Program in Math. More information can be found here: Math AP Program @ JPHS
Make the best choice for you!