The Fullerton Joint Union High School District uses the traditional Algebra 1 / Geometry / Algebra 2 sequence rather than the Integrated Math I/II/III sequence used at Irvine schools. The grade 9 starting course is determined by placement test results together with grade 8 coursework and grades. This page explains three math pathways, the specific requirements at each step, and the one catch-up window. The information comes from the Math Course Sequences and the Honors Math Flyer published by the school math department, the Honors / AP / IB Course Expectations on the counseling page, and the district graduation requirements.
Three Math Pathways
Standard track (Math 8 in grade 8)
- Grade 9: Algebra 1
- Grade 10: Geometry
- Grade 11: Algebra 2
- Grade 12: Pre-Calculus, Probability and Statistics, Business Finance, or AP Statistics with a B or better in Algebra 2
Accelerated track (Algebra 1 completed in grade 8)
- Grade 9: Geometry or Geometry Honors (requires a final grade of A in Algebra 1 and passing the placement exam)
- Grade 10: Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 Honors (requires C+ or better in Geometry Honors, or A in both Geometry and Algebra 1)
- Grade 11: Pre-Calculus or Pre-Calculus Honors (requires C+ or better in Algebra 2 Honors, or A in Algebra 2)
- Grade 12: AP Calculus AB or BC, AP Statistics, or IB Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches SL
Fastest track (Geometry completed in grade 8)
- Grade 9: Algebra 2 Honors
- Grade 10: Pre-Calculus Honors
- Grade 11: AP Calculus AB or BC, or IB Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches SL
- Grade 12: AP Calculus BC or AP Statistics
Rules for Moving Up and Down in Honors Math
| Moving up into honors | To move from a regular course into honors math, the school recommends a solid A in both semesters of the previous course; to continue from one honors course to the next, it recommends maintaining an A or B. Students with a semester grade of D in an honors or IB math course may be moved to a regular course, and a semester grade of F in any math course may result in removal from the course. Honors students with a semester D are placed on a learning contract, and those with an F are moved directly to a regular course |
|---|---|
| After a D or F | Colleges accept only grades of C or better. Students who earn a D or F in an honors course must repeat the regular version of the same course before advancing, and both grades count toward the GPA |
The school’s Honors Math Flyer describes the difference between honors and regular math in concrete terms: the classroom instruction in honors courses is similar to that in regular classes, but homework problems start at moderate difficulty and rise to challenging; every test includes at least one or two problems that combine material across chapters; and students should expect 30 to 60 minutes of math homework each night, almost every day, including test days. The school also cautions that moving from regular courses into all honors courses at once is usually not a good idea, because adding even one or two honors courses at a time already requires a major adjustment in study habits.
Entry Requirements for AP Calculus and AP Statistics
| Course | Entry requirements |
|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | Final grade of C+ or better in Pre-Calculus Honors, or a final grade of A in Pre-Calculus with outstanding work habits |
| AP Calculus BC | A in Pre-Calculus Honors, A in IB Math SL, or B or better in AP Calculus AB |
| AP Statistics | B or better in Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 Honors, and C or better in Pre-Calculus or higher; grade 11 students must take another math course concurrently |
| IB Mathematics: Analysis & Approaches SL | Completion of Pre-Calculus; IB diploma candidate with teacher recommendation |
AP Statistics has one easily overlooked rule: students taking it in grade 11 must take another math course at the same time, such as AP Statistics with Pre-Calculus, or AP Statistics with AP Calculus AB; only in grade 12 may AP Statistics be taken as a student’s only math course.
The Catch-Up Window: Summer Geometry
Summer Geometry is the only acceleration window. The school recommends it only for students who earned an A in both semesters of Algebra 1 and who strongly intend to enter Algebra 2 Honors, and the student and parent must sign a waiver. The school notes on its course sequence chart that moving directly from Algebra 1 to Algebra 2 Honors is a large jump.
In other words, Sunny Hills High School has only two windows for math acceleration. The first is in grade 8: a student who completes Algebra 1 or Geometry in middle school and qualifies for honors on the January placement exam can enter Geometry Honors or Algebra 2 Honors in grade 9. The second is the summer after grade 9: a student who earned an A in both semesters of Algebra 1 takes summer Geometry and enters Algebra 2 Honors directly in grade 10. Once the second window closes, a student can still enter the honors sequence in any year based on grades, but the match between grade level and course no longer changes, and AP Calculus can fall no earlier than grade 12.
Computer Science and Data Science Pathway
- Introduction to Computer Science: open from grade 9; counts toward UC A-G category d (laboratory science)
- AP Computer Science Principles: B or better in Algebra 1 or higher; counts toward category d or g
- AP Computer Science A: B or better in Geometry Honors or A in Geometry; counts toward category c or g
- Computer Science AB: counts toward category g (elective)
- Coding & Gaming 1: interactive projects in JavaScript; counts toward category g
- Coding & Gaming 2: 2D and 3D game development in Unity and C#; counts toward category g
- IB Design Technology SL and HL: taken as part of the EPIC engineering course sequence
This pathway differs from those at Irvine schools in two ways. First, Introduction to Computer Science and AP Computer Science Principles count in the school’s A-G list as category d laboratory science, which means they can substitute for a year of science rather than serving only as electives; AP Computer Science A counts as category c mathematics. Second, the prerequisite for AP Computer Science A is a B or higher in Geometry Honors or an A in regular Geometry, not a programming foundation, so taking it in grade 10 is a common arrangement. The Coding & Gaming pathway is a career technical program: level one uses JavaScript, level two uses Unity and C#, and there is also an esports activity. It suits students who treat programming as an interest rather than as the main line of their college plans.
Math Course List
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analysis & Application IB SL | IB | 11-12 | Pre-Calculus; IB diploma candidate with teacher recommendationIB Mathematics: Analysis and Approaches, Standard Level | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 11-12 | B or better in Algebra 2 or Algebra 2 Honors, and C or better in Pre-Calculus or higherGrade 11 students must take another math course concurrently; grade 12 students may take it alone; AP exam required | c |
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 10-12 | C+ or better in Pre-Calculus Honors, or A in Pre-Calculus with outstanding work habitsAP exam required | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 11-12 | A in Pre-Calculus Honors, or A in Math IB SL, or B or better in AP Calculus ABAP exam required | c |
| Geometry Honors | Honors | 9-12 | Qualify through the honors/Pre-IB placement exam; final grade of A in Algebra 1 with outstanding work habitsAbout 1 hour of homework per night; the first chapters of Algebra 2 are previewed at the end of the year | c |
| Algebra 2 Honors | Honors | 9-12 | C+ or better in Geometry Honors, or A in both Geometry and Algebra 1A/1B with outstanding work habitsAbout 1 hour of homework per night | c |
| Pre-Calculus Honors | Honors | 10-12 | C+ or better in Algebra 2 Honors, or A in Algebra 2 with outstanding work habits1 to 1.5 hours of homework per night | c |
| Algebra Foundations 1A/1B | CP | 9-12 | —First year of two-year Algebra 1 | c |
| Algebra Foundations 2A/2B | CP | 10-12 | Algebra Foundations 1A/1BSecond year of two-year Algebra 1 | c |
| Algebra I | CP | 9-12 | By placement score and 8th grade class and gradeStudents who completed Algebra 1 in middle school enter Geometry directly in 9th grade | c |
| Geometry | CP | 9-12 | Algebra ISummer Geometry is recommended only for students with an A in both semesters of Algebra 1; a parent-signed acknowledgment is required | c |
| Algebra 2 | CP | 9-12 | Geometry | c |
| Pre-Calculus | CP | 10-12 | Algebra 2 | c |
| Math Analysis | CP | 11-12 | Pre-CalculusListed after Pre-Calculus in the course sequence chart | — |
| Probability and Statistics | CP | 11-12 | Algebra 2 | c |
| Business Finance | CP | 11-12 | Algebra 2 or Algebra Foundations 2 | g |
| Math Essentials | Other | 9-12 | —Not UC A-G approved | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Sunny Hills High School use Integrated Math or the traditional algebra sequence?
The traditional algebra sequence. The Fullerton Joint Union High School District, where Sunny Hills High School is located, uses the traditional sequence of Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, and Pre-Calculus, not the Integrated Math I / II / III used at Irvine Unified School District schools. The district graduation requirements also state directly that the math sequence is generally Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2, and they require all students to pass Algebra 1, Algebra Foundations 1 and 2, or a higher-level math course.
When Irvine families compare Sunny Hills High School with the high schools in their own district, are the math pathways the same?
No. This school is not part of the Irvine Unified School District. At Sunny Hills High School, the earliest a student can take AP Calculus is grade 11, and only if the student has already completed Geometry in middle school by grade 8. That student enters Algebra 2 Honors in grade 9, takes Pre-Calculus Honors in grade 10, takes AP Calculus AB or BC in grade 11, and takes AP Calculus BC or AP Statistics in grade 12. Students who complete Algebra 1 in grade 8 follow a different pathway, in which AP Calculus falls in grade 12.
How do students enter honors math at Sunny Hills High School? Is there a placement exam?
Yes. Each January, Sunny Hills High School holds an online Honors and Pre-IB placement exam for incoming grade 9 students. Geometry Honors in grade 9 requires meeting two conditions at once: passing this placement exam, and earning an A as the final grade in Algebra 1 with an excellent work habits rating. After enrollment, each honors level has its own grade requirement: Algebra 2 Honors requires a C+ or higher in Geometry Honors, or an A in both regular Geometry and Algebra 1; Pre-Calculus Honors requires a C+ or higher in Algebra 2 Honors, or an A in regular Algebra 2.
At Sunny Hills High School, can a student who enters regular Geometry in grade 9 still return to the accelerated pathway?
There is one window, and it is narrow. The summer Geometry course at Sunny Hills High School is the only route for moving up a level. The school states clearly in its course sequence chart that it is recommended only for students who earned an A in both semesters of Algebra 1 and who strongly want to enter Algebra 2 Honors; the student and parent must sign a waiver, and the chart notes that moving directly from Algebra 1 to Algebra 2 Honors is a very large jump. Beyond this, the school has published no policy on self-study acceleration or math challenge exams.
At Sunny Hills High School, what happens if a student earns poor grades in an honors math course?
The Sunny Hills High School math department states three responses: a student with a semester grade of D in an honors or IB math course may be moved back to the regular level and placed on a learning contract; a student with a semester grade of F is moved directly into regular math; and a semester grade of F in any math course may lead to removal from that course. In addition, a student who earns a D or F in an honors course must repeat the regular version of the same course before moving up, and district rules keep both the original grade and the new grade on the transcript, with both counted in the GPA.
