Spanish taught in early middle school used as an elective for high school

[Gamom3]

I was getting my hair cut yesterday and I overheard a lady telling her beautician that her son, who was in 6th grade, was taking spanish and the school was using it for a credit for highschool!! :001_huh:

 

The beautician questioned her and she said it was true, because she thought it was odd as well and asked about it. The school told her that the students would earn a credit for the course!!

[StephanieZ]

I am familiar with highschools using math or foreign language courses from jr high to count towards grad. requirements. Perhaps that was what she was referring to. As in, a child needs 3 years of f.l. to graduate. . . so if takes some (1, 2, 3) years in Jr. High, they need less in h.s. I wouldn't be surprised if some systems had a thing where, say, Spanish I in high school was taught over two years in Jr. High, and so if they take 2 years in Jr High, they'd get out of one year in high school.

 

Likewise, if you take Algebra +/- Geometry in Jr. High, you "get out of" those requirements in many highschools. . . so you can take fewer years of math in h.s. and/or go further in math.

 

Typically, in my understanding, these jr. high courses would be listed as CREDITS on the high school transcript, often times without letter grades, and although the credits count towards diploma requirements, the grades don't count towards GPA.

[nrg]

Before giving this too much credence, check the specific requirements of the colleges of your choice. Our selections wanted to see the foreign language courses taken throughout high school, not just credits recorded on a page. My son's Latin 4 in grade 9 counts for one year, not four; the colleges want to see languages studied during the high school years.

[Caroline]

I was getting my hair cut yesterday and I overheard a lady telling her beautician that her son, who was in 6th grade, was taking spanish and the school was using it for a credit for highschool!! :001_huh:

 

The beautician questioned her and she said it was true, because she thought it was odd as well and asked about it. The school told her that the students would earn a credit for the course!!

 

My son took Spanish I as an eighth grader in a public school in Georgia, and it shows up on his high school transcript. It does say on the transcript that it was taken in middle school. The grade does not count towards his GPA. His eighth grade math is also on the transcript, and again, the transcript says it was taken in middle school and the grade does not factor in his GPA. However, his End Of Course Test score is on the transcript. These were both high school level courses and taken in the eighth grade. These two classes do count towards his graduation requirements.

[Mabelen]

I am familiar with highschools using math or foreign language courses from jr high to count towards grad. requirements. Perhaps that was what she was referring to. As in, a child needs 3 years of f.l. to graduate. . . so if takes some (1, 2, 3) years in Jr. High, they need less in h.s. I wouldn't be surprised if some systems had a thing where, say, Spanish I in high school was taught over two years in Jr. High, and so if they take 2 years in Jr High, they'd get out of one year in high school.

 

Likewise, if you take Algebra +/- Geometry in Jr. High, you "get out of" those requirements in many highschools. . . so you can take fewer years of math in h.s. and/or go further in math.

 

Typically, in my understanding, these jr. high courses would be listed as CREDITS on the high school transcript, often times without letter grades, and although the credits count towards diploma requirements, the grades don't count towards GPA.

 

This is how I believe it works in our school district. So if you take two years of Spanish in Middle School, that counts as one year of High School Spanish and you go into second year Spanish in High School. You can also take an assessment even if you haven't formally taken it in Middle School and go to the High School year suitable to your level. That's what I am planning to do with my oldest. She should go into 3rd year Spanish and work her way to AP Spanish in 11th grade.

[Tap]

Reviving an old thread....

 

In our school district, middle school language classes can be put on the high school transcript BUT they are 1/2 of the value. If the child takes 1 year of Spanish in 8th grade, they will average the gpa for the year, and they will receive a .5 credit on their high school transcript. If they take Spanish 1 in middle school and get a B or better, the high school allows them to enter a Spanish 2 class in high school.

 

If they attend an actual high school class in 8th grade, they can get a full 1. credit but special documentation may be required.

[Janet in WA]

 

Before giving this too much credence, check the specific requirements of the colleges of your choice. Our selections wanted to see the foreign language courses taken throughout high school, not just credits recorded on a page. My son's Latin 4 in grade 9 counts for one year, not four; the colleges want to see languages studied during the high school years.

We found this to be true, also. Awarding of a high school credit does not necessarily equal satisfaction of a college admission requirement. This is true for homeschools as well as public and private schools.