Help with conforming to umbrella school rules

[MSNative]

Hoping y'all can help me out. I just went to a high school meeting for my home school umbrella school. Found out that if your kid takes a high school level class before 9th grade, those credits don't count toward the diploma. That's fine. The problem is that certain classes are required for the diploma, e.g. geometry. Well, my two older kids will be doing geometry in 6th and 8th grade if they stay on their current path (pre-alg now, alg 1 next year, geo after that.)

 

Soooo, my question to y'all - do I delay geometry? We already take way more time than my kids want in each area of math because I want to make sure they have it rock solid. We use several diff. programs (VT, Saxon and LoF right now.) to make sure that they get diff. perspectives. Can I teach something else instead? Delve deeper somewhere else? Am I just being blind and is there a very obvious solution staring me in the face?

 

Thanks!

[Dmmetler]

Three possibilities

 

The first is that there are college and graduate level topics in geometry, so do high school geometry now, and do a college level geometry class for the high school credit later. Yes, that might mean repeating or needing to test out in college, but it has been my experience that it's usually much easier to do that in college than in high school.

 

The second is to go ahead and define that year as 9th grade, if they're advanced in other areas. Yes, they may graduate early, but the line between "Graduating early" and "dual enrollment" is pretty slim for homeschoolers (on this board, anyway).

 

And the third is-don't worry about grade levels, and plan to have your DC "graduate by exam" when ready to go to college. The downside of this is that it can affect financial aid eligibility.

[Crimson Wife]

This kind of thing is why many of the homeschoolers I know who do virtual charters leave after 8th rather than do high school through the school. The charter that was so wonderfully flexible for K-8 all of a sudden starts dictating courses and textbooks required and generally becomes more hassle than the stipend is worth.

 

If you really want to stick with the umbrella, I'd do a year of interesting AOPS courses for your 8th grader and then geometry in 9th. Your younger student would be in 7th then, but you could try doing a college-level geometry to fulfill the H.S. requirement.

[Mandy in TN]

Here in TN the headmaster of my umbrella explained that basically a child must take 3 math credits to graduate from high school. If the credits listed on the transcript are at a higher level than the "required" courses, then it is assumed that the child completed those credits prior to high school. He is also willing to put those courses on a child's transcript and assigning them a pass "P" to avoid any confusion. These pass courses taken prior to high school do not figure into the student's high school GPA.

 

I think you probably need to discuss this with the head of your umbrella. Surely, they would not be required to take the course again. If so, the simple solution is to find a different umbrella!

 

HTH-

Mandy

[MSNative]

Thank you for your great ideas. I kind of panicked - in case you didn't notice. ;) Thank you for talking me down.

 

I love the umbrella school and at the end of high school the kids get a diploma from the private school. That is a huge issue for my husband, so I'd like to stick with this school. (Though there are others that do that if this one starts to get too persnickety.)

 

I will look into AoPS, which we wanted to use anyway, and college geo. College level geo hadn't even occurred to me. I will def. talk to the head of the umbrella school about that.

 

I'm going to ponder all of your great thoughts. I def. need to review state regs and research graduating the kids early. And look at curriculum online. Aren't all hs problems solved by looking at curriculum? ;)

[mktkcb]

CA is the same. My umbrella attaches Jr. High transcripts with HS ones also. yep, 3 maths and they'll assume geometry if they are taking math higher. No worries.

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

In your shoes, this is what I would do.

 

Switch gears to go to AoPS. Yes, they're that good. They have Algebra 1 and 2, and Intro to Geometry for middle schoolers (although the content is high school level), and *then* they have more advanced classes for high schoolers.

 

Algebra 3

Intermediate Counting & Probability

Intermediate Number Theory Seminar

Precalculus

Olympiad Geometry

Calculus

Group Theory

 

You get Algebra 3 (which means 1 and 2 were taken before), Olympiad Geometry (which covers your geometry requirements) and more fun stuff! That way, you're not slowing down your kids, you're keeping the interest up, and you can satisfy the high school requirements.

[Mandy in TN]

I thought of some other things that may apply.

 

Doodle began MUS Geometry last week. I don't even really think about it as geometry. He is just hanging out doing something fun. I definitely plan for him to take another geometry course later. I wasn't even planning to put the MUS geometry on his transcript.

 

Next year he will be using Jacobs Mathematics: A Human Endeavor. I already dropped off the book and teacher's guide with my favorite math tutor. We have plenty of time to enjoy the journey and I think Doodle will enjoy doing this fun math with this tutor. He is a great guy who truly loves math. However, I wasn't really planning on putting this on his transcript either.

 

This year Saxon 76, Key to Alg books 1-3, and Kumon Level F: Decimals and Order of Operations and Level G: Pre-Algebra are going on his transcript. Hands on Equations, MM blue books, and any other stuff like that are not. The only reason I am including the Key to Alg and Kumon this year is that they will explain going from 76 to Alg. Next year Foerster's Algebra will be on his transcript. I am not sure where he will go after that, but I don't feel the need to put everything on his transcript.

 

If you are only doing one math each year, then definitely go broader and enjoy the journey.:001_smile:

 

HTH-

Mandy

Edited April 7, 2011 by Mandy in TN

[kiana]

Second the advice to do an advanced geometry later, especially for the one who's going to hit it in 6th.

 

There's AOPS's olympiad geometry, there's analytic geometry (often included as part of a calculus class, but an interesting topic in its own right), or simply redoing geometry with something extremely challenging. When the time comes, ask here. :)

[MSNative]

So thrilled with all the responses. Y'all are a wealth of info. I'm going to enjoy researching all these math choices. I set up a meeting with the head of the school and will have all my research done and be ready to amaze him!