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Physical Science for high school credit?


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Does anyone know if their local high schools count Physical Science (with lab) as a high school science credit?

 

I am asking because I was under the impression (mostly from reading here) that it should not be considered a high school class.  Back in my day, this is what we took for 9th grade science.  I was chatting with dd's friends last weekend about how the 9th grade is going so far (they all go to school) and discovered that Physical Science is what all 9th graders take in my local district.  It is a small school so most students all take the same science sequence (Physical Science, Biology, Chemistry, Physics) unless they DE or choose to graduate with less than 4 credits.  This surprised me.  I'm just wondering if this is common.

 

I am wondering because we are a bit undecided on dd's high school path.  I have attempted to set up dd's schedule leaving open the remote possibility of graduating a year early, essentially making her 8th grade year her "9th grade" year.  Everything she studied in 8th grade is high school level except for science.  She took DO Physical Science.  His website calls it "8th or 9th grade" level.  But after reading on here, I was under the impression that I could not count this as high school level.  I would like dd to have 4 full credits of science before graduating so planned to leave that off of her transcript and have her double up on science later in order to have 4 full credits should we indeed lean toward the early-graduation route at that point.  I would prefer to not do this if I can count Physical Science.  Thoughts?

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I was chatting with dd's friends last weekend about how the 9th grade is going so far (they all go to school) and discovered that Physical Science is what all 9th graders take in my local district.

Do what the romans do so if your local schools offer that for 9th grade, then count the physical science if you need to. (ETA: I meant count for high school science credit if you changed 8th to 9th grade later).

 

My district's high school course catalog list Physics or Physics Honors as the first course in the physics sequence followed by AP Physics 1 or AP Physics C depending on students meeting the math prerequisites. Physical science is in 8th grade for us after Life science in 7th and Earth Science in 6th.

Edited by Arcadia
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In many public high schools, the science progressions are:

 

students NOT on a STEM track:

8th = General Science or other

9th = Physical Science

10th = Biology

11th = Chemistry

12th = Physics

 

average science track:

8th = Physical Science

9th = Biology

10th = Chemistry

11th = Physics

12th = Advanced Science

 

advanced or STEM-track students:

8th = Biology

9th = Chemistry

10th = Physics

11th = Advanced or AP Science

12th = Advanced or AP Science

 

If in the future your student's entire 8th grade year becomes 9th grade, then yes, you could count the Physical Science as one of your 4 science credits, as in public schools, Physical Science is done in 9th grade about half the time, and done in 8th grade about half the time.

 

However, if you were planning on "bringing up" just a few credits from 8th grade, then no, I would not bring up Physical Science. ("Bringing up" credits from middle school is meant to show advanced level of work, and Physical Science taken in 8th grade as frequently as it is taken in 9th grade, so it's not really showing advanced work.)

 

Just my 2 cents worth. BEST of luck in your homeschool high school years! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited by Lori D.
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Sure you can count physical science as high school credit. It is generally looked upon as not as difficult but 9th grade English is not as difficult as 12th grade English. I would do what is best for your student. If that is where they are academically then certainly count it - public schools in my area also count it as high school.

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My two cents:  if it's 9th, then credit, if it's 8th, then no credit.  It sounds like you have the flexibility to decide a bit later that her 8th grade year was really 9th.

 

 

That is the plan.  There are other classes dd took in 8th grade that I also will not count if she completes high school on the normal timeline.  It is good to know I *can* use physical science in the unlikely event that I need to.

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Our high school has physical science and honors physical science in 9th grade.  Students in 8th grade can take the honors class for high school credit as well.  I did that with my dd (she took a high school level physical science class) when she was in 8th grade but, after reading the boards here, I am hesitant to use it on her transcript.  

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I think you could go either way and I think you can decide later.  Like I have a kid that is a junior now.  I was going to have him do physics and/or chem dual enrollment before graduating if he was going in a STEM direction.  Which it seemed he was going that direction for a while.  He changed his mind this summer and is interested in a music degree.  To allow him more time to work on music junior and senior year, I will have him do one lab science dual enroll for a grade and focus on more humanities credits dual enroll.   I'm flexible to which one he takes.  He may take environmental biology.   And that 8th grade science class he did (he did non-calc based physics in a co-op setting) will be going on the transcript. 

 

ETA - when I was in high school general science was the 9th grade typical class.  But I took it as a summer school class so then I could jump into bio sooner.  You can double up later too or do one as a summer intensive or dual enroll it if that's an option.  There are ways to get ahead later without too much trouble.

Edited by WoolySocks
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I'd go by the website as to whether it's possible, and then by your daughter's goals, abilities, and aspirations as to whether it's recommended.

 

In my mind, I think it tends to be fine for a non-stem student and/or student graduating early (counting 8th grade credits for 9th or simply graduating in 3 years). My non-STEM student did Physical Science in 9th and only had 3 years of science credits. I'd prefer a STEM student to have at least one advanced science class (Bio-Chem-Physics-something advanced). My STEM student followed this sequence. 

 

Remember that the advice on here often is geared toward helping kids get into higher echelon schools and those going for top scholarships. This is not the "majority" of students going to college. Follow that advice if it matches your situation, but don't let it concern you if it doesn't. Know your state requirements and also what the colleges you are considering require. Statistics I've read say that only 20% of high school students take Physics for example. The state schools around here tend to require 3 sciences, 1 or 2 with labs. Some specify Bio & Chem--at least one only specified one of those. That leaves a lot of wiggle-room with regard to what a student can do! 

Edited by MerryAtHope
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I'd go by the website as to whether it's possible, and then by your daughter's goals, abilities, and aspirations as to whether it's recommended.

 

In my mind, I think it tends to be fine for a non-stem student and/or student graduating early (counting 8th grade credits for 9th or simply graduating in 3 years). My non-STEM student did Physical Science in 9th and only had 3 years of science credits. I'd prefer a STEM student to have at least one advanced math class (Bio-Chem-Physics-something advanced). My STEM student followed this sequence. 

 

Remember that the advice on here often is geared toward helping kids get into higher echelon schools and those going for top scholarships. This is not the "majority" of students going to college. Follow that advice if it matches your situation, but don't let it concern you if it doesn't. Know your state requirements and also what the colleges you are considering require. Statistics I've read say that only 20% of high school students take Physics for example. The state schools around here tend to require 3 sciences, 1 or 2 with labs. Some specify Bio & Chem--at least one only specified one of those. That leaves a lot of wiggle-room with regard to what a student can do! 

 

Thanks for this.  My goal is to keep our plans as flexible as possible because dd has some ideas of what she wants to do but they seem to be pretty scattered in preparation.  One direction is STEM-leaning and another might involve delaying or forgoing college altogether, so flexibility is key.  If she does pursue the STEM direction, she will not graduate early and will therefore have the fourth year to take another science class, which would likely be DE at our local university.  In that case, the physical science class would not be listed.  I am just trying to cover my bases in case she goes the delay/forgo route so that she has decent options should she change her mind soon after and want to attend traditional college.

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  • 2 weeks later...

The high schools in our area have Physical Science for 9th.  

 

DD hates math and has no interest in pursuing it. However, she does have a lot of personal interest in gaining knowledge about how integrative medicine, herbology, & human anatomy can all work together to maintain health.  As far as pursuing an academic career, she has expressed an emerging interest in pursuing college degrees in history and theology.  With all this in mind, we work together to figure out which science sequence would be best for her interests and future college endeavors.

 

We began Integrated Conceptual Physical Science in 8th using GCP: Joy of Science along with their recommended college Text, The Sciences: An Integrated Approach, 6th Ed.  DD is also taking the online chapter quizzes. She will finish the course this year for one credit in science.  In addition to the lectures and text, she is reading many academic papers and watching supplemental science videos, as well as keeping a science notebook.  I will have no problem in assigning a full credit for this course.  

 

In addition to her above-stated science, DD is also taking a half-semester of Ancient toxicology, more from a history standpoint.  This is geared towards her interests in how different poisons were derived and used in ancient history.

 

In 10th, we will move on to Chemistry w/labs, followed by Biology w/labs, and then either Human Physiology & Anatomy or Physics; DD's choice (she likes the idea of both).  

 

Electives are the hard part.  She wants too many!!! These are just the science-based electives she would like: 

  • Toxicology (science aspect - I will pair this with Chemistry)
  • Integrative medicine (This will be paired with heath [ME grad requirement] when we take that)
  • herbalism/science of natural healing
  • Nutrition (also paired w/heath)
  • genetics
  • Physics

Unfortunately, she has just as many electives associated with history and theology.  There's no way we'll fit them all in.

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