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Is this legit for math? algebra 2?


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I started over the algebra 2. We are taking it slowly. I figure it will last at least through next year as I plan to do the trig also. He already had a half credit for algebra 2 at the public school. I know the public school offers algebra 1 for two credits..they call it algebra 1a and algebra 1b. They also offer an algebra 3 for those who need more before moving on to precalculus.  I think I saw at the community college, trigonometry can be a separate course. Would it be legit to give him the second half credit for algebra 2 as well as a full credit for trig or do I need to make it called something else like algebra 3? I saw the public school also has a class called "math models" but it is required to be done before algebra 2, after geometry. It is just that I am making him do a lot of work and being very thorough and if we get through all I want to get through, I want to round out his credits. He won't get to precalculus.

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I have spent a significant amount of time researching the standards in our home state of Virginia. They do follow the Common Core, but have their own Standards of Learning (SOLs). Here are the trends that I see...

The typical standards from Algebra I (from many years ago) have been pushed down. There are many more algebraic skills taught in middle school (Math 7 / Math 8).  Many of the easier procedures (evaluate expressions, multistep equations, graphing and writing linear equations) will be done before kids begin a class called "Algebra".

Many counties allow kids to take more time for Algebra I (Algebra I, pt 1 + Algebra 1, pt 2, or even an Algebra Readiness class).  Usually they still only earn one credit for Math, and the remaining credits are electives. Some places also do the same thing with Geometry (part 1 + part 2), earning one math credit and one elective credit.

There is often a class between Algebra I and Algebra II.  That is the mathematical modeling course that you mentioned.  Here it is called "Algebra, Functions, and Data Analysis".  The skills that used to be included in Algebra I, but could be considered problem solving,  applications, or statistics were placed into this course. This course makes heavy use of technology - graphing calculators, or similar online programs (like Desmos). This is actually a valuable course for all kids - STEM focused on not.  It teaches teens how math is used in the real world.  It seems to also function as a preview of Algebra II for most students.

Algebra II seems to be the least changed.  So a traditional Algebra II textbook that we talk about here (for instance, Dolciani or Foerster) is similar to what you might see in public school.

But Trigonometry is usually not a full year course.  It is either taught together, as Honors Algebra II with Trig.  Or a student would earn 1 credit for Algebra II and a half credit for Trigonometry another year. For kids not taking honors math, after Algebra II, I usually see Algebra III with Trigonometry, or Advanced Algebra with Trigonometry.  

And then Precalculus...

To be more concise, the progression through math courses in not as simple as it used to be.  When I was in high school, even kids who went to college would end up in their senior year with just a semester of Trigonometry.  It was not a problem to start Pre-Calculus in college, particularly if you were not a STEM major.  The expectations for kids is so much higher than it used to be. The solution is to stretch it out so that everyone can be successful in higher-level math.  

If the comments above were not helpful, here are the math credits that I would give for the student that you have described.

9th = Algebra I

10th = Geometry

11th = Algebra II

12th = Algebra III w/ Trigonometry

 

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I’ve worked with a number of clients who had the first half of a course.

If you feel he did a full second course, I would award it as...

Algebra II*

Algebra III/Trigonometry 
 

* First half of course taken at Name High School, second half completed at home, final grade reflects an average of the two semesters

Or something along those lines.

If you feel it wasn’t a full second course, you could just leave it as an Algebra II credit. Or you could be weird and give a half credit for Trig, though I’d look for an option other than that.

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High school Math credits should be awarded by the completion of course not by the time spent.  A student who spends 2 years on Algebra 1 and 2 years on Algebra 2 has not really worked 4 levels of high school math-- just 2.  My oldest dd did this-- only Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 worked very slowly... she ended up in college just fine and even graduated with honors (her degree only required College Algebra (another name for this course is Algebra 3).

There is no need to pad a transcript. 

Trigonometry is a full one-semester credit course not dependent on when completed (high school or college).  If you give a credit for Trig make sure your program is a full course-- The Trig in many high school texts is introductory...

College Algebra is also Algebra 3 (a one semester extension-- not repeat-- of Algebra 2) and combined with Trigonometry make a full Pre-Calculus credit.

 

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I was a public school math teacher (before kids).  Since starting a family I have tutored and taught homeschool classes, and spent lots of time analyzing the standards, at least for Virginia.  What you are describing is not the way it works anymore.  In my home state, kids are getting credit for a variety of math classes.  It is not just lockstep Algebra I - Geometry - Algebra II - Trig - PreCalc the way it was when we were in school. The course catalogue for my county has fifteen math courses possible for typical high school credit.  (Only Algebra Readiness, Algebra I, part 2 and Geometry, part 2 are counted as elective credits.)  That does not include AP courses, DE course, IB courses, special honors courses at the Governor's School, or the Computer Science course that can count as a math credit. I counted a total of 32 different courses that could be taken in high school.  The traditional progression is one way that teens can complete their high school courses, but it is not the only way.

Homeschool families who use the often-recommended texts here (Dolciani, Foerester, Art of Problem Solving) are doing so much more than a typical public school course.  It is realistic to grant more credit when students have gone both deeper and wider than the current standards.

OP - if you are still trying to decide, maybe let us know the textbook that your teen used (at school and at home) and maybe we can give you more opinions.  A difference of opinions is one thing that you can count on here in the forums!

 

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Generally, I think that math courses are by content, not time. However, we all know that in schools, they do award a number of classes in slightly different configurations. One is the Algebra II - Pre-Calc - Calc sequence. But another is Algebra II - Algebra III/Trig - Pre-Calc or some variation of that - many, many school systems offer that as a slower course track. I actually took that course track in high school and I've known many kids who did. I think it's fine for the OP to decide she's covered the material that goes above and beyond Algebra II as well as Trig to then give that as a credit. It will make her ds look like he was on a slightly slower track so it would be a poor choice if he has the other credits and if he's a STEM student. But I don't think it's padding if he genuinely did that work.

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