It looks like I can count certain classes taken in middle school for hs credit

[Mom0012]

I was reading through our county's high school diploma requirements and came across:

 

"Students who complete Algebra I;Geometry; Algebra II; and/or

the regular first or second year of a foreign language in middle

school will earn high school credits in those subjects.The credits

will count toward graduation requirements and in the grade

point average and class rank."

 

Is this unusual? Do you think it would be okay for me to do this even though we are homeschooling? I was kind of surprised to see this because I have heard many people say not to give high school credit for classes taken in middle school.

 

I'd love to give my son a jump on his foreign language requirement in middle school. I was also concerned about starting Algebra in 8th and then having to complete 3 more math classes because I'm not sure how far my son will go in this area, but if I can count Algebra I taken in 8th as one of his high school credits, then that would be great.

 

Thanks!

Lisa

[Ellie]

It's a fuzzy area.

 

Things like foreign languages and maths are different than other subjects because they build on themselves. IOW, if your dc's 9th grade transcript says "Alg. 2," the obviously Alg. 1 was taken previously, and a college wouldn't expect to see that on the transcript.

 

As a homeschooler, you don't have to have anyone's permission to graduate your dc. You don't have to follow the state's requirements for public school graduation, although you can certainly use them as guidelines (unless you live in the one or two states that specify what homeschoolers are supposed to do in high school).

[Jane in NC]

It really depends on the college.

 

Public school systems will usually mirror admission requirements for your state university system. So if a state uni is your goal, you may be able to list these courses from middle school. Out of state or private schools may stipulate that they only want to see high school courses on the transcript.

 

It has become fairly common for middle school students to take Algebra I so I think that the language you quoted reflects this. Note that some colleges still want to see three or four years of math beyond Algebra I.

 

Good luck!

[Riverland]

That sounds the same as our local public school districts. Middle School classes that can count as high school credits: Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, Spanish 1.

 

I don't see any reason why that wouldn't be o.k. for homeschoolers as well.

 

My DD will have formally, rigorously, studied Spanish and Chinese for several years prior to high school, and I will count that.

[LilBlueMouse]

Some people seem to agree that if the child is doing high school level material they can count that as a credit. In our state, you can only count it if it was in the grade prior to high school (8th grade). There is a caution with colleges who might want to see 4 credits of say science. Some will count it if it's before and some will only count it if it is during 9th-12th. I would say to count the grade if it was high school material, but have extra in that area. For example, if your child took Biology in 8th grade. I would count that as a credit, but I would give them 4 more years of Science just to be on the safe side. The child then graduates with extra credits, but still everything required in those four years. Just my two cents.

[mcconnellboys]

It's what I did. My older son took Algebra I through Calculus and two years of Latin plus three of Spanish.

[2cents]

We did the 2 middle school Spanish courses for our girls through Florida Virtual and that counted as HS Spanish I. So my youngest will finish 2 HS years of Spanish before she is even in HS but it will count as HS credit especially since we're having them take Spanish III as well. We've found that the FLVS MS Spanish I & II has been a great basis for jumping into HS Spanish II and even the FLVS Spanish teacher recommended skipping Spanish I since they did well in MS Spanish. It is a great way to get that language requirement done early and leaves more time for the student to take another language if they want to.

[Lori D.]

If DS is ready for high school level material in one or two areas while still in 8th grade, then, by all means, don't hold him back! :)

 

 

However be aware of 3 "caveats" (definition: warnings; notices; provisos):

 

1. Make sure whatever coursework you choose to have a middle school student do in 8th grade really IS of a high school level quantity/quality so that it truly DOES count as a high school credit. (For example: one level of a Rosetta Stone foreign language program is not equivalent to a full year of high school foreign language, but is worth somewhat less of a credit due to lack of grammar instruction.)

 

2. Often, a state's board of education limits you to counting only 1, or at most 2, classes taken in 8th grade as high school credit. (Some states do not allow any -- though, from your quote, that doesn't seem to be the case for you. :)) The danger here is of over-counting too many things as high school credit.

 

3. Be aware that, while the credit completed in 8th grade may count towards high school graduation requirements, it may NOT count towards college admission requirements, which are different and separate. Many colleges specifically state that, on the high school transcript, they ONLY want to see on the credits completed in the last 4 years of high school. That disallows any credits completed in 8th grade.

 

If that is the case, then you would NOT include any high school level credits completed in 8th grade on the transcript sent to the college as part of the admission process. One possibility is to list the class(es) from 8th grade separately, noting that they were taken in 8th grade, but were of high school caliber -- BUT you would NOT include a grade or credit for the class(es), and would NOT include them in the GPA. Usually, the reason for listing them would be more of an explanation -- to show that, for example, Algebra 1 or Spanish 1 was taken in 8th grade and that is why the high school credits start with a higher level of class.

 

Read more details about this potential issue in this post from the recent thread, "High school transcripts: where to start?"

 

BEST of luck -- and welcome to high school planning! ;) Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited June 30, 2011 by Lori D.
fixed typos; added clarification

[Mom0012]

Thanks all, but now I'm feeling a little scared again. The wording seems very clear (and I live in Northern Virginia where the schools are supposed to be very good and standards are considered high), but I always feel doubtful about how I should handle things. Honestly, unless one of my kids gets a scholarship, they are going to go to Northern Virginia CC and then on to one of the reciprocating state universities, so I probably shouldn't get too worried about this.

 

One statement made in this thread that really concerns me was that the credits might not count for college admissions. I know even the community colleges are doing entrance exams for students these days. If we finish our language requirements in 9th grade, i.e., through Spanish III, could that cause a problem in that my son would have to take a language in college? This is an area of weakness for him, so I'd hate to put him through it more than once. My son has some struggles, so I was hoping to spread his workload out a little, but would feel terrible if I actually wound up adding to it.

 

Also, can you take SAT II tests in 7th and 8th grades? My son is only entering 6th grade this year, but the high school years seem so close now, I'm starting to panic a little about ruining things for him.

 

Lisa

Edited June 30, 2011 by LisaTheresa

[creekland]

3. Be aware that, while the credit completed in 8th grade may count towards high school graduation requirements, it may NOT count towards college admission requirements, which are different and separate. Many colleges specifically state that, on the high school transcript, they ONLY want to see on the credits completed in the last 4 years of high school. That disallows any credits completed in 8th grade.

 

If that is the case, then you would NOT include any high school level credits completed in 8th grade on the transcript sent to the college as part of the admission process. One possibility is to list the class(es) from 8th grade separately, noting that they were taken in 8th grade, but were of high school caliber -- BUT you would NOT include a grade or credit for the class(es), and would NOT include them in the GPA. Usually, the reason for listing them would be more of an explanation -- to show that, for example, Algebra 1 or Spanish 1 was taken in 8th grade and that is why the high school credits start with a higher level of class.

 

Lori D.

 

Especially these. I've found many upper level and even mid level colleges won't count anything prior to 9th grade, but still expect to see higher level courses (meaning they expect things like Alg 1 in 8th grade for a major dependent upon math).

 

We are putting an asterisk next to courses completed in 8th grade, but leaving them in a separate area on our transcript and all necessary credits are coming during high school. For middle son, these courses include Alg 1, Geometry, World History, French 1 and Spanish 1. Taking them early fit him well and freed up time to take more interesting courses later.

 

Our public school also will not allow credits from 8th grade or younger to count toward high school graduation, but this change just happened two years ago (if I'm remembering correctly - very recently anyway).

[Mom0012]

If DS is ready for high school level material in one or two areas while still in 8th grade, then, by all means, don't hold him back! :)

 

 

However be aware of 3 "caveats" (definition: warnings; notices; provisos):

 

1. Make sure whatever coursework you choose to have a middle school student do in 8th grade really IS of a high school level quantity/quality so that it truly DOES count as a high school credit. (For example: one level of a Rosetta Stone foreign language program is not equivalent to a full year of high school foreign language, but is worth somewhat less of a credit due to lack of grammar instruction.)

 

2. Often, a state's board of education limits you to counting only 1, or at most 2, classes taken in 8th grade as high school credit. (Some states do not allow any -- though, from your quote, that doesn't seem to be the case for you. :)) The danger here is of over-counting too many things as high school credit.

 

3. Be aware that, while the credit completed in 8th grade may count towards high school graduation requirements, it may NOT count towards college admission requirements, which are different and separate. Many colleges specifically state that, on the high school transcript, they ONLY want to see on the credits completed in the last 4 years of high school. That disallows any credits completed in 8th grade.

 

If that is the case, then you would NOT include any high school level credits completed in 8th grade on the transcript sent to the college as part of the admission process. One possibility is to list the class(es) from 8th grade separately, noting that they were taken in 8th grade, but were of high school caliber -- BUT you would NOT include a grade or credit for the class(es), and would NOT include them in the GPA. Usually, the reason for listing them would be more of an explanation -- to show that, for example, Algebra 1 or Spanish 1 was taken in 8th grade and that is why the high school credits start with a higher level of class.

 

Read more details about this potential issue in this post from the recent thread, "High school transcripts: where to start?"

 

BEST of luck -- and welcome to high school planning! ;) Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

Thanks, Lori. I'm off to read the other post. As to the colleges that would only want to see work for the last 4 years, would those be the really competitive schools vs. state universities? What about a student that graduated though the public school system here? Wouldn't they just send their transcript straight from the school (which would show the foreign language and math credits as high school courses and included in the gpa) or would they need to recalculate to meet the college's requirements? In other words, is this just a homeschool problem or could this be a problem for any student earning credit for high school subjects in middle school?

 

I will absolutely make sure that any work that is done early is worth high school credit, so that's one thing I won't worry about anyway.:001_smile:

 

Lisa

[8filltheheart]

When we lived in TN, they did limit the number of credits you could carry up from middle school (I think it was 3, maybe 2....I don't remember off the top of my head.)

 

Since we moved, I don't think there is any law here one way or the other. Regardless, even if we still lived in TN, I am including them on my youngest ds's transcript. He has 6.5 credits prior to high school (alg 1, geo, alg 2, alg 3, intro to counting and probability, physics, and French 1.) Since he scored a 750 on the SAT2 math 2 as a 9th grader, I am not worried about his classes not being validated since that score does verify that he covered all those math topics.

 

My caveat, however, is that he will still have math and science every yr of high school (and more than 4 math and 4 science total since he already earned 2 science credits his freshman yr.)

 

The way I am writing his transcript is to categorize by subject matter vs. school yr and have 1 column designated as <9th grade.

 

HTH

[beachnut]

FWIW: I thought my DS would have to take fewer math courses in high school because he took Algebra I Honors & Geometry Honors (both high school level courses) in middle school. (He is more of a creative type, not a mathy kid.) I misunderstood our grad requirements, which said high school students need to take 4 years of math, from Algebra I & beyond. But, in FL, regardless of what math classes the student took in middle school, he still needs to take 4 years of math starting in 9th grade.

 

So, by the time my DS starts 9th grade next year, he'll be starting with Algebra II and ending 12th grade with ... Calculus? So, his high school credits he earned in middle school DO count for high school credit, but they don't count as math credits, they count as academic electives. This means he still needs to take 4 years of math in high school. Had I understood this when he was in 7th grade, I don't think I would have chosen the same "fast track" for math for him.

[creekland]

When oldest son was a sophomore - perhaps junior (wow, I'm getting old, I can't remember!) - we visited Va Tech as that was when hubby and I naturally assumed he'd go there. (We're alumni.) In the info section they told us they refigure GPA and ONLY count the four main subjects, only from the high school years, and do not give any AP or similar classes extra weight. Everything is based on 4.0. Anything else they look at, but don't count unless in a non-traditional major.

 

They may have changed their policy since then, but that's what they told a group of us then.

[KAR120C]

He has 6.5 credits prior to high school (alg 1, geo, alg 2, alg 3, intro to counting and probability, physics, and French 1.) Since he scored a 750 on the SAT2 math 2 as a 9th grader, I am not worried about his classes not being validated since that score does verify that he covered all those math topics.

 

My caveat, however, is that he will still have math and science every yr of high school (and more than 4 math and 4 science total since he already earned 2 science credits his freshman yr.)

DS started on high school math very early... and we could be looking at early college (or not - no idea right now!) or we could end up with a ton of credits before the last four years - math and languages especially... possibly science too, depending on how we count things.

 

But for as long as we homeschool, he has to do math, science, and language every year.

 

My general rule is that I wouldn't depend on a university accepting credits from middle school (even if they do now - they can always change policy). I'm not holding off on high school level courses, and I'm keeping records as though I'll need them for a transcript, but I'm also making sure that our last four years, whichever four it ends up being, will cover everything they're going to want to see. That means you can't move things to middle school in order to avoid them in high school. It's only reliable for things you want to do more of.

[Brigid in NC]

 

My general rule is that I wouldn't depend on a university accepting credits from middle school (even if they do now - they can always change policy).

That's a very good point.

[Mom0012]

When we lived in TN, they did limit the number of credits you could carry up from middle school (I think it was 3, maybe 2....I don't remember off the top of my head.)

 

Since we moved, I don't think there is any law here one way or the other. Regardless, even if we still lived in TN, I am including them on my youngest ds's transcript. He has 6.5 credits prior to high school (alg 1, geo, alg 2, alg 3, intro to counting and probability, physics, and French 1.) Since he scored a 750 on the SAT2 math 2 as a 9th grader, I am not worried about his classes not being validated since that score does verify that he covered all those math topics.

 

My caveat, however, is that he will still have math and science every yr of high school (and more than 4 math and 4 science total since he already earned 2 science credits his freshman yr.)

 

The way I am writing his transcript is to categorize by subject matter vs. school yr and have 1 column designated as <9th grade.

 

HTH

 

Well, it looks like I am going to have to do a lot more investigating before 7th grade. My idea for my son is to spread the work out, not to accelerate him. What I quoted from the county's website says that the middle school courses will count towards high school graduation credits, but that may not be the way we want to go.

 

Thanks!

Lisa

[Mom0012]

DS started on high school math very early... and we could be looking at early college (or not - no idea right now!) or we could end up with a ton of credits before the last four years - math and languages especially... possibly science too, depending on how we count things.

 

But for as long as we homeschool, he has to do math, science, and language every year.

 

My general rule is that I wouldn't depend on a university accepting credits from middle school (even if they do now - they can always change policy). I'm not holding off on high school level courses, and I'm keeping records as though I'll need them for a transcript, but I'm also making sure that our last four years, whichever four it ends up being, will cover everything they're going to want to see. That means you can't move things to middle school in order to avoid them in high school. It's only reliable for things you want to do more of.

 

It is a good point, but the school system sets up their graduation requirements based on the year you enter high school, so every high school graduate that begins in the year 2010 or whenever and took advantage of the ability to use middle school credits towards high school would be at a disadvantage if they didn't continue with taking advanced classes. But maybe that's what mostly happens? The kids taking those classes in middle school do so because they are accelerated and plan to continue down that path?

 

Lisa

[WTMindy]

I have a section on my transcript that says high school credits earned before 9th grade. This includes the things that are on your list: math, foreign language. My kids also took our state End of Course exams so they have actual state standardized test scores to back it up. I don't think this is necessary and the colleges we have expressed interest in are all fine with this.

[creekland]

It is a good point, but the school system sets up their graduation requirements based on the year you enter high school, so every high school graduate that begins in the year 2010 or whenever and took advantage of the ability to use middle school credits towards high school would be at a disadvantage if they didn't continue with taking advanced classes. But maybe that's what mostly happens? The kids taking those classes in middle school do so because they are accelerated and plan to continue down that path?

 

Lisa

 

Yes, this is generally what happens. Middle son took Alg 2, Pre-Calc, Stats, and will take Calc this year to make 4 math credits in math in high school. Oldest son skipped Stats and it was still ok where he went to school. He also had completed courses (Alg 1 and Alg 2) in 7th and 8th grades.

 

Edited to add:

 

Middle son also took a high school level World History in 8th grade. Instead of completing 4 other years of history/social studies in 9th - 12th, he skipped a year. He took an extra science class instead. BEFORE I did this I checked with colleges he was potentially interested in going to and asked them about it via e-mail. They told me it would be ok for him to have 3 Social Studies credit (skipping World History - a biggie) as long as HE could explain why he chose to do what he did in an interview when asked. He wants pre-med with a science type major. Therefore, a science class was more interesting and useful for him, PLUS he'll tell them he didn't totally skip World History. He just took it early (confirmed by his official transcript).

Edited July 1, 2011 by creekland

[snowbeltmom]

At our local public school, a middle school student can get high school credit for a foreign language or math class (either Alg. I or geometry) that is taken in 8th grade. The grade received in 8th grade is listed on the high school transcript and included when calculating the high school gpa.

 

Our school system is also on a block system at the high school level, so each class is only one semester in length. By taking a foreign language in 8th grade, many students are able to complete 3 years of a foreign language by the end of freshman year and don't take any more foreign language for the remainder of high school.

 

Before reading this thread, I was planning on doing the exact same thing for my math/science kid. He took Latin I in 8th, Latin II in 9th, and will take Latin III this year. I was planning on him stopping after Latin III.

 

Do you think this will be a problem come college admissions time since he only took two years of a foreign language during 9th - 12th grade?

[KAR120C]

It is a good point, but the school system sets up their graduation requirements based on the year you enter high school, so every high school graduate that begins in the year 2010 or whenever and took advantage of the ability to use middle school credits towards high school would be at a disadvantage if they didn't continue with taking advanced classes. But maybe that's what mostly happens? The kids taking those classes in middle school do so because they are accelerated and plan to continue down that path?

 

Lisa

You'd probably be fine. But I think generally the idea is that kids doing the work early are planning to continue a challenging course of study, or at least that they're going to have some "fresh" credits to go with the older ones. I think I'd be less concerned about a transcript that had what Creekland described - an 8th grade credit in history and then three more years (but not four) during high school - than I would be about a transcript that had an 8th grade foreign language and a 9th grade foreign language and then no more. It would probably be fine, but I wouldn't want to count on it.... If the transcript was strong otherwise, it probably wouldn't be much of a problem, but it wouldn't be a point in favor to have dropped language so early.

[creekland]

You'd probably be fine. But I think generally the idea is that kids doing the work early are planning to continue a challenging course of study, or at least that they're going to have some "fresh" credits to go with the older ones. I think I'd be less concerned about a transcript that had what Creekland described - an 8th grade credit in history and then three more years (but not four) during high school - than I would be about a transcript that had an 8th grade foreign language and a 9th grade foreign language and then no more. It would probably be fine, but I wouldn't want to count on it.... If the transcript was strong otherwise, it probably wouldn't be much of a problem, but it wouldn't be a point in favor to have dropped language so early.

 

:iagree: Plus, I remember a thread not too long ago that some colleges don't accept Latin (others did accept it). Instead, they want to see a modern foreign language. I'd be checking on this aspect too.

[snowbeltmom]

:iagree: Plus, I remember a thread not too long ago that some colleges don't accept Latin (others did accept it). Instead, they want to see a modern foreign language. I'd be checking on this aspect too.

 

 

Thanks for pointing this aspect out as well. I just checked a couple of the college websites that my son is interested in. Both specify that they recommend three years of the same foreign language, but require two years of the same foreign language. Maybe I better start contacting some of these colleges to make sure Latin won't be an issue. My son sure won't be happy if there is a problem. :glare:

 

Does anyone know of a college that does not accept Latin?

[Jane in NC]

 

Does anyone know of a college that does not accept Latin?

 

To the best of my knowledge, just the Service Academies.

 

One other idea might be to have your student take the SAT subject test in Latin. There is outside verification of his mastery--no matter when he studied the material.

[micheller1]

I went to public school and took my first year of a foreign language and some other h.s. class in middle school and received h.s. credit for it. So I wouldn't see why if in 8th grade in hs. they are ready for h.s. level courses we can't give them to them and they receive credit.

[snowbeltmom]

To the best of my knowledge, just the Service Academies.

 

One other idea might be to have your student take the SAT subject test in Latin. There is outside verification of his mastery--no matter when he studied the material.

 

Thanks for the information. He is taking Latin online with Memoria Press so he is receiving a grade from an outside source. Hopefully, that will be enough validation for the colleges and there will be no issues. He will be majoring in the hard sciences or engineering, so maybe that will make a difference as well.

 

This whole process can be so nerve-wracking at times. Just like parenting, there is no "one size fits all" blueprint to follow.

[angela in ohio]

DS started on high school math very early... and we could be looking at early college (or not - no idea right now!) or we could end up with a ton of credits before the last four years - math and languages especially... possibly science too, depending on how we count things.

 

But for as long as we homeschool, he has to do math, science, and language every year.

 

My general rule is that I wouldn't depend on a university accepting credits from middle school (even if they do now - they can always change policy). I'm not holding off on high school level courses, and I'm keeping records as though I'll need them for a transcript, but I'm also making sure that our last four years, whichever four it ends up being, will cover everything they're going to want to see. That means you can't move things to middle school in order to avoid them in high school. It's only reliable for things you want to do more of.

 

This is exactly our situation with second dd, and exactly my approach.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

FWIW: I thought my DS would have to take fewer math courses in high school because he took Algebra I Honors & Geometry Honors (both high school level courses) in middle school. (He is more of a creative type, not a mathy kid.) I misunderstood our grad requirements, which said high school students need to take 4 years of math, from Algebra I & beyond. But, in FL, regardless of what math classes the student took in middle school, he still needs to take 4 years of math starting in 9th grade.

 

So, by the time my DS starts 9th grade next year, he'll be starting with Algebra II and ending 12th grade with ... Calculus? So, his high school credits he earned in middle school DO count for high school credit, but they don't count as math credits, they count as academic electives. This means he still needs to take 4 years of math in high school. Had I understood this when he was in 7th grade, I don't think I would have chosen the same "fast track" for math for him.

 

I wouldn't spend time regretting getting him on that particular track. There are a lot of kids in my neck of the woods who work very hard to get to calc by senior year because of the doors it will open for them in college options. I'd be patting him on the head and encouraging him to keep at it. (Our area is very academics focused and very competitive.)

 

If he's not at all interested or able to do calc, there are other math options for earning a credit.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

DS started on high school math very early... and we could be looking at early college (or not - no idea right now!) or we could end up with a ton of credits before the last four years - math and languages especially... possibly science too, depending on how we count things.

 

But for as long as we homeschool, he has to do math, science, and language every year.

 

My general rule is that I wouldn't depend on a university accepting credits from middle school (even if they do now - they can always change policy). I'm not holding off on high school level courses, and I'm keeping records as though I'll need them for a transcript, but I'm also making sure that our last four years, whichever four it ends up being, will cover everything they're going to want to see. That means you can't move things to middle school in order to avoid them in high school. It's only reliable for things you want to do more of.

 

This is our plan. It will especially be an issue for my middle son, who is doing the same academics as his older brother. So by the time he hits 9th grade, he will have completed Algebra 1 and possibly Geometry as well as two years of high school level German. On the other hand, Algebra 1 is a common choice here for 7th graders, so he isn't going to stand out that much for getting that course under his belt.

 

I look at it as buying him the option of advanced coursework, not as letting him have a lighter load in high school. (Yeah, I'm probably just as type A as my neighbors are. :lol:)

[Sebastian (a lady)]

To the best of my knowledge, just the Service Academies.

 

One other idea might be to have your student take the SAT subject test in Latin. There is outside verification of his mastery--no matter when he studied the material.

 

FWIW, I don't think that USNA specifically rejects Latin. However, its guidance to homeschoolers does seem to indicate a preference for a modern language.

 

Foreign Language: At least two years. Course work should include regular use of the spoken language and encompass elementary syntax and grammar.

 

I'm reading two things into this. 1) Latin doesn't have a strong emphasis on spoken conversation, and 2) programs that are conversational only (Rosetta Stone, Pimsleur, etc) without a strong emphasis on grammar are probably only one piece of the language puzzle.

[Musicmom]

Hi Lisa,

 

You've already gotten some great advice about high school credit for courses done in middle school... but I just wanted to mention that while it may be possible take SAT II's in 7th or 8th (I think there are extra hoops, though, in order to register if under a certain age), the College Board will not keep those scores. They only keep scores earned from 9th grade on. You might be able to make special arrangements to have 7th/8th grade scores kept (I'd check in advance to be sure), but... it's my understanding that colleges put less weight on older scores. So, I'd suggest waiting until 9th grade or later to take any SAT II's--and for now just thinking/planning ahead (as you are already doing! :D)

 

What I did, FWIW: I counted Algebra II and Biology which ds did in 8th grade (at a very definite high school level). I listed these in a separate box on my transcript, and I waited until 9th grade to have my ds take the Bio SAT II.

 

I counted the Algebra II because ds's math sequence was a little different than the norm. He did all of Algebra first, followed by Geometry in 9th, so I wanted to point out the fact that he had done Algebra II. I didn't count Algebra I since II implies I. Ds then went on to do 4 years of math in high school... and really, I think it's fine and a GOOD thing to get to Calculus in high school. It's good for college admissions and can really open doors if your dc decides on a STEM major--in that case, colleges often want to see Calculus and you'd have it "in the bag!" :001_smile:

 

I counted the Biology because of the lab work, which I felt had been really solid considering the microscope work and dissections that ds did... ds went on and did science all 4 years in high school, but one of those years was an Adv Bio course that didn't have a lab... so I wanted to show that lab work in Bio had been done.

[snowbeltmom]

Hi Lisa,

 

You've already gotten some great advice about high school credit for courses done in middle school... but I just wanted to mention that while it may be possible take SAT II's in 7th or 8th (I think there are extra hoops, though, in order to register if under a certain age), the College Board will not keep those scores. They only keep scores earned from 9th grade on. You might be able to make special arrangements to have 7th/8th grade scores kept (I'd check in advance to be sure)

 

 

:iagree:

 

I have read of a few families that have used SAT and SAT II's from 7th & 8th grade for college admissions. But if you want your student's middle school scores preserved, you have to write a letter to the College Board asking that those scores be saved. Otherwise, the CB will delete the record at the end of the year.

 

Also, if your child is 13 years old or older, you can set up an account online with the College Board and register for tests online. If you child is under 13, you have to register via paper and snail mail.

[Rhonda in TX]

FWIW: I thought my DS would have to take fewer math courses in high school because he took Algebra I Honors & Geometry Honors (both high school level courses) in middle school. (He is more of a creative type, not a mathy kid.) I misunderstood our grad requirements, which said high school students need to take 4 years of math, from Algebra I & beyond. But, in FL, regardless of what math classes the student took in middle school, he still needs to take 4 years of math starting in 9th grade.

 

So, by the time my DS starts 9th grade next year, he'll be starting with Algebra II and ending 12th grade with ... Calculus? So, his high school credits he earned in middle school DO count for high school credit, but they don't count as math credits, they count as academic electives. This means he still needs to take 4 years of math in high school. Had I understood this when he was in 7th grade, I don't think I would have chosen the same "fast track" for math for him.

 

If he has Alg I and Geometry in middle school, doesn't that put him on track for Calculus as a junior? I took Alg I before high school and took Calculus as a senior. Is there a different sequence I'm not aware of?

[Jane in NC]

If he has Alg I and Geometry in middle school, doesn't that put him on track for Calculus as a junior? I took Alg I before high school and took Calculus as a senior. Is there a different sequence I'm not aware of?

 

Some fast track high school students do Multivariable Calculus or Differential Equations in high school. Other options include taking statistics.

[creekland]

If he has Alg I and Geometry in middle school, doesn't that put him on track for Calculus as a junior? I took Alg I before high school and took Calculus as a senior. Is there a different sequence I'm not aware of?

 

We stuck Stats in before Calc for middle son. The credit is likely to transfer to his college assuming he got a 4 or 5 on the AP test as he expects. (I'm too cheap to pay $8 to call and find out early. We'll know in a couple of weeks.)

 

We're keeping Calc his senior year to make it an easier transition to college. For what it's worth, his favorite college "highly recommends" calculus in high school for applicants. This is a top level school and is not necessarily representative of lower level schools. Youngest will probably not ever take Calc.