Abeka and public school

[SeekingSimplicity]

Someone was talking to me about hsing, she's considering it because she doesn't like some things that are happening in our school district. She says she knows someone who worked for the school, but decided to pull her kids out because she didn't like the direction things were going either.

This person wanted to use Abeka with her kids, and said that when she tested them in one of her kids was as much as 3 grade levels behind even tho at PS she was a straight A student.

I'm just curious as to what this means about the public school. I don't know anything about Abeka really. I know a lot of people around here use it, there's also a private school that uses it. My dh's cousins went to that school, and when they had to go back to ps for a year, they tested in above grade level. Our school district is considered to be the best in the area and people are all the time trying to move out here so they can get in it.

So just out of curiosity, is Abeka that far ahead or is the school that far behind?

[katilac]

So just out of curiosity, is Abeka that far ahead or is the school that far behind?

 

Possibly neither. Look at it this way: If a homeschooler who has been classically educated for several years of elementary school takes a standardized test, they may have disappointing results because they were intentionally taught different content and skills from the public school. None of us would consider that student behind!

 

Likewise, the scope and sequence of A Beka may be quite different from what is taught at the public school. Topics may be taught at different times or in a different order. Certain curriculums also teach in a very specific way; if a student isn't accustomed to the specific vocabulary or phrasing, it can throw them off. I can't think of an A Beka example right now, but consider Saxon math. They teach specific examples of word problems, and a student who has never used Saxon might easily get confused by the terminology (this is a "some, some more" problem, etc). If they were given a Saxon test, they might skip some problems that they assume they don't know how to do, and they might get others wrong b/c their understanding of a very specific method is being tested.

 

So, I'm always quite cautious about reading too much into specific test results.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Abeka is a traditional program very similar to what you would have found in the US in the 50's. It is more challenging in some subjects because those subjects are not taught as systematically (or at all) in many public schools today.

[SeekingSimplicity]

that makes sense

[angela in ohio]

Abeka is a traditional program very similar to what you would have found in the US in the 50's. It is more challenging in some subjects because those subjects are not taught as systematically (or at all) in many public schools today.

 

Exactly.

 

That said, the test scores of one student, or of one family of children, don't mearn much. Many public school students are at or above grade level, and many are behind, just like homeschoolers.

[tex-mex]

Abeka is a traditional program very similar to what you would have found in the US in the 50's. It is more challenging in some subjects because those subjects are not taught as systematically (or at all) in many public schools today.

:iagree: More worksheet driven also.