Guest Lbcork Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I do not currently home school my children, though I may need to consider! I'm having difficulty with my public school, who has decided not to offer my daughter Spanish 1 in 7th grade. She didn't score to their standards on a reading standardized test. a 15 minute timed test no less. Her average in English is a 97! and she is an honor roll student. But they have this cut off for reading achievement, and thus she is getting 2 more years of reading instead of Spanish. She is reading on grade level, and has never required reading assistance before. I am terribly unhappy with this development, as I think 7th grade as it is, is a bit late for foreign language. Anyway, does anyone have any experience in just doing one course and then transferring the credit to high school? I'm also going to email a few of the virtual schools I have seen lisited on the boards. Thank you/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G5052 Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Plenty of people afterschool (see the board here for that), but most schools don't accept that type of schooling for the transcript. A friend of mine tried to do what you are for middle-school Latin, and the school refused the credit even after the appeal went all the way to the school board. They only take credits from themselves, the state virtual school (which is only for high school), or from the list of approved courses at the local community college (only for age 16 and up). Can you appeal the reading test? That is probably your best bet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 Can you appeal the reading test? That is probably your best bet. :iagree: A friend's son received notice in the mail last summer that despite having the highest math grade in his class,he did not place into the honors math track because he did not score high enough on the state achievement math test. What the school administration did not state in this letter is that the parents have the right to place their children into an honors class by signing a waiver. My friend raised this issue with the administration, signed the waiver, and had her son put into the honors math track. I wonder if your school system also has this unpublicized policy, and you could sign a waiver and have your child placed in the Spanish class. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Lbcork Posted August 7, 2012 Share Posted August 7, 2012 I actually did find a waiver for the placement of kids in classes against the recommendation of the school administration. I'm not sure this relates to middle school, or if it's just for AP classes, but I will be sure to take a copy of it to the superintendant with me next week. I also found a waiver to opt out of state testing preperation/tutorial services. I also can't find anywhere any requirement for my daughter to score a certain number on this reading test. So frustrating. I've actually offered to pay for private tutoring for reading if she could advance into Spanish, but the vice principal said sorry no! It's only a 2 or 3 day a week course, and she is likely to learn more one on one. And it won't even be on the school's dime. Thanks for reminding me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snowbeltmom Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I also can't find anywhere any requirement for my daughter to score a certain number on this reading test. So frustrating. . My guess is that the magic score needed on the reading test varies from year to year, so the district won't publish an actual number. In my district, the number of kids in the honors class remains constant each year, and the school basis its testing cut-off requirement by the score achieved by the last seat available. Not to be cynical, but if your district is anything like mine, know your rights going into the meeting because the administrators may not tell you the truth. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 I agree with the others. I think you'd get further with your goals by finding out your rights and going after what you want for her within the system. When I was in school, placement was a "suggestion" and the parents could disagree and sign you into a class. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckens Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 Snowbeltmom says:Not to be cynical, but if your district is anything like mine, know your rights going into the meeting because the administrators may not tell you the truth. :iagree: I want to believe that most administrators are honest and helpful, or simply in a bind based on rules that others have made, but there are a few that don't have the same ethics as the rest of us. Others may just be ignorant of the actual policies. Take a tape recorder. It changes the whole tone of the meeting with administrators. Ask me how I know....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest egin Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 I agree with the others. I think you'd get further with your goals by finding out your rights and going after what you want for her within the system. When I was in school, placement was a "suggestion" and the parents could disagree and sign you into a class. Hi May I ask you something ? When you said 'placement was a suggestion' did you feel like they were using the best of their selling attitudes to make that suggestion ? thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plateau Mama Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 Her you cannot even start a language until 8th grade. This is an intro to world languages, so you can't even specialize in a language until 9th. Whether you can homeschool just one course is dependent on the district. Our district lets you, but I've found for middle school it's difficult to get th permission. I have one friend homeschooling PE. She's a competitive gymnast. I heard of another doing math which is interesting because I tried to get dd hs'd for math and was told by the principal it wouldn't be allowed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshin Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 If talking to the administrator doesn't help, contact the high school. I remember when I was in high school we could test into a higher level language class if we had been learning the language privately when we were younger. The credit didn't transfer from private lessons, but it at least allowed us to take a class in high school that matched our skill level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fourisenough Posted October 26, 2012 Share Posted October 26, 2012 I would recommend that you study Spanish with your daughter at home during 7th grade (and 8th grade if she isn't allowed into the course next year). She should be able to test into Spanish 2 in 9th grade, enabling her to go through AP Spanish by 12th grade (assuming she does well and wants to continue her study of the language throughout high school). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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