Mathematics has so many different areas, and many are accessible at different levels. For example, after the introductory calculus sequence, one could (at many universities) take linear algebra, discrete mathematics (a survey course), differential equations, statistics, or many other courses. Some of these courses do not require the machinery developed in the calculus courses, but rather a sufficient level of mathematical maturity, which is rarely seen in students who have not completed calculus. There isn't a specific linear progression, as further courses will definitely depend on the student's major. As a matter of fact, at my undergraduate university it was possible to major in mathematics without ever taking differential equations, although most did -- some who were aiming at mathematics education or statistics did not. Furthermore, some students will take math courses without ever completing the calculus sequence -- for example, a student majoring in applied forms of computer science may take calc 1 and then discrete mathematics and then be done. A student majoring in nursing (at my university, anyway) will take college algebra, then introductory statistics, and then be done. Here's an interesting survey of different areas of mathematics: http://www.math-atlas.org/welcome.html There's a longer survey as well, this is the brief version.

Besides all of the other wonderful reasons given -- but on a strictly pragmatic sense, you cannot graduate from most colleges, even in the liberal arts, without a mathematics course which often requires intermediate algebra as a prerequisite. Furthermore, closing off options early is generally a sub-optimal course of action. Additionally, some majors require surprising amounts of mathematics (meterology, physical therapy). If pressed by adults, your kids could just smile and say "I don't feel like closing off my options for careers so much so soon." and then pass the bean dip.

The high end of the range would be right at a BMI of 25, for me. Different people will look odd at different weights. My mother has a delicate frame and would look chubby anywhere over 150, whereas I'd have to lose a lot of muscle mass to get DOWN to 150.

I would recommend that you look up practice exams for the exams that he's going to be taking in future -- it varies SO much by country and exam. Just see what's included on those.

I'd go with an amazon.com or other bookseller giftcard -- sorta related to teaching as well. (someone gave me a starbucks giftcard and someone else some expensive chocolate, and I strongly dislike both chocolate and coffee.) :P

Move through them at the pace he is capable of accomplishing and understanding. Don't worry as much about keeping to a set schedule -- his scores will be a lot better with a thorough understanding of alg 1-2-geo than they will with a hurried understanding but working on precalc. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try to accelerate if he CAN. But don't fixate on the schedule.

I had a (college) student who fractured his writing hand. He was an excellent student and did not require extra time (I offered) but chose to complete the exams writing with his non-dominant hand. I took his exam like anyone else's, read through it, circled the words I couldn't guess, and had him come to office hours to tell me what they said.

You know, you could hedge your bets and plan it both ways -- e.g. keep records for the 8/9 grade, but make sure that anything really crucial (like your student's only us history class, for example) isn't in that year, so that you can hold off deciding as long as possible.

Lemon Rum Cheesecake with strawberry topping. (Found the recipe on epicurious)

Not for you in particular, but for anyone reading -- the kind of person who lets their dogs run loose if there's even a HINT of them roaming is the sort of person who will continue to do it even if you trap and return the dogs with a stiff warning and a bill for the livestock. You're better off shooting.

I have to wonder if this plan was actually implemented or just proposed. I also find it interesting that after the preparatory study, they were intended to enter college at 14, or as sophomores at 15.

Hah! You know, I should do that when I finally defend -- if the state I end up in will do it. :D

Do you really, really think that passive-aggressively calling names (drama mamas, eh?) is going to do anything at all to decrease divisiveness? What sort of reaction were you honestly expecting? "Oh, thank you so much, I hadn't even thought about it that way! I'm rushing out to buy my membership in HSLDA right now!"

I will say that there are some metal songs where the lyrics are a lot less offensive -- not as familiar with death metal as I really, really hate the screaming and therefore don't listen to it. But for example, Manowar -- Fight for Freedom, Warriors of the World, Die with Honor -- Iron Maiden -- Journeyman, Aces High, Paschendale are some of my personal favourite songs and have spoken quite deeply to me at certain points of my life. (Please note I'm not recommending you give anything w/o listening, nor am I recommending everything by these bands -- but their songs are not about mutilation etc. Manowar's militaristic and a bit norse-neo-pagan, although the songs I listed don't mention the neo-pagan. Maiden's a bit more diverse theme-wise and I really, really like the songs I mentioned.)

If the organizations wish to reduce divisiveness, it would help to not get involved in a host of other issues which many believe have little to do with homeschooling. (I'm aware of why they say these issues relate to homeschooling. I just disagree entirely with their reasoning.)

:iagree: I'd also ask -- so how long do we need to continue to not say anything bad about the HSLDA before we've 'paid our debt' of gratitude for helping establish things in the early days? How many years before it's okay to say 'well, they did do some good things, but I strongly disagree with what they're doing now'? And frankly, it's quite insulting to imply that anyone who disagrees with them is merely blindly following an agenda put out by an anti-homeschool group, rather than having done their research and disagreeing with them due to (for my own personal example) statements on their own website.

Leaving feedback there really won't do anything. If the kids are aggrieved (and I do agree that accusing them in front of the class was a bad idea -- she should have written them a note to see her) -- then they should proceed through the proper channels at their college.

I never wore jeans as a young adult due to sensory issues. I always wore elastic-waist pants and for work I dressed in scrubs. It's possible to gain a significant amount of weight and still not be unable to wear elastic-waist pants. My weight has a specific spot it likes to sit, and it's been there since I was about 19. I can drop, but it requires tracking my food and exercise religiously. As soon as I quit tracking (I maintained for a few years) it springs right back to where it was, and stays there.

:iagree: I will also rephrase it as -- it is far better to have Pre-algebra in 9th and algebra in 10th with passing grades in both than an F in 9th grade algebra and a pass in 10th. If he's not ready, he's not ready.

Well, that's what a retake would show -- the one who wasn't cheating ought to do the same as before, whereas the one who was cheating would be expected to do far worse. But really, this depends on the policies of the college -- they vary so much by college. However, anyone bringing this up should definitely be one of the two students affected. If they WERE cheating (you never know), it is very, very much to their advantage to get a test retake instead of formal charges of academic dishonesty.

It would be rare (although certainly not impossible -- it IS possible that the professor is just nuts) for someone to be called out for cheating simply for solving an equation in the same way -- what has usually tipped me off is two students making the same unusual error or using the same unusual notation. e.g. One of my students miscopied 140 as 110 due to being unable to read his own handwriting. The student who was copying off him had a perfectly correctly written 140, and in the next line was using 110, with no explanation.

Simply because someone has all the other areas of their life so well together is no reason to discount psychological issues with food. It's very hard to make the right choices consistently.

So how did he do on the retake? If his friend is a good student, it's possible that the other person glanced at his paper or that the answers were coincidentally the same. Unless the retake score caused a drop in grade, I wouldn't worry. It is quite possible, btw, for one to have a higher score than the other even if cheating has occured due to only cheating on one page, etc.

It's a hell of a lot harder than it seems to readjust your entire lifestyle, including no more eating in front of the TV, no more snacks when you get home from school, no eating when you wake up hungry at 2am, reasonable portion sizes and training yourself to recognize a reasonable portion size, training your body to not be STARVING on a reasonable portion size, etc. It's also not something you can see quick results on -- if you've been a slob, you can get busy and get the place clean in a couple of days, wash your hair, etc. and you will see immediate results. With weight, it takes just about as long to take it off properly as it does to put it on in the first place, and many people see this as an insurmountable challenge. I know that for one of my friends (who at her heaviest was about 130 kg), what finally got her started was being in a severe car accident and needing to use a walker for several months. For people who are seriously addicted to food, as someone else already mentioned, you cannot even stay away from what triggers your behaviours, as we must eat. An alcoholic can avoid alcohol completely. A compulsive overeater can only try to avoid triggers, including (for some people) banishing just about every kind of food they actually like. Another friend of mine decided to live only off specific foods that she hated, in an attempt to lose weight ...

The issue being raised, however, is that the theory of the origin of the universe and the theory of evolution don't really have a lot to do with each other. One is much more physics/geology, the other is biology. No, evolution doesn't explain where the universe came from. That's like asking your Maytag repairman why, since he can fix your washing machine, doesn't he fix your laptop as well?