Inconsistent Levels Between Schools/Providers

[Paige]

What would you do if DC took 2 levels of language with 1 provider (say, well regarded public school) and did very well- top of class...but then transferred to a new provider at home and that provider places them a level down because of scope and sequence mismatch, poor instruction at the first school, or who knows why. So they did 1 school's levels 1-2, and then a new provider places them in their level 2 instead of level 3. Would this count as 3 years of foreign language if they completed it or would the student need to suck it up, do the level 2 for "free" and then earn level 3 at the new provider. I obviously don't want a student placed in an inappropriate level, and I also don't want to shop around for the easiest provider to place into level 3, but the student would be sad to essentially lose a year's worth of credit through no fault of their own. I suspect the PS class was just really bad, and if the student had stayed they would have excelled in the bad level 3 class as well.

If we went with the provider who would put them into level 2, how would you address this on a transcript?

[RootAnn]

I would call it Language 3 (French 3, German 3, etc). That assumes you aren't trying to include transcripts from the at home provider (which are almost always not necessary).

The only change to that would be if the at home provider was through a college or university. Then you would have to list the class with the same title as the University/College class. But I don't think that is the case with you?

FWIW, Homeschool Spanish Academy does this routinely (place a kid a level down). It is fairly easy to accelerate through a level with the right teacher. 

IMO, it helps to repeat levels/hear the material again so if your goal is learning, this isn't the end of the world. 

[teachermom2834]

I would not hesitate to call that Spanish 3 unless there is some way of required reporting that was going to come up as an issue.

When I first started homeschooling high school I had a terrible time getting my mind around the fact that a kid could take two years of a foreign language at home and then enroll in an introductory de course and have it be a third credit of foreign language. Where I live that is routinely done and doesn't cause any problems at all. It might not impress an admissions counselor at a highly competitive college but neither would a regular old three years of a foreign language either, really. 

I'd consider the scenario you describe to be three years of foreign language study for sure. 

[MamaSprout]

We did this IRL, but placed dd as the provider suggested and let her take the hit. It was probably a mistake, but the whole year was kind of a train wreck anyhow... Dd is still trying to finish up "year 3" of this language, even though she would probably be beyond third year at most public schools. I'm going to just have her prepare for the CLEP at this point.

This early in the game I would select a provider and try to fill in gaps over the summer to be at the appropriate level.

[ScoutTN]

As long as the class covers mostly material new for the student, I wouldn’t hesitate to label the class as Language 3. 

[theelfqueen]

Title them Introduction to [language], Intermediate [language] 1 and Intermediate [language] 2 ?