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We did fight the math and got her into Algebra. Unfortunately we didn't know enough about how things worked at this school and DS got stuck in transitional Algebra and had to double up math his freshman year of high school. He was none too happy with how that all worked out.
As for the science...we didn't do anything about it...it is not this school but the district policy. DD did take matters into her own hands and learn well more than what was presented/required for the course. When the class was doing the chapter on basic astronomy she would come home and get on-line, investigating further and supplementing the work on her own. She did this the entire year and so had a great year in science...but only because she took the initiative as she has done in all of her classes. I guess it's a side effect of home schooling...education doesn't stop when you get off the bus in the afternoon. Now they are both in high school and things will be easier to manage. DS just got off the phone with his counselor and got all the classes he needed...but had to give up an elective that he wanted.
Now then, You can't say you've never heard of a school that won't advance kids who are capable. I'd bet that most middle and elementary schools are the same and that yours is the odd one out. I'd much prefer yours but we've worked with what we've got.
No, ours is not odd. I can name several kids in different schools doing the same thing.
As I said, I'd get a lawyer. One well written letter is probably all it would take. There is no reason to not allow a child to take an advanced class they qualify for.
Credits are another issue. Once high school starts, there are some credits they must have to graduate but there are honors versions of those courses for kids who want more challenge. Our kids have to take biology and chemistry or physics to graduate so even if they were beyond those courses, they'd have to take them to meet the state requirement. They'd be easy A's for the student who knew the material going in.
I'm not sure about science but our kids can test out of math classes. Dd got approval to skip algegra I without her dad and I so much as talking to anyone. She took her books from last year to the teacher who was supposed to be her math teacher and he agreed she's already had the material so they moved her up. She just has to test out to get credit.
No, ours is not odd. I can name several kids in different schools doing the same thing.
As I said, I'd get a lawyer. One well written letter is probably all it would take. There is no reason to not allow a child to take an advanced class they qualify for.
Credits are another issue. Once high school starts, there are some credits they must have to graduate but there are honors versions of those courses for kids who want more challenge. Our kids have to take biology and chemistry or physics to graduate so even if they were beyond those courses, they'd have to take them to meet the state requirement. They'd be easy A's for the student who knew the material going in.
I'm not sure about science but our kids can test out of math classes. Dd got approval to skip algegra I without her dad and I so much as talking to anyone. She took her books from last year to the teacher who was supposed to be her math teacher and he agreed she's already had the material so they moved her up. She just has to test out to get credit.
Like I previously stated, my four high schools in three different districts wouldn't let you take most classes unless you were in a certain grade. You could not in any way test out of classes. In my first two schools, it was nearly impossible to take summer school unless you failed the class. I didn't even hear of my second two schools having summer school classes. The district that my first two high schools were in wouldn't give you credit if you got college credit for the class. My sister wanted to take a French class through the community college because the French class interfered with another class she had to take. If she had gotten college credit for it she wouldn't have gained credit for it for her diploma, and they wouldn't let her take the next level French class. I was only allowed to take Anatomy as a sophomore because my counselor forgot that you were required to be a junior of senior. Technically I shouldn't have been in the class even though I was qualified. Fortunately for me my mom was known as a witch at that school, so they didn't mess with it. In junior high the only age mixing happened in math and your elective. That was it. Your school is not the norm.
Like I previously stated, my four high schools in three different districts wouldn't let you take most classes unless you were in a certain grade. You could not in any way test out of classes. In my first two schools, it was nearly impossible to take summer school unless you failed the class. I didn't even hear of my second two schools having summer school classes. The district that my first two high schools were in wouldn't give you credit if you got college credit for the class. My sister wanted to take a French class through the community college because the French class interfered with another class she had to take. If she had gotten college credit for it she wouldn't have gained credit for it for her diploma, and they wouldn't let her take the next level French class. I was only allowed to take Anatomy as a sophomore because my counselor forgot that you were required to be a junior of senior. Technically I shouldn't have been in the class even though I was qualified. Fortunately for me my mom was known as a witch at that school, so they didn't mess with it. In junior high the only age mixing happened in math and your elective. That was it. Your school is not the norm.
I'm going to repeat my advice. Get a lawyer. If you're dealing with a gifted child and the school is refusing to make adjustments for that child, it's time to take on the school. Not only for your child but for the next child coming through too.
I'm certain that the ease at which dd can move between class levels and even schools is due, in large part, to parents fought who the system before. Now it's almost a sales point for districts. Once the principal was convinced dd is indeed gifted, she laid out several plans for her we could choose from. We've chosen one of the non aggressive ones. I see no need for her to get her high school diploma and associates degree at the same time even if she is capable of doing that.
I'm very used to how things are here. Here, it's elementary school where they don't adjust. If you try to tell them you have a gifted 1st grader, you'll get told things even out by 4th grade. From 4th grade to 8th grade, there it a GATE program. In high school, not so much because kids can choose from regular classes, honors classes and AP classes and if they finish classes earlyl, they can take next year's classes or dual enroll with a college.
I'm sure we have this because parents in the past fought for it.
Now, kids here have to take some initiative. They may have to use electives to take higher level courses but once on that track, they have some flexibility. Dd#2 is using one elevective this year and next to take a high shcool level class. She'll have three credits when she starts 9th grade. That's three more classes of her choice, or dual enrollment classes if she wishes, during high school.
In the school I teach in, past elementary school, parents pretty much only need ask and their child will be put into a higher class. Unfortunately, some don't perform as well as mom and dad think they will. I had one last year. She was a 9th grader who took my chemistry class. I'm not sure where the disconnect was but she did not do well.
Honestly, it is not difficult to allow a child to wak down a different hall to take a higher level class. In fact, it's a pretty easy fix when you have a child who already knows what is being taught in their grade. I really don't see why schools would fight it. If you can prove your kids are that far a head, I'm betting one well worded letter from a lawyer is all it would take.
Last edited by Ivorytickler; 08-21-2009 at 06:11 AM..
Yes, and we poor people from an inner city school district have oodles of money laying around in order to go to a lawyer. I work at a law office and know how much just a consultation costs. We weren't allowed to take high school level courses in junior high because that would require going off campus. That's a big no no. Thankfully, my last two schools allowed high school credit when one also received college credit. That's how I took government, which is required in this state. Also, in junior high there were no academic electives. It was music, choir, journalism, or wood shop. My one elective per year in high school was used to take Spanish for four years.
What can parents or children do to skip a grade if they think the child's academic standard is above the designated grade level?
Donald Duck,
There are three key indicators to use. One is simply be seeing whether the child finds the present grade;s material too easy/boring and can handle material at the grade above. This is easy to find out.
Two, whether a child has the reasoning skills that allow for quick learning of any material put before them with minimal/light instruction. This is a bit harder and likely requires someone trained (perhaps even the parent)
Three, whether the child's emotional maturity enables the child to handle social and psychological situations with the material and/or peers. This is the hardest to discern for many parents, esp for those too focused on creating the new superstar. The signs are already there with how the child interacts with peers, classmates and teachers...but not always easy to accept.
Like I previously stated, my four high schools in three different districts wouldn't let you take most classes unless you were in a certain grade. You could not in any way test out of classes. In my first two schools, it was nearly impossible to take summer school unless you failed the class. I didn't even hear of my second two schools having summer school classes. The district that my first two high schools were in wouldn't give you credit if you got college credit for the class. My sister wanted to take a French class through the community college because the French class interfered with another class she had to take. If she had gotten college credit for it she wouldn't have gained credit for it for her diploma, and they wouldn't let her take the next level French class. I was only allowed to take Anatomy as a sophomore because my counselor forgot that you were required to be a junior of senior. Technically I shouldn't have been in the class even though I was qualified. Fortunately for me my mom was known as a witch at that school, so they didn't mess with it. In junior high the only age mixing happened in math and your elective. That was it. Your school is not the norm.
Another reason I am GLAD I live in MN. DS17 had a kid in his class freshman year that tested out of all levels of high school math. He was able to take math at the University of Minnesota that dual counted as his high school math class and he got college credit for that--he just won some national math award-scary smart in math. He was extremely gifted in math but just above average in other subjects so he took a full day of classes at the high school, they gave him a 7th hour study hall for his "math class" and he took a class at the U during that time. A LARGE percentage of juniors and seniors here take college level classes that dual count for high school credit and college credit through our post-secondary option. English, for example, is required all 4 years of high school so often kids take college level English classes that count for graduation requirements for high school and toward college credits as well.
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Now they are both in high school and things will be easier to manage. DS just got off the phone with his counselor and got all the classes he needed...but had to give up an elective that he wanted. 
I'd bet that most middle and elementary schools are the same and that yours is the odd one out. I'd much prefer yours but we've worked with what we've got.
