I wonder what the differences are for the three courses you mention. If you treat each course as the pinacle of academia at each level, you will continue to sand off students.
For a long time we had freshman physci, and upper level physics. We only had 2 sections of upper level physics each year. We started offering ap physics b (algebra based) and a physics for everyone course. This year I have 2 ap physics b sections and 3 physics for everyone sections. We make the physics for everyone course show physics in everyday lives. We use the west point stuff to build bridges, do stress tests, design boats, make rockets and plot out the data, design house circuits using the wiring and boxes kids find at Home Depot and in their walls, ....
My two cents.
To wonder is to begin to understand.
Paul Lulai
Physics Teacher
St. Anthony Village Senior High
Saint Anthony Village, MN
55418
(w) 612-706-1144
(fax) 612-706-1020
plulai@stanthony.k12.mn.us