The Capistrano Unified School District uses the traditional Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2 sequence, not the Integrated Math I / II / III used in Irvine districts. This point must be clear from the start: families moving from Irvine often match Math II to Geometry and end up miscalculating the starting point. The district course placement guidelines set specific grade cutoffs for each step, and the 2026-27 course list adds a new course, Honors Geometry/Algebra II. This page explains three math pathways, the requirements for each course, and the summer Geometry acceleration route.
Three Math Pathways
Standard pathway (starting with Algebra 1 in grade 9)
- Grade 9: Algebra I
- Grade 10: Geometry
- Grade 11: Algebra II, or Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry (requires a B or higher in both semesters of Geometry)
- Grade 12: Precalculus, Honors Precalculus, AP Statistics, or Introduction to Data Science
Accelerated pathway (Algebra 1 completed in grade 8)
- Grade 9: Geometry; students with an A in Algebra 1 may choose Honors Geometry/Algebra II
- Grade 10: Algebra 2 or Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry
- Grade 11: Honors Precalculus (requires B- or higher in both semesters of Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry), Precalculus, or AP Statistics
- Grade 12: AP Calculus AB or BC, Topics in Calculus, or AP Statistics
Double-accelerated pathway (Geometry completed in grade 8)
- Grade 9: Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry, which requires a four-quarter Geometry GPA of 3.00 and 75% or higher on the final common assessment, or a GPA of 2.75 and 85% or higher on the assessment
- Grade 10: Honors Precalculus
- Grade 11: AP Calculus BC (requires A- or higher in both semesters of Honors Precalculus) or AP Calculus AB (B- or higher in both semesters)
- Grade 12: AP Calculus BC (after completing AB with B- or higher in both semesters) or AP Statistics
Note that the district’s 2019 math pathway chart also lists Topics in Calculus after regular Precalculus. This course covers most topics of first-year college calculus but with less depth than AP Calculus AB, and it suits students who are not on the honors pathway but want exposure to calculus in grade 12. Honors Geometry/Algebra II is a grade 9 option newly listed on the 2026-27 course list, and entry requires an A in Algebra 1; the district course catalog does not yet include a description of this course, so students should confirm with a counselor which course follows it.
Entry Requirements for AP Calculus
The grade requirements in the table below come from the placement guidelines in the Capistrano Unified School District 2025-26 course catalog (CUSD Course Placement Guidelines). The 2026-27 course list states them more briefly; for example, it lists AP Calculus BC as requiring “an A in Honors Precalculus.”
| Course | Entry requirements |
|---|---|
| Geometry (grade 9 entry) | Four-quarter Algebra 1 GPA of 3.00 or higher and 75% or higher on the Algebra 1 final common assessment, or a GPA of 2.75 or higher and 85% or higher on the assessment |
| Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry | Grade 9: four-quarter Geometry GPA of 3.00 or higher and 75% or higher on the Geometry final common assessment, or a GPA of 2.75 or higher and 85% or higher on the assessment; grades 10 to 12: a B or higher in both semesters of Geometry. Weighted at school, but UC does not grant honors credit |
| Honors Precalculus | Grades 10 to 12: B- or higher in both semesters of Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry. Weighted at school, and UC also grants honors credit |
| AP Calculus AB | Grades 11 to 12: B- or higher in both semesters of Honors Precalculus |
| AP Calculus BC | Grade 11: A- or higher in both semesters of Honors Precalculus; grade 12: A- or higher in both semesters of Honors Precalculus, or B- or higher in both semesters of AP Calculus AB |
| AP Statistics | Grades 10 to 12: B- or higher in both semesters of Algebra 2 or Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry |
| Topics in Calculus | Grades 11 to 12: completion of Precalculus or Honors Precalculus. The district catalog states that it covers most topics of first-year college calculus, with less depth than AP Calculus AB |
Catch-Up Windows
This school has three catch-up windows.
The first window is the summer before grade 9: district summer school offers accelerated A-G Geometry. A student who completes Algebra 1 in grade 8 and then Geometry over the summer may enter Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry in grade 9, joining the double-accelerated pathway. Registration goes through the counselor at the student’s middle school.
The second window is also before grade 9 starts: incoming students not placed in honors courses based on grade 8 performance may request a move up by meeting with a counselor at the summer walk-through registration day, provided space remains in the class and a waiver is signed. After school starts, students can only move down, not up.
The third window is in grades 10 to 11: moving from regular Geometry to Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry requires a B or higher in both semesters of Geometry, and moving from Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry to Honors Precalculus requires a B- or higher in both semesters. Students who miss the honors pathway can still take regular Precalculus and then Topics in Calculus or AP Statistics; AP Statistics requires only a B- or higher in both semesters of Algebra 2, and in 2025, 52 exams were taken, with 90% earning a 3 or higher.
Computer Science and Data Science Pathway
Computer science courses at Tesoro High School fall into two groups: AP courses and career technical (CCA) courses. AP Computer Science Principles requires only completion of Geometry, making it one of the AP courses available in grade 9; AP Computer Science A requires completion of Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry.
- AP Computer Science Principles: requires completion of Geometry and is open in grade 9; UC A-G category d; in 2025, 43 exams were taken, with 81% earning a 3 or higher
- AP Computer Science A: requires completion of Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry; UC A-G category c (mathematics); in 2025, 37 exams were taken, with 81% earning a 3 or higher
- AP Cybersecurity: the first course of the Networking career pathway, preparing students for the CompTIA Network+ and Security+ certifications
- Introduction to Data Science: requires completion of Algebra 1, Geometry, and Algebra 2; UC A-G category c; offered in the district only at this school and San Clemente High School
- Esports and Esports Advanced: career technical (CCA) courses, with the advanced course weighted; Aviation Careers is also taught after school on this campus
The differences in UC A-G category are worth noting: AP Computer Science A and Introduction to Data Science count as category c (mathematics), AP Computer Science Principles counts as category d (laboratory science), and career technical courses such as Esports count as category g electives. When building a schedule, these courses can be used to fill different A-G categories at the same time.
Math Course List
Mathematics
| Course | Level | Grades | Prerequisites / Conditions / Notes | UC A-G |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | AP | 11-12 | A or B in Honors Precalculus (district guidelines: B- or higher in both semesters)Marked # on the course list; earns one extra grade point under district rules; course number CALCAB | c |
| AP Calculus BC | AP | 11-12 | A in Honors Precalculus (district guidelines: A- or higher in both semesters); in grade 12, may also be taken after earning B- or higher in both semesters of AP Calculus ABMarked # on the course list; earns one extra grade point under district rules; course number CALCBC | c |
| AP Statistics | AP | 10-12 | A or B in Algebra IIMarked # on the course list; earns one extra grade point under district rules; course number STATAP | c |
| Honors Geometry/Algebra II | Honors | 9 | A in Algebra INewly listed on the 2026-27 course list; the district course catalog does not yet include a course description | c |
| Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry | Honors | 9-12 | A or B in Geometry; grade 9 placement requires a four-quarter Geometry GPA of 3.00 and 75% or higher on the final common assessment, or a GPA of 2.75 and 85% or higher on the assessmentMarked # on the course list; earns one extra grade point under district rules; the district catalog notes that UC does not grant honors credit; course number AL2TRH | c |
| Honors Precalculus | Honors | 10-12 | A or B in Honors Algebra II/Trigonometry (district guidelines: B- or higher in both semesters)Marked # on the course list; earns one extra grade point under district rules; UC grants honors credit; course number PCALH | c |
| Algebra I | CP | 9 | Standard grade 9 starting pointCourse number ALG1 | c |
| Geometry | CP | 9-12 | Completion of Algebra I; grade 9 placement requires a four-quarter Algebra I GPA of 3.00 and 75% or higher on the final common assessment, or a GPA of 2.75 and 85% or higher on the assessmentCourse number GEOM | c |
| Algebra II | CP | 10-12 | Completion of Algebra I and GeometryCourse number ALG2 | c |
| Introduction to Data Science | CP | — | Completion of Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra IIOffered in the district only at this school and San Clemente High School; course number DU119Y | c |
| Precalculus | CP | 10-12 | Completion of Algebra IICourse number PCALC | c |
| Topics in Calculus | CP | 11-12 | Completion of PrecalculusCovers most topics of first-year college calculus, with less depth than AP Calculus AB; course number TCALC | c |
| Beginning Personal Finance | CP | 11-12 | Completion of Algebra I; grades 11 and 12 onlyCounts toward the math graduation requirement but does not satisfy UC A-G category c; course number BPF | — |
| CCA/Accounting | CTE | — | Business Management career pathwayMarked # on the course list; earns one extra grade point under district rules; articulated with Saddleback College for college credit; counts toward the math graduation requirement; course number DH923Y | g |
2025 AP Exam Results in Math and Computer Science
| Exam subject | Exams / 3 or higher |
|---|---|
| AP Calculus AB | 97 exams / 98% |
| AP Calculus BC | 68 exams / 99% |
| AP Statistics | 52 exams / 90% |
| AP Computer Science Principles | 43 exams / 81% |
| AP Computer Science A | 37 exams / 81% |
These data come from the Tesoro High School 2025-2026 School Profile and are counted by exam: the denominator is the number of exams taken in each subject, so a student who takes several exams is counted once for each, and the figure is not the number of students schoolwide. The School Profile does not publish average scores by subject.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Tesoro High School use Integrated Math or the traditional algebra and geometry sequence?
The traditional sequence. Math courses in the Capistrano Unified School District run in order from Algebra I to Geometry, then Algebra II or Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry, and then Precalculus, not the Integrated Math I, II, and III used in the Irvine Unified School District. As a result, the course names parents see at Tesoro High School are Geometry, Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry, and Honors Precalculus, and grade-level equivalents between the two systems cannot be converted directly.
Where does an Irvine student who has completed Math I start in math after transferring to Tesoro High School?
The school has not published a conversion table between Integrated Math and the traditional sequence. According to the Tesoro High School enrollment instructions, counselors place students transferring from outside the district after reviewing their transcripts; the district course placement guidelines for grade 9 Geometry require a four-quarter Algebra 1 GPA of 3.00 and 75% or higher on the final common assessment, or a GPA of 2.75 and 85% or higher on the assessment. After the Interdistrict Transfer is approved, the family should bring the Irvine transcript and final exam results and confirm the starting point with a counselor as early as possible.
Does Tesoro High School offer AP Precalculus?
No. Neither the Capistrano Unified School District 2025-26 course catalog nor the Tesoro High School 2026-27 course list includes AP Precalculus. The course leading to AP Calculus is Honors Precalculus, which requires a B- or higher in both semesters of Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry; there is also regular Precalculus, which can be followed by Topics in Calculus.
At Tesoro High School, can a student take AP Calculus BC in grade 11?
Yes, but the requirement is one step higher than for AP Calculus AB. The district course placement guidelines require an A- or higher in both semesters of Honors Precalculus for grade 11 entry into AP Calculus BC; AP Calculus AB requires only a B- or higher in both semesters. Grade 12 offers a second chance: a student who completes AP Calculus AB with a B- or higher in both semesters can continue to BC. In 2025, 68 AP Calculus BC exams were taken at Tesoro High School, and 99% earned a 3 or higher.
Can Tesoro High School students accelerate in math over the summer?
There is one official route. Capistrano Unified School District summer school offers accelerated A-G Geometry, and incoming grade 9 students can register through the counselor at their middle school; the district Credit Recovery program also offers accelerated Geometry. Summer school is mainly online, with exams taken on campus, and each student may earn a maximum of 10 credits. Students who complete Geometry over the summer may be able to enter Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry in grade 9.
Does Tesoro High School's Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry count as an honors course for UC applications?
No. The district course catalog states that Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry is weighted at school at A=5, but UC does not grant it honors credit when calculating GPA. The math courses that add weight under the UC measure are Honors Precalculus and the AP math courses. This matters most for students who take Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry in grade 10, because UC counts only grades from grades 10 to 11.
