Ca. mamas...can we talk about the CHSPE?

[mykdsmomy]

DD16 is currently enrolled in a public charter school (independent study). While I really love the school, dd is NOT doing well with the strictly online courses. She has a world lit class that she takes outside the home and she is doing super well in that class. Her teacher just loves her and is always complimenting dd on her work.

 

I just found out that dd *could* get a truancy for this learning period because she has not been keeping up on her online courses. (I feel like total crud for not keeping a closer eye on her classes but we've talked about this numerous times and I feel like SHE needs to take responsibility for this. (she'll be 17 in 3 months).

 

We are currently trying to make some big decisions regarding school. DH wants her to work her tail off for the next few days and get caught up with all of her courses so she can stay in her current school. Her teacher thinks that maybe this just isn't a good fit for dd and maybe she would do better taking community college courses (after passing (God willing) the CHSPE).

 

DH is concerned that if she's lacking self discipline to get her work done now, then how is she going to handle community college level courses. He has a point but the hope is that she would do better in a classroom setting where there is more interaction rather than sitting in her room in front of a computer reading about chemistry!

 

Has anyone had their child take the CHSPE? Opinions? If we pull her from the charter school now and I file an affidavit (even though we're past 10/15), could we just pull together some Govt/Econ, English, Alg 2 curriculum until her test date (in March)? Should we try to enroll her in our community college for the spring semester? She is also working part time at the church rectory (office work). In some ways she's very responsible and seems old for her age.....yet, DH is still looking at her HS education through a public school lens. He thinks she should be finishing all of these courses (even though some of them are just so she can get her diploma...I mean, really....she's already passed the CAHSEE and basically (aside from Govt/Econ and Chemistry) has done all of her "learning" for high school.

 

Am I making any sense? I am second guessing myself and dd. I am wondering if I'm making excuses for her or if she truly is ready for community college and she's just "done" with high school.

 

Thanks for letting me ramble...I guess this was more about dd and her college readiness rather than the CHSPE ...LOL

[JennW in SoCal]

My ds took the CHSPE at age 15 and is thriving at community college. We were homeschooling with an umbrella charter, not doing on-line courses, but purely homeschooling and while my ds was doing all that I asked of him, he was ready for more. The community college classes have been challenging and enjoyable, and he likes having instructors other than mom.

 

The only problem with the community college is the availability of classes. My ds had to crash his first couple of semesters, and took a math course at 7am one semester because it was the only section open!!

 

The CHSPE is not difficult, though the math really caught him off guard and I can't remember why. But he passed. There are also placement tests at the community college.

 

I know several other kids who have gone this route, and not all were homeschooled. They were just ready to do move on outside of the high school "box".

[Photo Ninja]

I have had three dc take and pass the CHSPE.

 

What is the charter school's policy on concurrent enrollment? Your dd can do that and take a cc class this winter, as long as the charter school will sign the form to give her permission. Concurrent enrollment courses are free, except for books and about $20 in fees. This may be an option that your dh will be happy with because your dd will be finishing her current courses, and your dd can prove that she is able to do the work by doing well in the cc class. Then you can have your dd take the CHSPE. If she proves herself with the one cc class, then she can register for more cc classes the next year as a regular cc student.

 

You are the one who has to decide if she is ready for cc classes. I don't know her. I do know that my dc liked the cc classes they took. I think it is easier to and often more interesting to learn from a teacher than from a computer screen. The important thing to remember is that taking a cc class means the beginning of a college transcript that will follow your dd throughout college. If she does well, then great. If she does not do well in the class, that grade will be on her college transcript. So if you go this route, be aware of drop dates if your dd is struggling.

 

Does your dd want to take cc classes? What is her solution to the current situation? I know many teens who are "just done" with high school and ready to move on to college. Most are mature enough. Some are not. It depends on why they want to move on and how realistic their views are of college, as well as their maturity level and study/organizational skills. My dd took four cc classes in 10th grade, then asked to go full time at the cc in 11th grade. It was the right thing for her. She was ready for it, and she had goals she wanted to work toward. But that would not have been the right choice for one of my sons.

 

The other thing to consider is that it is very difficult for concurrent enrollment students to get any classes now. The cc system is overcrowded and has cut classes. Concurrent enrollment students usually get last choice of classes, and often classes are full before they get to register. This is something to consider as well. After passing the CHSPE your dd can register as a regular student and can get an earlier registration date. Even then it is difficult to get classes. Be sure to check out how your cc is doing with this, and have a Plan B in case your dd can't get the classes she wants or needs.

[Ellie]

Community college is full of students of all ages who tanked in high school but were brilliant in c.c.

 

I say let her take the CHSPE (if it's available this semester) and do c.c. in the spring semester. Sometimes people just need to get on with their lives.

 

You could remind Mr. Mykdsmomy that when your dd earns enough credits to transfer to CalState or UC, (1) no one will care about a high school diploma or lack thereof, and (2) she'll be guaranteed to be admitted--maybe not to the specific campus she wants depending on her degree, but still *admitted.*

[mykdsmomy]

Thank you everyone for the kind and helpful responses :) DD and I finally sat down last night and had a long conversation. She basically told me she's just burned (burnt?) out. I understand.

 

Mr. Mykdsmomy (thanks Ellie...that cracked me up!) told her she would have to go back to our local public school if she didn't get caught up :glare: I need to talk to him because it ticked me off that he would tell her that without talking to me first.

 

I'm going to send in our letter of withdrawal tomorrow and file our psa today (I know I'm late but I'm hoping it won't be too much of an issue).

 

She can study for the CHSPE, take it in the spring (next available) and then start college courses next summer.

[JenneinCA]

I don't know about the CHPSE part, but you won't have an issue with filing the PSA after October 15. The deadline is only for people who filed last year. You are a 'new' person to file the PSA and will be filing it within two weeks of your school status changing. That is exactly right.

 

We moved to California in December and filed then. That was right too.

[Jenny in Florida]

However, I took and passed the CHSPE when I was 15.

 

I had a rocky time in high school. By my sophomore year, I was cutting more classes than I was attending. I don't even remember taking math in high school (other than a geometry class I know I didn't finish). By the time I got my act together and wanted to go back to school, I had missed so many classes and had so many incompletes that I would not have been able to graduate with my friends.

 

At that point, my parents finally agreed to let me take the exam and get out of there.

 

The exam, as I recall, was very easy. I remember questions that showed the label from a bottle of bleach and asked you to figure out how much bleach to add to a certain amount of water to wash floors. And I remember it included a writing prompt for a short essay. We were supposed to write about a scary experience and what we learned from it. I wrote about being in the car when my cousin was driving and said that I learned not to let him drive me anywhere.

 

I passed (which is all you are told: pass/fail). I finished the semester to prove I could, "dropped out" of high school on a Friday afternoon and started classes at the community college on Monday morning.

 

It was, hands down, among the top three best decisions I've ever made.

 

I did a few semesters at the CC, dropped out to work for a while, then went back and finished my degree. Even with the detour, I graduated at 21.

 

Now, as I said, this was a loooooooooong time ago (like, over two decades). So, things may have changed. But I can tell you that, if a comparable exam were available in Florida, we'd have my son take it as soon as he was eligible.