Mom22ns Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Can we do that? This turned into quite a long post, see questions in the last couple of lines if you want to skip all the history and weigh in anyway :) Ds will be a senior next year. A brief history, math has always been difficult for him. He has multiple LDs which have impacted math learning. He came out of public school at the beginning of 6th grade (having gotten As & Bs) not understanding basic math. We backed up and he progressed and did great through 6th and 7th. We got to Algebra in 8th and found he just wasn't able to handle the abstract concepts. We slowed down and did Algebra over 2 years. We used MUS for Geometry and that went well except even their light treatment of proofs was a challenge. This year we did Algebra 2 using Lial's Intermediate Algebra. His grade is right on the A/B line which is a reasonable success for him. However, it has been a struggle and he really dislikes it. He did fine on his ACT. His math was his low score, but not too low. He knows where he wants to attend college, a local LAC, selective, but not highly selective. He wants to major in writing. The only math he will have to take there is his choice of pre-calc or stats. In discussing options for math next year, I threw out the possibility of stats or AP stats. He really grabbed it. My original plan was Pre-Calc ending with the Pre-Calc CLEP which his goal LAC will accept, allowing him to not take math in college at all. This seems like a great thing for ds. However, he hates the idea of Pre-Calc and is genuinely interested in Stats. There is very little chance we could get an AP Stats exam hosted for him. I've been unable to get any AP exams hosted so far and to get through that one would definitely require he get extra time accommodations. He already has that setup with the ACT Board and I'm sure we could get it with the College Board, but then it is just that much harder to get a school to let him take the test! If you made it all the way through that… Is Statistics a valid option instead of Pre-Calc for a non-math, non-science, English major kind of guy? Even if it is, am I crazy to let him pass up the chance to test out of college math by doing Stats instead of Pre-Calc? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Absolutely 100% it is a valid choice. Since he is INTERESTED and wants to do this, I would run with it. It will be a lot more relevant to him anyway. It will help him critically evaluate evidence and logical arguments in his humanities and social science classes. No, you're not crazy. Why should he drag himself through a class he hates even the idea of in order to avoid taking a class he doesn't mind the idea of at college? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 IMO, it's fine, but I would double check with the school. Would it be possible to do Stats at home w/o the AP test and then take it again at the LAC? That might be the best. He gets high school exposure and it will make the college Stats class easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 I agree with Kiana and Sue. I also have a liberal arts guy who really dislikes math - especially anything algebra-related. I had the opportunity to sit down with a public school counselor the other day and when I mentioned that the next logical step for my guy would be to take pre-calc as a senior next year, he said,"Why not see if he is interested in taking an AP Stats class?". The counselor was the one who mentioned it first and ds was EXTREMELY interested. Even if he was not taking the AP course, at this point he is so excited about a Stats class, we would probably do it anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted April 23, 2014 Author Share Posted April 23, 2014 You are all making me feel so much better. Somehow I felt like I just had to get him through Pre-Calc. AP Stats isn't offered at our local high school, just Calc, so locally it will seem very unusual. That doesn't really mean anything. I just need a reality check with the bigger world now and then. I guess the next question is to AP or not to AP. We were really set in the mindset of "test out of college math". Maybe doing something like Chalkdust Stats and focusing on being well prepared for college math is a better plan. Alternatively, I could sign him up for AP Stats at PA Homeschoolers. It gets great reviews on this board. Then if he gets to test great, if not, he'd still be well prepared for college Stats. Any other thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 I guess the next question is to AP or not to AP. We were really set in the mindset of "test out of college math". Maybe doing something like Chalkdust Stats and focusing on being well prepared for college math is a better plan. Alternatively, I could sign him up for AP Stats at PA Homeschoolers. It gets great reviews on this board. Then if he gets to test great, if not, he'd still be well prepared for college Stats. Any other thoughts? Hey, if you do decide to sign him up for the PA Homeschoolers' AP Stats, he would be in there with my ds. The teacher is a member of the forum and gets rave reviews! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 Hey, if you do decide to sign him up for the PA Homeschoolers' AP Stats, he would be in there with my ds. The teacher is a member of the forum and gets rave reviews! I've read the rave reviews. I'm just not sure about the time commitment. Ds is a slow worker, so I always know it will take him the higher end of people's time estimates. Do you know if that class fills or can I be rather last minute in my decision? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MtnTeaching Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 I've read the rave reviews. I'm just not sure about the time commitment. Ds is a slow worker, so I always know it will take him the higher end of people's time estimates. Do you know if that class fills or can I be rather last minute in my decision? I am just not sure how fast it fills. I can tell you that when I had a question, the teacher was extremely responsive by email. I bet you could discuss any of your concerns with her and she would give you the straight scoop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 I am just not sure how fast it fills. I can tell you that when I had a question, the teacher was extremely responsive by email. I bet you could discuss any of your concerns with her and she would give you the straight scoop. I emailed her. She was very quick to respond even though she was traveling. I am pursuing a couple of additional ideas for AP testing, but unless I am fairly certain he will be able to test at the end of the course, I will not enroll him in the AP course. It would just be too much work to be disappointed at the end. We will just do a statistics class (either generic chalkdust or just self-study through the AP book that PA Homeschoolers uses) and then let him take Stats again in college. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 We're planning on statistics next year for our son - I'm looking at a TPS class, but haven't decided yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 We're planning on statistics next year for our son - I'm looking at a TPS class, but haven't decided yet. Thanks, I hadn't thought to look at TPS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 We ruled out the TPS class, now looking at Landry Academy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom22ns Posted April 25, 2014 Author Share Posted April 25, 2014 I think if we were going to do an online class I would go with the PA Homeschoolers class. The reviews really are outstanding and Carole was very helpful in her reply to me. Ds would really like to be able to get credit for the class, odds are just so against that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted April 25, 2014 Share Posted April 25, 2014 Here's a TED talk that's relevant: Teach Statistics Before Calculus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sunshine State Sue Posted April 26, 2014 Share Posted April 26, 2014 Here's a TED talk that's relevant: Teach Statistics Before Calculus Thanks for this link. As a math major, I was more than a little disturbed when ds was not able to take Calculus last semester at CC (they limit the number of high school students in the CC classes). This made me feel better that he got to Statistics first. If I was young and unattached, I would love to return to school for a degree in Stats in the fall... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crimson Wife Posted April 27, 2014 Share Posted April 27, 2014 FYI there is a DSST test for statistics. If the LAC accepts CLEP for meeting general ed requirements, they might accept DSST. http://getcollegecredit.com/assets/pdf/dsst_fact_sheets/DSST_PrinciplesofStatistics.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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