From homeschooling to public school--which districts? (Warwick, Cranston: credit, neighborhoods, school districts)

[Jay Emm]

Hi all,

Which RI school districts might be receptive to former homeschoolers who skipped grades and now want to attend high school?

In my experience this tends not to be districts that are "officially good." It tends to be districts with a more "mediocre" reputation.

So, any thoughts? Which school districts are "academically mediocre" but not physically dangerous (fights etc.)? Would love to hear about personal experiences with transitioning kids from homeschooling to public schools, and/or grade-skipping in the public schools.

Right now I don't want to limit this request by location or price. Brainstorm with me! TIA!

[boulevardofdef]

This is an interesting question! How about Pilgrim or Toll Gate in Warwick? Both get middle-of-the-road ratings, but they serve some nice neighborhoods and current and former students seem to think pretty highly of them.

[quinn14]

I would not want my advanced younger child to attend a mediocre high school... that seems like a recipe for disaster! Instead I would continue with homeschooling or find a district that will (truly) individualize for kids who are advanced.

[mp775]

Many "mediocre" rated high schools do very well for advanced students. For example, I know parents who sent their kids to Shea HS in Pawtucket who said the advanced track is practically a separate school within the school. I think you're more likely to find more individual attention and greater success at a lower-ranked school than in a pressure cooker GreatSchool!™ where everyone is "advanced."

[Jay Emm]

Thanks everyone!

What about Newport? People say its schools are "not so good"...does that mean "lots of physical fights," or does it mean "happy to have engaged students and involved parents"? We're obviously looking for the second one.

quinn14, districts that do truly individualize are exactly what we're looking for! Do you have any suggestions?

(I'm reluctant to continue homeschooling high school. High school is a cultural institution, and I'd really like my kids to experience it, at the developmentally appropriate time for them. I agree that developmentally inappropriate high school is worse than no high school at all--that's why I want developmentally appropriate high school.)

mp775, I agree. Stephanie Tolan said it back in the '80s: "the academic school is likely to be especially defensive about its reputation for handling 'the best and the brightest.' They may be particularly unwilling to consider the possibility that any child needs something they don’t offer."

Does anyone happen to know if Shea (or Pilgrim or Toll Gate) grants credit for CTY courses? Shea's online handbook suggests it doesn't ("Courses taken for personal growth and development and not for make-up may not be substituted for regular school credit courses"). May or may not be an issue but would be nice to know.

[quinn14]

I work with kids at Shea High School- and in the advanced classes. It's a really tough environment. I just don't think your average home schooled kid, especially young for grade, would do well there. Poor mediocre high schools are not going to work with you. Administration is often an overly rigid, bureaucratic system.

OK, Jay, I'd try to let go of the idea that your child should skip grades. Lots of our kids test well above grade level and are steaming ahead in curriculum, but they don't skip grades. Instead, they simply excel in their grade- what can be wrong with that? And you want your child to have the maturity and readiness for the intensity and social scene of a high school.

I suggest looking for the most challenging high school out there- look at Barrington and Classical. These are two VERY different high school environments. One is in a well off suburb while the other is a selective urban school, but they are geared for very driven, bright kids. Plus, students have the option to take courses at community college.

[Jay Emm]

quinn, these are kids who have *already* skipped grades. The message I'm getting from you is that Shea/Pawtucket isn't just anti-grade-skipping, it actually tries to undo placements that have already happened!

Are you seriously saying that the Pawtucket School Department routinely ignores former homeschoolers' existing placements? Really?

Also, quinn, I'm going to assume you have good intentions, but you're being awfully condescending. Do you really think parents wouldn't have done a *lot* of research and soul-searching before committing to any kind of unusual placement?

There's a century of research out there showing that some kids really do need placement with older intellectual peers. Particularly for the sake of healthy social development. (For example.) Some kids are just too different from the norm to find peers just by seeking out a rich district or exam school. Unfortunately.

From my perspective as a parent, grade-skipping is only the "best of a bad bunch" of options...but then, that's kind of the definition of extreme special needs: Normal procedure doesn't work, and there are no perfect solutions, only acceptable compromises.

I'd go on, but the thing is, this thread isn't about whether most kids should ever skip grades. It's about which RI school districts are willing to work with kids who have.

I appreciate the warning about the "tough environment" at Shea. That's the kind of info I'm looking for.

Can anyone suggest any other RI districts/high schools that might work with us?

[boulevardofdef]

Originally Posted by Jay Emm

Can anyone suggest any other RI districts/high schools that might work with us?

I was thinking that either Cranston high school (East or West) might fit the bill, too. That's not based on any knowledge of how they handle cases like yours, just what I know about their OK academic reputations and respectable social environment.