College Physics Now an Option for Huntington Students

Huntington High School juniors and seniors will now have the option of earning four college credits by enrolling in College Physics, which will overlap with Advanced Placement Physics.

Algebra-based College Physics will be offered through Siena College and aligned with General Physics 110. It is designed for students pursuing biology, pre-med, environmental science and related fields.

“This course will overlap with our current AP Physics course,” states the course description. “AP Physics coupled with Physics 110 will cover key physics topics including mechanics, dynamics, momentum, statics, torque, rotations, thermodynamics and fluids. Students will be concurrently enrolled in a lab component with high school labs designed to be equivalent to those conducted at Siena and coordinated directly with the college to ensure consistency.”

The course prerequisite is either Eart and Space Science or Chemistry. The district’s Subject Matter Council approved the new course on May 20 and the Educational Development Committee approved it on May 21. The Huntington School Board gave its approval during a public meeting on June 2. Annual student enrollment is expected to be about 30.

“In partnering with Siena College, students will have the opportunity to earn four college credits in addition to the current Advanced Placement credit offered through the AP examination,” Assistant Superintendent Brenden Cusack explained. “Providing students with both AP and college credit in this course enhances competitive students’ transcripts and broadens transferability options when applying credits to post-secondary studies. Students are offered four credits at a reduced rate of $250 for the course, and students who qualify for free or reduced lunch can obtain the credits at no cost. Siena connects Huntington High School teachers with a network of other physics teachers and the college provides supplementary curricular materials for free.”

Additional free resources for teachers include weekly lesson planning items and access to a variety of websites, programs, projects with instructor’s notes and additional resources. Teachers of the college physics course may also elect to engage in monthly professional development opportunities through Siena College, also free of charge.