Looking forward to 9th, deciding on online options...help

[cheryl h]

Next year dd13 will be a 9th grader. I would love to outsource a few classes or maybe even most of them. I am considering a mix of online classes and possibly a few at the local ps. I am not against her going full time to a decent public hs, but our local hs is not good. Especially for math, so I forsee continuing that at home.

 

Here are my questions: What classes would you outsource to a not so great hs, and what classes would you pick first to do online? My initial thoughts were to send her to public hs for whatever AP she can get into. I also would love to outsource writing, but don't think the hs is meaty enough. Any thoughts are helpful, thanks.

[kewb]

My ds will be in 9th grade next year. I am outsourcing foreign language. If I had a local hs option I would use it. Since I don't I will be using an online class.

[Janice in NJ]

Ask your high school about its AP test success rate. Many parents assume that the kids who are taking AP classes at their high school are doing "college level" work. However, if the kids don't pass the end-of-the-year test, were they really doing college level work?

 

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2010-02-04-1Aapscores04_ST_N.htm

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/03/education/03incentive.html?_r=2&hp

 

http://gasstationwithoutpumps.wordpress.com/2011/07/14/2011-ap-exam-score-distribution/

 

http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2011/02/20/ap-exam-pass-rates-drop-in-many-districts.html

 

It is important to note that not all kids who take tan AP class sit for the test. If all kids who completed the class were required to take the test, the percentages would drop even more.

 

Just an FYI. :001_smile: Check with your school to see what the pass rates look like. It will help you understand your options.

 

Peace,

Janice

 

Enjoy your little people

Enjoy your journey

[Moira in MA]

Cheryl,

 

There are many, many online options available. Some run asynchronously, others require 'classroom' attendance.

 

However, I do counsel you not to start with too many at first. Some students really do well with online courses, other just flounder. Maybe, you could find a short course that would work with your plans for this year and see how your student reacts to this new way of learning.

 

As an example, I used 6-week writing courses from bravewriter with my dds to see how things might work. These replaced their usual English studies for that period.

 

hth

~Moira

[G5052]

The high school mine would attend is one of those that offers a number of AP options, but their scores on the actual AP exam are no better than those who didn't take an AP class. So for me the headache of block scheduling, hauling them to class, etc. etc. isn't worth enrolling them in public school AP classes.

 

We've been happy with the online classes we tried this year, and are going to do more next year. Synchronous classes mean a bit more rigid scheduling at home, but the classes are more engaging IMHO. Online Latin went extremely well, and it was nice to have a "real" Latin teacher there instead of mom who periodically got completely stuck. Next year we'll add online literature and history because I find that outside teachers bring more to the table than I can at that level.

[Sunshine State Sue]

What classes would you outsource to a not so great hs

Electives! I feel compelled to explain that ds wanted to take some classes at our crummy local PS, and though I was against it, I am regularly outnumbered in our family, so ds is taking Spanish (all year), Law Studies (1st semester), and Team Sports (2nd semester). He played on the HS basketball team last year and is playing on the team again this year. I fervently hope that he will not want to continue next year, but I would say I probably have a 50/50 chance.

 

what classes would you pick first to do online?

I would pick the ones that I cannot handle myself at home. For me, that meant, science, history, and Java last year. Do try to determine the quality of the online classes you use. They are not all created equal. I've had good and bad experiences.

 

My initial thoughts were to send her to public hs for whatever AP she can get into..

As mentioned earlier, make sure you find your local PS statistics first! Our local PS has terrible pass rates. For example, Human Geography is generally considered an easier AP test. 68 students took the test in 2011. 26 got 1. 12 got 2. 13 got 3. 12 got 4. 5 got 5. So, 44% got 3+. Many schools will not accept a 3 for credit. 25% got 4+. Not impressive.

 

I also would love to outsource writing, but don't think the hs is meaty enough.

I recommend Laurel Tree Tutorials. If you send me a PM, I can provide a not-quite-ready-for-public-posting review.

 

Finally, don't forget to look into dual enrollment at your local CC.

 

HTH!

Edited January 22, 2012 by Sue in St Pete

[choirfarm]

Next year dd13 will be a 9th grader. I would love to outsource a few classes or maybe even most of them. I am considering a mix of online classes and possibly a few at the local ps. I am not against her going full time to a decent public hs, but our local hs is not good. Especially for math, so I forsee continuing that at home.

 

 

First of all, how motivated is your daughter. How academic?? How does she work with others?? The answer to this has been different for both my boys.

 

9th grade for my oldest was entirely at home. He did Biology and TT Alg I and II in 8th. So he did Chalkdust Geometry, Chemistry, TOG year 3, Driver's Ed, and Introductory and Intermediate Logic. All at home. He wasn't socially ready.

 

10th grade- He took AP Homeschoolers Stats online. I'm glad I only chose 1 AP class to do.

 

11th grade- Spanish and racquetball at cc, online AP Gov and AP Chem

 

12th grade- the only class I will teach him at home will be history, I think. He'll be taking Spanish 3 and 4 as well as English I and II at the cc. He will probably take AP Econ, AP Physics and AP Calc. We will do TOG history only for year 1.

 

Now my middle child..not nearly so driven or self motivated. He is much better socially and NEEDS outside deadlines and accountability.

 

9th grade- AP Gov-- this has been a tough class... He has almost gotten used to it. I don't think online is the best format for him

 

Spanish and racquetball at cc. He is doing well and cc is what I will use for him. He will be taking 2 classes a semester from now on. I'm undecided about any more AP.

 

For both my boys, 9th grade came as a bit of a shock. The work amount went up considerably and I was no longer flexible. I'm doing this for their transcript, and I want it to be true. I need to be able to back it up. In previous years, if we didn't get things done, no big deal. That said, my dad died in May of my oldest's 9th grade year. School ended. We were on week 32 of TOG... I called it good enough for credit.

 

So just be careful not to overload your 9th grader. I have come really close to doing that to my 9th grader this year.