cross-country high school diploma

[CleoQc]

I'm not sure anyone here can really help, but maybe someone can give me a hint..

I'm looking at high school these days. Technically, in Quebec, high school is from grade 7 till grade 11. There is no grade 12. In France, where DS takes some long distance courses, there's the 'college' from grade 6 till grade 9, and then "lycée" from grade 10 to 12. Right now, DS is doing the second year of French 'college'. So my definition of high school is quite fluid.

(as an aside, I was a student in a college too. So at 13yo, I had a college student card - it did say college on it! It was very impressive in the States to be in college at age 13! :tongue_smilie:)

I would like DS to take online courses, so he could get an official diploma. He could do everything in France (long distance) but they won't hand out an official diploma for political reasons. So I'm turning to the States, there's nothing in Quebec anyway.

What I would like is for DS to take all language courses, including French as a first language, Spanish, Mandarin and Latin from the French school, and take all other courses from the States. I don't really want him to have to take English as a First Language for 4 years. He's getting his first language classes in French, and that should be enough. We can transfer his marks and credits from France to the States.

So far, not a single high school will accept that. First language *has* to be English. I'm developing a feeling that bilingual kids are falling through the cracks of this global world. Or that schools don't realise fully yet how global education can be nowadays.

Thanks for letting me vent. I'm getting frustrated ..

[Sarah CB]

It's too bad you weren't resident in BC. You could definitely do that through a DL school here.

[CleoQc]

You think so? It's not just a question of transfering credits. Lots of online schools will accept the credits transfer. The problem is that the first language must be English to get a diploma. Not a mix-match of languages.

Do you have a link to a DL high school in BC? I might 'hunt them down' and ask.

[Friederike in Persia]

Are you interested in the UK at all? We're still some way off, but are looking for ours to take their GCSE's from a Cambridge Board, where you can sit the exams at British Councils all around the world. Maybe they do the same for A-Levels. With A-Levels he could get into just about any European University (and I would assume North American as well). Laura Corin is further down that path than us, she might be able to tell you.

[In The Great White North]

If you use a school that has you report the grades (ie. you don't actually send them any work), how would they know what language you taught it in? Some higher level textbooks are even available in other languages. (I found ds's physics text on Amazon.de.)

Have you talked to MODG? It appears to me that you could use primarily French texts, with two of "their" courses and still get a diploma. I haven't used them but did talk to them extensively at a conference last year. We were discussing registering ds for 12th grade just to get a diploma. They seemed very accomodating.

Graduation from Mother of Divine Grace School requires completion of 22.5 credits (225 units). Students must also meet our minimum requirements for graduation and (due to the unique methodology and integrated writing used in MODG courses) are required to take at least two MODG courses each year. One of these must be in a core area (History, Religion, or English.) Note: An MODG course is defined as one described by an MODG syllabus, one using the same texts in essentially the same way as an MODG syllabus, or one where a parent-submitted course description demonstrates that MODG school goals for the course are met.

http://www.motherofdivinegrace.org/programs/graduation.cfm

[Nan in Mass]

You could look at alternative high schools in the US. Clonlara is one. I've heard both good and bad about them, but judging by their website's description of high school requirements, I suspect they wouldn't squawk about the "English" classes being in French. They seem to have a communication requirement, not an English requirement. I don't know for sure, though. They are an accredited high school which gives a diploma and allows the student to choose how to fulfill their requirements. You could do a search for "alternative high school" also and perhaps turn up a few other choices. You might look at Maine, because I think they have two sets of requirements for high school graduation: one standard class-based (4 English, etc.) and one based on goals (proficiency in communication, etc.). That might allow Maine schools a bit more flexibility in the accredited department. I think the A-levels idea is good, too, but it would depend if your son tests well. I can't remember what you've said about that. What about IB schools? I don't know of any with a distance schools with this option, but I would assume they would let you choose your first language.
-Nan

[WendyK]

The US is pretty closed minded about stuff like this. My husband got his master's degree here (his BS in Germany, and his high school diploma in Germany). When he applied for the program he had to have an official transcript from the German university and high school. They had to be translated. Not only translated from German to English, but what the equivalent level of education would be. When all was said and done they claimed it was pretty much the same as having a master's degree. Do you think they recognized it as such here? Nope. Of course one can have a problem transferring from one US college/uni to another. I transferred from one state school to another state school in the same system and they wouldn't recognize a couple of the courses I took. They only gave me general education credits for them, but wouldn't count them towards my major.

Have you looked at the K12 international high school program? They too might be rigid, but I'm not sure. There is also a program I read about from Maine where they supposedly count just about anything towards the high school diploma. http://www.narhs.org/ I didn't read all of the details, but they seem flexible.

[Renai]

You could look at alternative high schools in the US. Clonlara is one. I've heard both good and bad about them, but judging by their website's description of high school requirements, I suspect they wouldn't squawk about the "English" classes being in French.
-Nan

Here's the international student requirements for Clonlara: http://clonlara.org/IntnlGradReq. Two years of English and two in the native language, with the suggestion of completing four of each.

[CleoQc]

BTW NARHS is only open to American citizens. It says so in the brochure I got.

Bummer

[CleoQc]

Is it possible to change the title of this thread?
It was meant to say 'cross-countries ", not cross-country.

I want some credits from France, and some from the States, possibly some from the UK too.

[Laura Corin]

Is it possible to change the title of this thread?
It was meant to say 'cross-countries ", not cross-country.

I want some credits from France, and some from the States, possibly some from the UK too.

We have done one UK 'high school' exam and are doing two more this summer. In the UK you usually do GCSEs at 16, AS levels at 17, then A2 levels (completing 'A' or 'Advanced' level studies) at 18. Calvin did IGCSE (the international version of GCSE) biology last year. He is doing classical civilisation and Chinese GCSEs this summer. You can take the exams overseas at British Council offices (usually attached to British Embassies or Consulates). US universities tend to pay attention to A levels, but also to require SAT results. This is Harvard (http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/international/faq.html#31). This page (http://www.runnymede-college.com/unientrance.php)is the best I have seen comparing US and UK qualifications. Do ask if you want to know more about how it all works.

[Friederike in Persia]

We have done one UK 'high school' exam and are doing two more this summer. In the UK you usually do GCSEs at 16, AS levels at 17, then A2 levels (completing 'A' or 'Advanced' level studies) at 18. Calvin did IGCSE (the international version of GCSE) biology last year. He is doing classical civilisation and Chinese GCSEs this summer. You can take the exams overseas at British Council offices (usually attached to British Embassies or Consulates). US universities tend to pay attention to A levels, but also to require SAT results. This is Harvard (http://www.admissions.college.harvard.edu/apply/international/faq.html#31). This page (http://www.runnymede-college.com/unientrance.php)is the best I have seen comparing US and UK qualifications. Do ask if you want to know more about how it all works.

Laura,
could you please give me a link to a good page on IGCSE exams? Was it all exam based, was any course work required?

[Laura Corin]

Laura,
could you please give me a link to a good page on IGCSE exams? Was it all exam based, was any course work required?

That's what makes them so much easier than modern GCSEs. We did the Edexcel IGCSE (http://www.edexcel.com/quals/igcse/igcse09/biology/biology/Pages/default.aspx) just using the Longman (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Longman-Biology-IGCSE-P-Bradfield/dp/1405802065/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265554271&sr=1-1) text book (I think there's a new one coming out for the latest syllabus) and the Collins (http://www.amazon.co.uk/IGCSE-Biology-Edexcel-International-GCSE/dp/0007755465/ref=pd_sim_b_6) text book (but it's less good than the Longman) plus past exam papers for revision. He got an A* and found the whole process quite comfortable. There's a Yahoo group for home educators taking exams, if that would help you.

Laura

[CleoQc]

What I need is an organisation that will deliver an actual high school diploma that would be bilingual.

It's my understanding that the British exams - while very valid - will not lead to a diploma. A real bona fide diploma that wLe could laminate and photocopy, etc..

Local universities want to see that paper. It's one of their requirements.

[Laura Corin]

What I need is an organisation that will deliver an actual high school diploma that would be bilingual.

It's my understanding that the British exams - while very valid - will not lead to a diploma. A real bona fide diploma that wLe could laminate and photocopy, etc..

Local universities want to see that paper. It's one of their requirements.

You don't get a diploma if you go to a bricks-and-mortar school either. You do end up with an embossed certificate for all the exams you pass, including the grades and the date.

Laura

[Joan in Geneva]

Local universities want to see that paper. It's one of their requirements.

Cleo, I've been meaning to finish doing the umbrella school homework but just haven't had the time yet.

If you look under the requirements for international students from the UK, for the universities you want your young people to attend, you might find some loopholes and be able to go the A level & GCSE route (if I don't find an appropriate umbrella school in the meantime).

Have you looked at their requirements for international students coming from Europe since many don't get diplomas they just pass exams? (My ds2 passed his Swiss matu and never got a high school diploma per se).

[CleoQc]

Have you looked at their requirements for international students coming from Europe since many don't get diplomas they just pass exams? (My ds2 passed his Swiss matu and never got a high school diploma per se).

I did check, but going that way means we would have to pay the rates of an international student too... Which is about 10 times what we would pay as a province resident.

[Joan in Geneva]

here fees are based on citizenship, even if you are entering with foreign requirements....

My cousin's daughter went to McGill from France with I think very low tuition. I think it was because they want French to emigrate to Quebec? But I don't see it on their website. Have you heard of that program? But the French bacc is not that easy to pursue....

Hopefully I'll have time to work on the umbrella info next week. I'm sure I saw some that were for international students, ie no need for a US passport....

[Laura Corin]

here fees are based on citizenship, even if you are entering with foreign requirements....


If you are a citizen and resident, you pay local fees, whatever your previous educational experience. If you are a citizen and live overseas, or if you are foreign (from outside the EU), you pay the foreign fees.

I'm sorry this is so tough for you, Cleo.

Laura

[nd293]

I see the IB is piloting online courses for their diploma. In a few years that might be a great opportunity for homeschoolers working in more than one language or in overseas situation.