Does anyone check PS standards? SO of "Trainwreck" thread

[umarider]

On the "Trainwreck" thread there were multiple references to kids who turned out to be behind their peers in PS. I recognize that there are late-bloomers... dd9 is one (part of the nice part of hsing was being able to help her blossom!). At the same time, I don't want to be complacent and end having my kids pay a price down the road.

 

Our frequent moves as a military family are what prompted me to HS, because I can provide more consistency. I taught PS in Maryland and found, as we moved around the country, that MD has the best standards I've seen. So as I choose curriculum, I refer to the online MD standards to see if my choices are basically on-track w/ the MD ps's.

 

http://www.mdk12.org/ (Under "Assessments" click on "Standards")

 

I figure if dc's need to return to ps in the future, they won't be too far off-track if I keep the MD standards in my peripheral vision, kwim?

 

I was just wondering if anyone else takes the same or a similar approach when making their educational choices/plans? How do you help ensure that the choices you make will keep your dc's on track for the future? Is there something else I should be considering?

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

I not only check the standards, I find out what is actually going on in the classroom. In my area which has good schools, things often go beyond the standards. I check both the public school and the private school and have made it a point to make teacher friends at both.

[8filltheheart]

I was just wondering if anyone else takes the same or a similar approach when making their educational choices/plans? How do you help ensure that the choices you make will keep your dc's on track for the future? Is there something else I should be considering?

 

I do not pay attention to ps standards. I do peruse top prep school websites for their textbook selections and graduation requirements. I also keep up with different university admission standards in various states.

 

I try to make sure that my kids will be competitive based on those standards.

[Laura K (NC)]

just for kicks.

 

Recently my friend talked to a local elementary school's PTA president. 1400 kids are crowded into a school supposed to house 700. The kids have to share history books. History! How can kids get excited about history when they can't even take the book home?

 

But then, with all the P.C. garbage inserted into history books, the kids would be better off checking history books out the library and reading those instead.

 

This is one of the better schools in the district. As far as I'm concerned, the standards aren't up to snuff.

 

Otherwise, I don't really do much with the public school standards. We don't do a formal "health" program because we teach health the old fashioned way. I don't do a computer literacy program because my kids can type and learn how to use Word, etc, as they go along, because they have the time to. As far as the norms for individual subjects, I've looked at our district's and our state's norms and they make my eyes glaze over. I was recently trying to see what the state felt to be the differences between regular geometry and "honors" geometry, and after reading through the differences, the only concrete difference was that honors geometry students were expected to think more deeply about geometry. :001_rolleyes:

 

I don't have to answer to any authority about curricula in my state. Between the WTM and college requirements and choosing what classes are available online, through community college, and through private schools and co-ops, I don't worry about academics being covered. The public school standards would not be the standard I would ever use.

 

I do like Momof7 and look at top-rated textbooks, though, and who uses them.

[abbeyej]

I do not pay attention to ps standards. I do peruse top prep school websites for their textbook selections and graduation requirements. I also keep up with different university admission standards in various states.

 

I try to make sure that my kids will be competitive based on those standards.

 

Yes, I do the same. And it doesn't mean I *do* exactly what those prep schools are doing, but it does give me a frame of reference that I consider useful. As a home schooler, I'm free to ignore anything I don't recognize as valuable, but at least I know what I'm ignoring. ;)

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

Yes, I do the same. And it doesn't mean I *do* exactly what those prep schools are doing, but it does give me a frame of reference that I consider useful. As a home schooler, I'm free to ignore anything I don't recognize as valuable, but at least I know what I'm ignoring. ;)

 

Same here. We do ignore some of it - like I never sat down and actively taught my daughter that the postman brings us the mail (lol).

[Catherine]

friends, what is basically going on at each grade level. I am surprized to hear that Maryland has the highest standards-our huge urban ps system has some of the worst and some of the best schools in the state, so I know some of the worst horror stories and my ds went to one of the best high schools in the state last year. To be honest, I am pretty sure we can do better here at home, but, it's not easy! I think we are probably fairly rigorous compared to many of the homeschoolers I know in my area. That is only a hunch though.

 

I know my kids may at some point choose to return to school, and I would not want that to be a painful or difficult experience for them. Also, my own personal philosophy of education comes into play here. I truly believe that education lifts people out of ignorance, and that having a good education will be the key to later security and happiness for my boys. We homeschool for many reasons, but academics is probably the primary one, so I am pretty aware of their academic progress. My kids are blessed with few learning difficulties (especially if you don't count general laziness LOL) and so there is no reason for them to be behind schooled peers.

 

It is also interesting to note what college bound homeschoolers do. REcently on a homeschooling list I'm on, there was a conversation about a girl who had never attended school and was accepted at Harvard. BAsically, the girl was not only probably profoundly gifted, and an only child, but she had done so many academic subjects, and so many projects, in such depth, that she was self-studying multivariate calculus, running a Shakespeare group for younger homeschoolers, and practicing the harp on which she was a world champion. While we can surely debate whether acceptance to Harvard is the standard for us to aspire to, I think it is worth noting that well-educated homeschoolers do things in depth, independently, and pursue their interests as far as they can.

 

I think that supporting their interests, while maintaining rigor, is a better goal to aspire to than just doing what "standards" require, as long as the students are meeting grade level standards. Then again, many children end up homeschooled because of learning differences, and I am always in awe of parents who teach these children and help them to excel.

[bettyandbob]

we started hs because oldest ds is gifted. So, while we live in a county that supposedly has one of the best school systems in the country, when I reviewed the standards before ds started K, I realized ds could be locked in a closet until 4th grade with no books before the schools would have something to offer academically.

 

So, my main goal is for my dc to get a university degree in the field of their choice. To be able to have this opportunity, dc will have to have strong reading, math, and writing skills at high school graduation. A little over a year ago my alumni magazine published the minimum standards of applicants they accepted. It was a bit scarey, but I know ds will be above the range things they had to "check off". This was William and Mary and they said the applicants had at least 5 years of a foriegn language, at least calculus, at least 6 AP or IB level courses. To be on track to finish that kind of high school program you have to be well ahead of any "standard" before high school starts.

 

Math was easy to figure out. If dc are to take at least one year of calculus before college then they must take algebra no later than 8th grade. To take algebra in 8th grade we must cover all basic arithmetic by 6th grade and so on.

 

Reading I didn't worry about for older ds, but dd10 only recently started to like reading. She' reading middle school (newberry winners) novels this year. I found a list of novels that top universities recommend for high schoolers. I will be using the list in the next few years. (I copied this list out of book at our library a few years ago, I'm sorry I don't have a reference)

 

With writing I try to do the same trickle down approach.

 

I started knowing I wanted my dc to have options and knowing I didn't want to be responsible for them to NOT have options. The basic standards at the public school and even at the best prep schools really aren't that much of a guide because my ultimate goal is not to just simply graduate from high school.

 

[Jenny in Florida]

When my kids were younger (before we "discovered" TWTM), I often used the Typical Course of Study from World Book as a jumping off point for curriculum planning. We always exceeded what was listed there, but I liked having the safety net under us.

 

When I was doing high school with my daughter, I often browsed the internet for course descriptions and syllabi of courses similar to what I planned to do with her that year. Again, we always exceeded those expectations, but I found it helpful to see what was going on out there in the world.

 

I'm now sort of in an in-between phase with my son. He's 10 and still kind of asynchronous. He's well above grade level in some areas, still working toward it in others. I more or less consider him at a middle school level, but I feel pretty comfortable with this and don't feel the need to check myself a lot. After all, I've been here before.

 

Every now and then when I'm bored (or having a tough time and wondering if this homeschooling thing is really for me), I do browse the websites of local private schools. Often, with a little drilling, I can find out what texts they're using and see homework assignments and such, and it always makes me feel better. As others have said, we may not be doing exactly what they're doing, but I can usually honestly say what we are doing is either more or better -- at least for this particular kiddo.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

we started hs because oldest ds is gifted. So, while we live in a county that supposedly has one of the best school systems in the country, when I reviewed the standards before ds started K, I realized ds could be locked in a closet until 4th grade with no books before the schools would have something to offer academically.

 

 

 

SO true! I know exactly what you mean. :D

[dcjlkplus3]

I tried to go off of Standards for first grade math last year. After about 6weeks I bought BJU Math 1.

In Colorado, if you are not certified, children must be tested every other year starting in 3rd grade. You have to score above 13th percentile. I will trust in the progress I see until we get to that point.

Unlike hs friends of mine, I look forward to the standardized tests as an objective standard to see how we are doing. Of course I think my daughter will do very well on them.:)

[Melissa B]

I follow the standards of several private schools that fit our goals better than the public schools. I like to see what curriculum they are using and what they study year to year to make sure we are close to where we want to be academically.

 

 

Highlands Latin School -- http://www.thelatinschool.org/

 

Roxbury Latin School -- http://www.roxburylatin.org/

 

Hillsdale Academy -- http://www.hillsdale.edu/academy/academics/curriculum.asp

 

Sage School -- http://www.sageschool.org

[8filltheheart]

A little over a year ago my alumni magazine published the minimum standards of applicants they accepted. It was a bit scarey, but I know ds will be above the range things they had to "check off". This was William and Mary and they said the applicants had at least 5 years of a foriegn language, at least calculus, at least 6 AP or IB level courses. To be on track to finish that kind of high school program you have to be well ahead of any "standard" before high school starts.

 

 

 

Ok.....you had me freaked out by this post. My 9th grade dd is quite interested in W&M. I couldn't figure out how 5 yrs of foreign language could be a requirement in the state of VA since W&M is a public university and most ps's don't offer foreign language until high school.

 

She will be taking both AP and CLEP courses this yr. But, she is only taking French 1. I was panicked.

 

I went to their website and it states 4 yrs of the same language. We like to see students taking 4 high school years of a single foreign language

 

http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/admissionprocess/applicationrequirements/homeschooled/index.php

 

They definitely do have tough admission requirements though. :tongue_smilie:

[abbeyej]

...I couldn't figure out how 5 yrs of foreign language could be a requirement in the state of VA since W&M is a public university and most ps's don't offer foreign language until high school....

 

I don't know if this is particularly unusual, but the public high school I attended in Virginia offered (and continues to offer) French 1-5, German 1-5, Spanish 1-5 and Latin 1-4. (Obviously the middle school offers first year language courses as well.)

 

I'm also wondering if perhaps the information Betty read was more stringent than what was on the website because they were listing the average accomplishments of students they *did* accept, vs the minimums for what they *might* accept? I know that if you looked at the minimum SAT score that my alma mater would *consider*, it's actually much lower than the average for their entering freshman class each year. (And, of course, the average for scholarship recipients is much higher.)

[8filltheheart]

I went and looked at the website of what I believe is our zoned school (I'm not positive which district we are actually in) They only offer 4 yrs and only require 3 for an advanced diploma. (But we are definitely not in the best school district area.)

 

I did look at a couple of other local schools that offered AP foreign language which I am assuming is a level 5 course?? (That is one AP course I have never looked at b/c I know I could never teach it!)

 

I think since the state of VA only requires 2+2 yrs or 3 same yrs of foreign language for an advanced diploma that having 4 yrs of the same is still more than average. Also, the reality is when I started thinking about it, once she hits French 3, she will probably need to be taking it at a CC anyway. It will only take a couple of semesters to reach 5 yrs that way. That is probably the route we will take. That will ensure she has the 5 yrs the OP mentioned.

[bettyandbob]

Abbey is correct. The article in the wm alumni magazine was a description of the students they did accept, not the minimum expectations of an applicant. I live in No. Va. When I was in school it was standard for "college bound" students to start foreign language in 8th grade. It was not standard at that time to take it all the way through, but many people did end up with 5 years of a language.

 

The article came out the same month acceptance letters were sent. I believe the university was trying to tell alumni why so many of their children did not get in. Because while the description in the magazine was not a unattainable at public high schools in this state it is a tough program to get through with an impossibly high GPA (also wanted by wm).

 

My ds has chosen to go to public high school. He taking French 4 (the language chair has assured me there will French classes for him all the way through. At orientation this week ds met a girl who is also starting 9th grade in French 4 (she lived in France for a few years). He is taking Alg2/trig. He could have taken precalc, but we decided there was nothing wrong with repeating Alg 2 in 9th grade. His Alg 2/trig class will be full. In fact I believe there are at least 2 sections of 9th graders in this class. These kids are on track to have 2 years of calculus. When you consider there are twenty high schools in my county putting out graduates like this, you can see how college admissions standards have changed at top schools. Yes, this way beyond the minimum standards of our locality, but minimum standards won't prepare my dc to go to college anywhere.

 

I don't know if my ds will get into a top school, but I do know he will be well prepared for college.

 

If I had a child will a disability (and I do), I would do the same thing. I plan my younger ds's education with an eye toward having the most options when finishes high school.

[RoughCollie]

I make sure all the high school courses the boys take at home meet or exceed Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks (standards). I want to make sure I cover all the bases and that the boys will pass the 10th grade MCAS if they have to enter PS for some unknown reason.

 

While I planned high school courses, I looked at the entrance requirements for several private and public universities in my area, to be sure the kids' courses of study would meet or exceed those.

 

I looked at the standards when the kids were in grades 1-8, and did not bother to follow them because just thinking about them gave me a headache. I wanted to be sure we were in the ballpark, and we were.

 

RC

[chaik76]

I've taken a look at the standards once or twice for kicks, decided my son was on target or higher and then decided not to worry about it. Kids who move between school systems (I went through 9 different schools) usually have some gaps in their learning, as do kids who go through the same school district their whole life...different teachers teach very differently, so I'm not really concerned if my ds wil have gaps or not. I figure we're on track for a university education, so he'll probably do okay if we ever put him in a traditional school setting.

[Laura Corin]

I was just wondering if anyone else takes the same or a similar approach when making their educational choices/plans? How do you help ensure that the choices you make will keep your dc's on track for the future? Is there something else I should be considering?

 

I am using more curriculum that is also used in private schools, preparing for transitions that I expect in the next five years.

 

Laura

[umarider]

A little over a year ago my alumni magazine published the minimum standards of applicants they accepted. It was a bit scarey, but I know ds will be above the range things they had to "check off". This was William and Mary and they said the applicants had at least 5 years of a foriegn language, at least calculus, at least 6 AP or IB level courses. To be on track to finish that kind of high school program you have to be well ahead of any "standard" before high school starts.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The part of this that had me thinking "Yikes!" was the foriegn language requirement! DD13 is working on French this year, and her second year of Latin, but how do you squeeze 5 years of a language in for the average kid?

[Kris]

On the "Trainwreck" thread there were multiple references to kids who turned out to be behind their peers in PS. I recognize that there are late-bloomers... dd9 is one (part of the nice part of hsing was being able to help her blossom!). At the same time, I don't want to be complacent and end having my kids pay a price down the road.

 

He wasn't meeting PS standards when I pulled him out, so I figure he's got to be doing better than that at this point, since he's now actually *doing* something. :D

 

According to the school's recent report card, the kids that attend that PS aren't meeting the standards, either.

 

So, no -- I don't worry about what they are doing over there. We're just going to do the best we can. He's doing community college first, anyway, so if he has things that he needs to work on, I have no problem with him doing it there -- thought I'd be surprised if that turned out to be the case.

[abbeyej]

...but how do you squeeze 5 years of a language in for the average kid?

 

You start in 8th grade (at the latest) and study a full year's worth of material every year.

 

This really is tough for us home schoolers. If neither parent is fluent in a foreign language, it really does make an outside class or tutor necessary.

 

Whether it's necessary depends on how competitive the universities your student would like to consider are. Many will consider 3 years adequate for admission. But the most selective schools really do expect more.

[Jane in NC]

Another consideration is that not all schools or curricula cover material at the same time. When my son was at a private Montessori school, a teaching assistant at the public elementary school commented to me on how a particular student who transferred from the private school to the public in 3rd grade was "behind". I noted, however, that this student had studied botany and history in first and second--the public school students had not. She had learned multiplication but not some of the arithmetic that her public school peers were doing.

 

Granted, this woman's lack of professionalism (discussing the performance of a child in the class with a nonparent) is another issue, but in my small town this is par for the course.

 

I can't help but wonder if things eventually even out for some students due to both maturity and curriculum.

 

Jane

[angela in ohio]

A sweet friend who is an academic homeschooler sent her boy to public school last year. He only lasted a few weeks in fourth grade. They were shocked at the amount and level of work. She was complaining to me that she had been assured by other homeschoolers all these years that they "weren't doing anything in the schools," and she had believed them, assuming that doing more than the other homeschoolers she knew meant her dc were also ahead of most public school students.

 

I think many homeschoolers underestimate the schools. We see the test scores that are averages of all the students, but the top students - the competition, so to speak, if we want dc to go to college - are often doing much better than that. I actually had an excellent education in public school - Latin, debate, classic literature, and rigorous math and science courses. I know of many students who are receiving superior educations at public schools.

 

That said, I have different goals and a different educational theory than most schools. For example, my dc are probably behind the schools in their early elementary years in writing, but I build a firm foundation of grammar, spelling, and excellent literature, which translates into better writing eventually, in my experience. I have chosen to take a different path in this. I generally watch private school practices more than public, but I do keep track. I am also aware of public schools locally, because dh is in the schools. When I decide to take another road, it is intentional and I am informed.

[Academy of Jedi Arts]

A sweet friend who is an academic homeschooler sent her boy to public school last year. He only lasted a few weeks in fourth grade. They were shocked at the amount and level of work. She was complaining to me that she had been assured by other homeschoolers all these years that they "weren't doing anything in the schools," and she had believed them, assuming that doing more than the other homeschoolers she knew meant her dc were also ahead of most public school students.

 

This makes me so angry! This is why I don't do homeschool groups. I enjoy our public school friends much more, as they don't feel superior to me and I don't feel superior to them. Our kids might not go to the same school, but they can relate to somewhat similar schedules and workloads. I enjoy my teacher friends who are a lot of help.

 

Not to say that I don't have some great homeschooling friends, I just do not feel comfortable in large groups of them (neither does my dd for that matter at times) because this is the prevailing attitude.

[Peri]

Tennessee also posts the yearly requirements for schools per grade level on their site. I have printed it and reffer to it also to make sure that I'm at least meeting the requirements.

[Laura Corin]

The part of this that had me thinking "Yikes!" was the foriegn language requirement! DD13 is working on French this year, and her second year of Latin, but how do you squeeze 5 years of a language in for the average kid?

 

Children in the UK traditionally start foreign languages at eleven or twelve, and the government is pushing for them to begin in elementary school (although children are allowed to drop them at fourteen, which I think is misguided). I started French at eleven and studied it for seven years (and then at university), began Latin at twelve and studied it for four years, and Spanish at sixteen for two years.

 

I sometimes hear of Driver's Ed being part of high school in the States. That's an extracurricular course in the UK....

 

Laura

[Ellie]

Ok.....you had me freaked out by this post. My 9th grade dd is quite interested in W&M. I couldn't figure out how 5 yrs of foreign language could be a requirement in the state of VA since W&M is a public university and most ps's don't offer foreign language until high school.

 

She will be taking both AP and CLEP courses this yr. But, she is only taking French 1. I was panicked.

 

I went to their website and it states 4 yrs of the same language. We like to see students taking 4 high school years of a single foreign language

 

http://www.wm.edu/admission/undergraduateadmission/admissionprocess/applicationrequirements/homeschooled/index.php

 

They definitely do have tough admission requirements though. :tongue_smilie:

Maybe you saw this on the W&M site, but I thought I'd post it for others. This is what W&M expects of homeschool applicants.

[Ellie]

Public school standards were not even a blip on my parental unit radar.

[Laura K (NC)]

I've never heard those two words together before.

[Kris]

I sometimes hear of Driver's Ed being part of high school in the States. That's an extracurricular course in the UK....

 

When I was in high school it was just part of the program. We even had a cool little "course" to drive on before we ventured out into the great beyond. Now, though, in my limited experience, it is extracurricular -- and not cheap, either. :D

[Merry]

that you check out for their standards and the textbooks they use?

[Jen500]

You have all got me wondering about our state's curriculum vs. other states. Here's an interesting report. After looking at the chart w/grades for each state, I don't think I'll want to use my state as any kind of reference point.

 

http://www.edexcellence.net/publications/index.cfm?topic=3

 

(Quote from State Standards of 2006):

Two-thirds of schoolchildren in America attend class in states with mediocre (or worse) expectations for what their students should learn. That's just one of the findings of Fordham's The State of State Standards 2006, which evaluates state academic standards. The average state grade is a "C-minus"--the same as six years earlier, even though most states revised their standards since 2000.

[Jean in Newcastle]

We've been studying Latin since 3rd grade. When do I start to keep records and what kind of records do I keep? In other words, what counts for these language credits?

[abbeyej]

We've been studying Latin since 3rd grade. When do I start to keep records and what kind of records do I keep? In other words, what counts for these language credits?

 

Well, it really depends on how much you cover. Most of the elementary-level Latin programs only cover a small fraction of what a high school Latin 1 course would cover, and the length and complexity of translation work is negligible. It's possible to fine online syllabi for both public and private school Latin (high school level) courses, and there *is* a certain uniformity among them (especially in Latin 1 and 2 and AP-level Latin). One thing that's helpful too is the National Latin Exam. The NLE has syllabi (for the exams) on their website, old exams are available for download, and the exams themselves are a reasonably good measure against other students. So if your student can do well on the 2nd year exam, you can feel reasonably assured in giving them 2nd year Latin credit... (This applies mostly to grammar, vocabulary and translation. High school language credit also assumes a familiarity with the history and culture of those who speak/spoke the language, and the NLE only touches on that...)

 

I would not begin to worry about "counting credit" until a child is doing high school level work in the language, regardless of how long they've spent studying the language. And even then, if the pace is significantly slower than a high school course would be, I would wait to begin assigning credit. That does *not* mean that language study with younger children is not worthwhile! But "worthwhile" and "credit" are not necessarily equivalent. ;)

 

That said, I think it's very possible for younger students to work through the standard high school syllabus before high school. I certainly expect as much of my son. He took the Intro to Latin level of the NLE at 8, and even if he doesn't complete a full high school year every year, he should be ready for Latin IV or higher (AP level) by the time he begins his first year of high school.

[8filltheheart]

Quite simple, really. Google top boarding schools or top high school prep school and simply follow the links and read over their grad requirements and go to their online book stores. I have been surprised by some of their selections. Some of them have been similar to what I have seen recommended on the high school board.

 

I was shocked b/c nowhere have I seen 5 yrs of a single foreign language as a requirement by any of these schools. Typically they are leagues ahead of the standard high school requirements.

[8filltheheart]

Like Abbey said, nothing matters until it is high school equivalent. Also, different states and different universities have specific things to state about credits earned before 9th grade. TN only allows 2 or 3 credits to carry up from middle school. Period.

 

Some colleges don't want to see anything on a transcript prior to 9th grade. The assumption is that everything below that level was earned earlier.....so where did it take them. THis is a concern for me with my 3rd ds b/c he is only in 7th grade and taking geometry. He will have finished all "required" high school math prior to even starting high school. You need to have a long range plan if your kids are getting too far ahead.

[rockermom]

I do not pay attention to ps standards. I do peruse top prep school websites for their textbook selections and graduation requirements. I also keep up with different university admission standards in various states.

 

I try to make sure that my kids will be competitive based on those standards.

 

I haven't started hsing yet, but this is our plan as well. I will make sure that everything is covered, but I'm not comparing our standards to the local school I don't wish to send him to.

 

Even now, I occasionally browse both US and UK prep schools to see what they cover and when.

[Mommy22alyns]

Tennessee also posts the yearly requirements for schools per grade level on their site. I have printed it and reffer to it also to make sure that I'm at least meeting the requirements.

 

 

Do you have a direct link? I'm off to search now, but I always get lost on government websites.

 

I use Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp as a loose guideline - just making sure I have certain bases covered in math, reading, etc. - not so much the history part. :)

[abbeyej]

I was shocked b/c nowhere have I seen 5 yrs of a single foreign language as a requirement by any of these schools. Typically they are leagues ahead of the standard high school requirements.

 

Not as a requirement, but certainly encouraged... For example, I just took a quick look over at Phillips Academy Andover, and they offer (for grades 9-12 only) 6 years of French, 6 years of Latin, 4 years of Greek, 6 of Spanish, 6 of German... Also Russian, Chinese, and Japanese -- I didn't check exactly how many years...

[sandellie4]

This makes me so angry! This is why I don't do homeschool groups. I enjoy our public school friends much more, as they don't feel superior to me and I don't feel superior to them. Our kids might not go to the same school, but they can relate to somewhat similar schedules and workloads. I enjoy my teacher friends who are a lot of help.

 

Not to say that I don't have some great homeschooling friends, I just do not feel comfortable in large groups of them (neither does my dd for that matter at times) because this is the prevailing attitude.

 

ITA! In my area, it seems to me like the homeschoolers, in general, are much more snarky and arrogant about the progress of their kids. We've also had some real snobbery and exclusivity from many of the homeschool kids, especially as everyone made it past elementary school. Most of our kids have special needs and we haven't managed to fit in ANYWHERE in the homeschool community. The pool of ps kids seems so much more diverse to me; some are spoiled and arrogant, but some of the ones who aren't, the ones who struggle just like my own children, have often turned out to be great friends to our family.

 

I also like that many of the parents, if not most, are working, just like I have to. A lot of the people I know who homeschool have much higher incomes than we do. We're just regular people. Educated, hopefully, but just regular people. My dad used to always tell us (and I still try to live by it), "Remember, no one is better than you -- and you are no better than anyone else."

 

Sandy

[bairnmama]

If dc are to take at least one year of calculus before college then they must take algebra no later than 8th grade. To take algebra in 8th grade we must cover all basic arithmetic by 6th grade and so on.

 

 

 

 

 

This is not necessarily true... I went to ps and was able to take calculus my senior yr. Algebra wasn't offered in 8th, only honors math. I just took geometry and alg 2 in the same year. The only math I missed out on was Elementary Analysis because I didn't want to take it and Trig in the same year with AP Chemistry! All this in the itty bitty school in the itty bitty rural town in central TX! Our whole school system from K-12 had less than 1000 students. If things can be done like this within the ps system, just imagine the flexibility doing things at home can bring in high school!

[abbeyej]

... I just took geometry and alg 2 in the same year....

 

I did that too, since my home schooling mom had not realized that Algebra 1 in 8th grade had become standard by the time I reached high school. Sure, it was a little work, but definitely doable for a student who really wanted to "catch up".

[Peri]

Do you have a direct link? I'm off to search now, but I always get lost on government websites.

 

I use Home Learning Year by Year by Rebecca Rupp as a loose guideline - just making sure I have certain bases covered in math, reading, etc. - not so much the history part. :)

 

I am sooo sorry it has taken me so long to reply. I am just now seeing this message. I printed off the requirements like 3 years ago and back then it was just one long print out ... its was practicaly a book! Anyways, i searched high and low and I think I found it. Istead of it being just one big print out with all the grades, it is divided grade by grade and subject by subject.

http://tennessee.gov/education/ci/curriculum.shtml#grade

 

They aslo had this which i thought was interesting

http://www.k-12.state.tn.us/smart/index.htm