High School Classes for Credit in 8th Grade?

[Leighton Academy]

Any pros/cons you'd like to offer concerning taking high school classes for credit in 8th grade?  Trying to finalize plans for my oldest.  I already know what we're using but am stuck on whether to issues credit for a few of his classes.  The classes up for consideration are ancient history using Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Ancient World, Algebra I, and Physical Science (is this even still considered a high school science??).  We still plan to do three more high school sciences and maths.  Any thoughts for or against taking classes for high school credit in 8th grade?  Thank you!

[kiana]

It's a lot more difficult to justify why an 8th grade class is high school level if it's not math or language. I don't think I'd count history, and I don't think I'd count physical science either (although I might if it were biology -- that is less ambiguous). Imo, it'd look like you were trying to pad the transcript.

[Ellie]

You can do whatever you want. :-)

 

But if you're thinking of transcripts and colleges and whatnot, you'll want to check with the colleges. Many people here have reported that colleges to which their dc applied specified that credits must have been earned during the four immediately years preceding the application.

[EndOfOrdinary]

The general societal idea is that only math and foreign language classes should begin early unless a child is graduating early.  This doesn't matter much as a homeschooler, other than if your student wants to matriculate into college or another form of schooling.  At that point, the most "normal" the transcript can look (other than real areas of specialization) the better.  It means less of your transcript will be in question.

 

Often classes are provided early that are high school level so that students can take AP classes in high school.  My son is doing this with chemistry as well as biology.  He plans to take them at high school level during middle school so that when he takes them again in high school they can be AP.  He will not get credit for them, they are foundational.  Many kids start high school foreign language this way too.  If the student takes three years of high school(ish) foreign language in middle school, they can then take AP level classes by the end of high school sometimes in multiple languages.  Often the only credit is given in 8th grade, unless it is two half credits for seventh and eighth.

 

Again, there is no reason you have to do this.  It is more about just being able to look correctly.  Mainly, that is the entire point of a transcript.  You teach you kid as awesomely as you can, then you write it up so that your child can continue however they would like to. 

[RootAnn]

Of what you list, I think only Algebra 1 is going to count - and there are definite differences of opinion on that one! (Some just list it as a class taken prior to 9th grade, some give credit.)

 

Since you issue the transcript, you can decide what to give credit for. But standard practice is what the previous posters have pointed out - only math & languages are generally looked upon as possibilities for credit. (My oldest is taking Algebra I & Spanish I next year. Not sure yet if either will make it onto her final transcript. The important thing for us is that she's learning & thriving at her level.)

[MinivanMom]

In my state no 8th grade courses are allowed to go on the transcript, not even math or foreign language. It was the same way when I was growing up in California. If you take Alg I & Geo in middle school, then they just wouldn't appear on your high school transcript. Colleges are bright enough to look at a math sequence of Alg II, Pre-Cal, AP Calc, AP Stats and infer that you already took the prerequisite classes prior to high school. In order to get an academic diploma here you must have 4 math credits in high school regardless of what classes you have taken already in middle school, so a transcript listing Algebra I from 8th grade and only 3 math credits in high school would stand out as below the normal academic standard.

 

You may want to check about the policy in your state or in your local public schools, so you have an idea of what's customary in your area and what may look like padding the transcript.

[Berley]

You may want to check with potential colleges also. I inquired with two universities within an hour of us about this very thing. One university told me that any high school level course was considered high school credit regardless of when the course was taken. The other university told me that absolutely nothing before "9th grade" was considered high school credit. So, not only do your public schools and state law matter, the university where your child is interested in attending also matters.

[EndOfOrdinary]

It sounds like having two transcripts would be a good way to go. You an have one with the credits and one without. That way your options are open as time progresses.

[Arcadia]

Physical science is standard middle school here. Algebra 1 is taken in 8th grade and before. It is listed in the transcript for my school district under subjects taken before high school and is not included for credit.

[Matryoshka]

Not 100% sure yet if next year will be 8th or 9th for dd.  Probably 8th, but she is taking a lot of courses I could consider 9th - Geometry, Physics, German at least 2nd year high school level.  I'm going to make a decision retroactively - if she does a fantastic job and ends up wanting to graduate a year early, I could just retroactively count all of next year as 9th.  But if she continues for 4 more years after that, she'd still take math, science, and foreign language every year, so I just wouldn't bother counting any of it (this is the more likely secenario). 

[Ellie]

It sounds like having two transcripts would be a good way to go. You an have one with the credits and one without. That way your options are open as time progresses.

 

But if a college specifies that courses must have been taken the immediate four years preceding the college application, that's still problematic if the college-level course was taken before 9th grade.

[Erin]

We did Algebra and Physical Science in 8th grade.  I'm not going to bother putting either on his transcript though, as the assumption will be when he takes Algebra 2 as a freshman, it'll be because he's previously had Algebra.  And many states/schools don't count that intro to physical sciences class for credit anyway (though it's still, commonly, a freshman class).

 

Also, for us, graduation/college entrance requirements state 3 years of both math and sciences.  He'll have three years of harder classes in high school, so the 8th grade stuff is irrelevant anyway.  

[hepatica]

I have to admit I find these sorts of discussions baffling. Don't colleges admit non-traditional students all the time? Some kids go to school for 12 years. Some kids go to school for less, some more. Some students don't apply to college until they are 20 or 30 or 60 or 70? What college worth it's salt would evaluate them based on the immediate 4 years prior to the college application? The most elite private boarding schools in the US are full of students doing a 5th (post graduate) year of high school. I am pretty sure those kids are putting all their courses on their high school transcript.

 

If my child takes a high school level class at age 10 or 11 or 12, then I am putting it on the high school transcript. My dd took Lukeion Latin in 8th grade, and it is definitely going on her transcript as Latin I. 

[MinivanMom]

I have to admit I find these sorts of discussions baffling. Don't colleges admit non-traditional students all the time? Some kids go to school for 12 years. Some kids go to school for less, some more. Some students don't apply to college until they are 20 or 30 or 60 or 70? What college worth it's salt would evaluate them based on the immediate 4 years prior to the college application? The most elite private boarding schools in the US are full of students doing a 5th (post graduate) year of high school. I am pretty sure those kids are putting all their courses on their high school transcript.

 

If my child takes a high school level class at age 10 or 11 or 12, then I am putting it on the high school transcript. My dd took Lukeion Latin in 8th grade, and it is definitely going on her transcript as Latin I. 

 

No, good universities don't admit non-traditional students all the time. The overwhelming majority of kids attend a brick & mortar high school for 4 years prior to applying to college. Some kids may take a gap year, do a stint in the military, go on a mission trip, or even take 10-20 yrs off while life happens . . . but . . . at the end of the day they are expected to produce a 4 year high school transcript as part of their college application. The most alternative thing most university admission readers will ever see is the homeschooler who spent a year sailing around the world instead of a more traditional homeschooling program and even that kid will need to produce some kind of evidence of academic learning and aptitude. I have never heard of elite boarding schools doing a 5th year of classes. Is this something new? Maybe you're thinking of school sponsored gap years, but I don't think that gap year activities would be listed on the transcript as a 5th year of classes.

 

You can put 8th grade Lukeion Latin I on the transcript as a class taken prior to high school if you want to; it's just not necessary. When a university looks at her transcript and sees Latin II, Latin III, & AP Latin, they can infer that she took Latin in middle school. It's just important to point out (for planning purposes) that not all universities accept middle school foreign language credits for college admission. If she stops after taking Latin II in 9th, then she could be short credits for a school that requires a minimum of 2 years of foreign language study and doesn't accept the Latin I credit from 8th. If she plans to take Latin throughout high school then there is no problem.

[foxbridgeacademy]

Not 100% sure yet if next year will be 8th or 9th for dd.  Probably 8th, but she is taking a lot of courses I could consider 9th - Geometry, Physics, German at least 2nd year high school level.  I'm going to make a decision retroactively - if she does a fantastic job and ends up wanting to graduate a year early, I could just retroactively count all of next year as 9th.  But if she continues for 4 more years after that, she'd still take math, science, and foreign language every year, so I just wouldn't bother counting any of it (this is the more likely secenario). 

This is what we're doing but since DS is determined to graduate early (wants a GAP year) we're pretty sure we'll be counting this year as 9th(my only concern is writing).  The thing is, if DS has 26 credit hours (including CC,AP, and CLEP's) the State Universities won't even want to see his H.S. transcripts or SAT scores.  Our Universities accept 11 CLLEP's, ALL the AP's, and there are 30+ different CC classes that transfer for FULL credit.   

[kiana]

You can put 8th grade Lukeion Latin I on the transcript as a class taken prior to high school if you want to; it's just not necessary. When a university looks at her transcript and sees Latin II, Latin III, & AP Latin, they can infer that she took Latin in middle school. It's just important to point out (for planning purposes) that not all universities accept middle school foreign language credits for college admission. If she stops after taking Latin II in 9th, then she could be short credits for a school that requires a minimum of 2 years of foreign language study and doesn't accept the Latin I credit from 8th. If she plans to take Latin throughout high school then there is no problem.

 

Exactly. The same issue comes up with any other subject. For most universities, you can't just take precalc in 9th grade and then stop, even if precalc in 12th would have been enough.

 

[Haiku]

As far as I'm concerned, when my dd does the work, she earns the credit. She's earning Latin 1 this year (6th grade) by using a high school text. Next year she she will earn Algebra 1 credit using a high school text. I don't really care what my state says about earning credit (I haven't even looked into it). When she does the work, she gets the credit. One of the perks of homeschooling is that nobody can look over my shoulder and tell me I'm doing it wrong.

[hepatica]

No, good universities don't admit non-traditional students all the time. The overwhelming majority of kids attend a brick & mortar high school for 4 years prior to applying to college. 

 

Perhaps this is a semantic issue which depends on your definition of a "good" college?

 

Students attending 4 year residential college directly out of a 4 year high school make up only about 15% of the undergraduate population in the US. More than a third of US undergraduates are over the age of 25, and a quarter are over the age of 30. So, in fact, traditional students are a very significant minority of students attending college in the US.

 

The reason I think this is important is because the traditional college model is quickly becoming financially unsustainable for both colleges and students. College education is changing. Non traditional students getting non traditional educations are becoming the norm. And, admissions departments are already rethinking how they evaluate these students. I think homeschoolers sell themselves short when they endeavor to make sure they look just like students graduating from traditional brick and mortar high schools. If you want to look just like a traditional student, then traditional school is probably the best way to go. 

 

Homeschoolers, on the other hand, are non-traditional students. We have already rejected the traditional route. If a student wants to finish math or foreign language requirements by 9th grade so they can spend their "high school" years pursuing a passion in poetry or archeology or music or whatever, then I would represent and defend that decision honestly in a college application. In other words, represent who the student truly is on the college application, rather than trying to mold the student to fit some generalized model of admission requirements. 

[ereks mom]

My state's graduation requirements state:

Unit credit may be awarded for courses offered in the middle grades...  Unit credit shall be awarded only for courses that include concepts and skills based on the state standards for grades 9-12.

 

I listed my children's middle grades science courses on their transcripts.  The coursework was comparable (in fact, someone more rigorous) than similar courses at the local public school. 

 

 

[Laura Corin]

FWIW, British universities want to see a heavy workload of high school courses all taken simultaneously, so that they can see that the child can cope with the workload.  So I would see any early classes as additional, rather than part of the main offering.  Calvin took three high school level classes early and we validated his achievement with public examinations.  This showed that he was capable early, but then he went on to take a full high school load.  All the exam results (early and standard) were reported to the universities.

 

L

[Melissa B]

This is what we're doing but since DS is determined to graduate early (wants a GAP year) we're pretty sure we'll be counting this year as 9th(my only concern is writing).  The thing is, if DS has 26 credit hours (including CC,AP, and CLEP's) the State Universities won't even want to see his H.S. transcripts or SAT scores.  Our Universities accept 11 CLLEP's, ALL the AP's, and there are 30+ different CC classes that transfer for FULL credit.   

 

Are you saying that students with 26+ college credits do not apply to your state universities in the same way? That is not how it works around us. No matter how many college credits a student has, the student must provide a high school transcript and test scores when applying for entrance. The only time a student doesn't need these is if he/she has earned an AA degree while in high school. Then the university can use only the AA and decide whether to admit the student as a freshman or transfer student.

[lewelma]

I think homeschoolers sell themselves short when they endeavor to make sure they look just like students graduating from traditional brick and mortar high schools. If you want to look just like a traditional student, then traditional school is probably the best way to go. 

 

Homeschoolers, on the other hand, are non-traditional students. We have already rejected the traditional route. If a student wants to finish math or foreign language requirements by 9th grade so they can spend their "high school" years pursuing a passion in poetry or archeology or music or whatever, then I would represent and defend that decision honestly in a college application. In other words, represent who the student truly is on the college application, rather than trying to mold the student to fit some generalized model of admission requirements.

 

 

Hepatica would you please comment on my thread on the high school board.  I would be interested in your thoughts.

 

Need advice about ticking boxes for a nontraditional student

 

Thanks,

 

Ruth in NZ

[EKS]

Document everything as though it were a high school class.  Group your transcript by subject rather than year.  This gives you flexibility with regard to what you include on the final transcript as well as when your child graduates (you may decide early graduation is appropriate once you're there).

 

 

[foxbridgeacademy]

Are you saying that students with 26+ college credits do not apply to your state universities in the same way? That is not how it works around us. No matter how many college credits a student has, the student must provide a high school transcript and test scores when applying for entrance. The only time a student doesn't need these is if he/she has earned an AA degree while in high school. Then the university can use only the AA and decide whether to admit the student as a freshman or transfer student.

Right, if the student has over 26 Credit hours then they do not have to have H.S. transcripts or SAT/ACT scores.  Plus if they got those credits while in H.S. and have less then 32 (I think that's the #) they still enter as a freshman with all the perks, but I need to look that up again to be sure.  We really only have 1 statewide CC (30 locations) and at least 30 different Classes (100+ credits) will transfer.  If after attending the CC and getting good grades you wish to transfer to the State Universities (we have 5 but two of those have multiple locations) you're pretty much a shoe-in, no transcripts, no test scores, and no essay.

[angela in ohio]

FWIW, British universities want to see a heavy workload of high school courses all taken simultaneously, so that they can see that the child can cope with the workload.  So I would see any early classes as additional, rather than part of the main offering.  Calvin took three high school level classes early and we validated his achievement with public examinations.  This showed that he was capable early, but then he went on to take a full high school load.  All the exam results (early and standard) were reported to the universities.

 

L

 

Competitive US colleges and univerisities are the same way.

 

[SkateLeft]

.

[Targhee]

One of the perks of homeschooling is that nobody can look over my shoulder and tell me I'm doing it wrong.

That IS a problem for me - I don't want kids to end up at college admissions time and have a school tell us they won't accept our records/credited classes. I WANT someone to tell me how I can do it so we are not kicking ourselves in frustration later (or unable to gain admissions).

[Haiku]

That IS a problem for me - I don't want kids to end up at college admissions time and have a school tell us they won't accept our records/credited classes. I WANT someone to tell me how I can do it so we are not kicking ourselves in frustration later (or unable to gain admissions).

 

Many colleges now have sections of their websites devoted to homeschoolers. It's not difficult to look at the college you are interested in and find out what they want from you. If they don't have a homeschoolers section, request one and ask them to send you information in the meantime.

 

But I was speaking to the idea that I can record my children's credits as I see fit and no one gets to tell me "No, you can't do that." As I stated, when my children accomplish the work, they get the credit.

[madteaparty]

I am not giving credit for any high school work done before 8th because 1. I am not interested in graduating him early from high school 2. He will hopefully go to a selective brick and mortar school for high school anyway 3. We've been told colleges don't care about work completed before high school. If current projections work, he will hopefully be able to take the AP for one of his languages in 8th and will be through Algebra 2 by then as well.

[dauphin]

We did Algebra and Physical Science in 8th grade. I'm not going to bother putting either on his transcript though, as the assumption will be when he takes Algebra 2 as a freshman, it'll be because he's previously had Algebra. And many states/schools don't count that intro to physical sciences class for credit anyway (though it's still, commonly, a freshman class).

 

Also, for us, graduation/college entrance requirements state 3 years of both math and sciences. He'll have three years of harder classes in high school, so the 8th grade stuff is irrelevant anyway.

.

 

What about the state university that says you have to have at least 3 math credits but they -specify- Algebra 1 and 2 and one other?!?!?

[Erin]

I've never seen one that specifies Algebra 1 so much as I've seen the ones that specify "Algebra 1 or above."

Considering how common it is to take Algebra 1 in 8th grade, I have to assume it's not a big deal for most schools...

[Arcadia]

What about the state university that says you have to have at least 3 math credits but they -specify- Algebra 1 and 2 and one other?!?!?

You have to check how the requirements are worded.

 

UC (California) specifies geometry has to be completed for 2015 applicants but the UC system does not specify that geometry has to be done in high school to get the box checked. Some public school kids in a nearby school is taking geometry in 8th grade. It goes into their transcript as having completed Algebra 1 and Geometry before high school. These kids take Algebra 2 in 9th grade often followed by AP Stats and AP Calc so three math credits at high school is taken care of.

 

Quoting from UC admissions page just to show wording.

 

"NOTE: Effective for fall 2015 applicants (students applying to UC in November 2014), all students must complete a geometry course; neither AP Calculus AB/BC nor IB HL Mathematics exam will satisfy a year of geometry."

 

"NOTE: Effective for fall 2015 applicants (students applying to UC in November 2014), all students must complete a geometry course; SAT Math exam will not satisfy a year of geometry."

 

"NOTE: Effective for fall 2015 applicants (students applying to UC in November 2014), all students must complete a geometry course; one transferable college course will not satisfy the full three-year math requirement."

[MinivanMom]

You have to check how the requirements are worded.

 

UC (California) specifies geometry has to be completed for 2015 applicants but the UC system does not specify that geometry has to be done in high school to get the box checked. Some public school kids in a nearby school is taking geometry in 8th grade. It goes into their transcript as having completed Algebra 1 and Geometry before high school. These kids take Algebra 2 in 9th grade often followed by AP Stats and AP Calc so three math credits at high school is taken care of.

 

Quoting from UC admissions page just to show wording.

 

"NOTE: Effective for fall 2015 applicants (students applying to UC in November 2014), all students must complete a geometry course; neither AP Calculus AB/BC nor IB HL Mathematics exam will satisfy a year of geometry."

 

"NOTE: Effective for fall 2015 applicants (students applying to UC in November 2014), all students must complete a geometry course; SAT Math exam will not satisfy a year of geometry."

 

"NOTE: Effective for fall 2015 applicants (students applying to UC in November 2014), all students must complete a geometry course; one transferable college course will not satisfy the full three-year math requirement."

 

Yikes! Our state has eliminated geometry courses. They are only allowed to offer a new Common Core-aligned integrated math sequence (my 15-yr-old babysitter on the AP-track claims the new sequence contains no geometry at all). It's a statewide regulation for all public schools, so even charter schools aren't allowed to offer geometry classes anymore. I guess our kids won't be getting into any CA schools.

[dauphin]

You have to check how the requirements are worded.

 

 

"Mathematics - 3 years

This must include 1 year of Algebra I, 1 year of Algebra II, and one year of Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, or Analysis"

 

And at the other major state uni:

 

"Mathematics 3 units, beginning with algebra I"

 

Oooooookaaaaaay.

[Arcadia]

"Mathematics - 3 years

This must include 1 year of Algebra I, 1 year of Algebra II, and one year of Geometry, Trigonometry, Calculus, or Analysis"

From Auburn University's web page

"What if I have been home-schooled?

Applicants who complete their high school education through a home school program, must meet all regular AU admissions standards. This includes the completion of the core courses required for all freshmen students who enter AU. Particularly, science courses must have a documented lab component.

Each home school applicant will be given an individual review by the appropriate advisor. Home school applicants are asked to complete no more and no less than any other applicant."

 

It only mentions completion but not when the courses were completed. The university also have dual enrollment and early admission. If your child might be interested, you might want to clarify with the university.

 

ETA:

I also found Alabama's high school diploma requirements. It didn't say that Algebra 1 or Geometry has to be done in high school, just that both subjects have to be done.

http://www.aasfaaonline.org/docs/FOCUS/requirements.html

[EndOfOrdinary]

I completed both Algebra one and Geomerty before nineth grade. I also had four years of Latin. These were listed as a separate line above the nineth grade credits merely as "work completed prior to nineth grade." No credits. No grades listed. Just documentation the classes had been completed. This should work for California students as it directly shows completion, the the student continues classes in the higher sequence.

 

This is what my son's transcript is going to say along with listed scores for his AP, SATII, and outside coursework CBE tests all taken before high school. If he continues on the current track, he will have be taking PreCalculus in nineth. If he wants to graduate early, fine. It is not necessary however. Especially if he is shooting for Ivy League like he is now. He is already a grade ahead and though that seemed like a good idea at the time, he has to work much harder for legitimacy in competitions. It is not actually beneficial in some instances for your child to be younger when they graduate.

[mom2att]

Document everything as though it were a high school class.  Group your transcript by subject rather than year.  This gives you flexibility with regard to what you include on the final transcript as well as when your child graduates (you may decide early graduation is appropriate once you're there).

 

This is exactly what I did for my oldest (though she did not graduate early).  She had several high school level classes in middle school, including Latin I and II at our state's virtual school, and yes they appeared on her transcript, as well as Algebra and a history class that was definitely high school material.  She applied to 5 colleges (mostly large state unis) and was accepted to all.  Most didn't ask for the year the course was taken, so I didn't list it.  For those that did ask, I put the year, but since the courses were grouped by subject the earlier year didn't stand out.

 

I did have different transcripts for each college she applied to, because each one had slightly different requirements and wanted a different format, grade calculation, etc.  In my experience the colleges look at home educated students in a different light.  Several of the colleges dd applied to had instituted the Self-Reporting Grade format, and homeschoolers were exempted from that requirement because the colleges didn't view their grades as accredited.  They still wanted transcripts and such, but test scores and things like dual enrollment credits were weighed much more heavily than the grades on the transcript.

 

So of course it all depends on the school, but in my experience, since the schools could see that dd had continued with a schedule of college-prep classes through high school, including accruing a number of dual enrollment credits and had the test scores to back up the grades appearing on her transcript, they didn't nitpick about when the high school credits were earned.

[SA Homeschooler]

.

[Evan]

Any pros/cons you'd like to offer concerning taking high school classes for credit in 8th grade?  Trying to finalize plans for my oldest.  I already know what we're using but am stuck on whether to issues credit for a few of his classes.  The classes up for consideration are ancient history using Susan Wise Bauer's History of the Ancient World, Algebra I, and Physical Science (is this even still considered a high school science??).  We still plan to do three more high school sciences and maths.  Any thoughts for or against taking classes for high school credit in 8th grade?  Thank you!

 

I would allow high school credit for algebra as long as it was a full course.  I would only allow credit for physical science if the course also satisfied the requirements for a full non calculus based physics course, or if the course went in depth enough into environmental sciences to merit credit for that course.  I would likely not award high school credit for your ancient history course but that would be in part dependent on exactly what material was covered in the course.

 

I think the big con to covering high school material before children are at a typical high school age is that they may not truly be prepared to handle the material and may not get what they need to out of the course.  As some of these high school courses will likely lay the initial foundation and framework for additional course work and later careers this can be detrimental. Affiliated stress is also another potential problem in this scenario.   If you have a child who you are not prepared to graduate early and do not have opportunities for truly rigorous college level courses to use for dual enrollment this may be another issue.  

 

The advantage to starting high school courses earlier is the potential to stimulate intellectual curiosity and allow students time to explore and identify what areas truly interest them for focus of more advanced study.  This may allow you to provide a richer high school experience and may also benefit some students when it is time to apply for college.

 

One of our daughters earned credit for Algebra I, Geometry, and AP Environmental Sciences before she started her freshman year.  She went on to take one or more math and science classes each year throughout her high school years.  We were not prepared to graduate her early, however, we have a local university where she could take differential equations, genetics, microbiology, etc.  Between those courses and credit awarded for AP she started with enough credits to be a full sophomore when she started her university experience last fall. 

[snowbeltmom]

Homeschoolers, on the other hand, are non-traditional students. We have already rejected the traditional route. If a student wants to finish math or foreign language requirements by 9th grade so they can spend their "high school" years pursuing a passion in poetry or archeology or music or whatever, then I would represent and defend that decision honestly in a college application. In other words, represent who the student truly is on the college application, rather than trying to mold the student to fit some generalized model of admission requirements. 

 

:iagree:

 

This is the approach we are taking with our kids.

 

 

[zenjenn]

We're not there yet (oldest is in 6th grade) but if my experience with the homeschooling community is any indication, most 8th graders who have been homeschooled for the duration who are of high-ish average academic potential or higher will generally be tackling at least *some* high school level content in 7th and 8th grade, based on US standards of what "high school content" means. Actually this is true of many kids *in* school too. 8th graders who are taking algebra and "honors" courses or any foreign language at all, are generally operating at what is considered your average high school content. It's just that a higher percentage of homeschooled students than public schooled students can tackle that material in 7th or 8th grade because they have had the advantage of immense parental support of their education, and potential can be expanded.

 

Same thing with high schoolers doing college level work. AP classes and classes like Calculus ARE college-level technically. Homeschoolers are just more likely to sign their 16 or 17 yr old up for the college class and get the college credit quicker and easier than trying teach an AP level class and prep for the exam at home. We still think of the AP kids in high school as doing high school classes, but content wise, it's the same as college.