We are considering PS for high school. Help.

[Crissy]

We have been having discussions about enrolling Jeffrey at the local high school next fall. He is so excited about the prospect that he has downloaded the school's catalog and has planned his entire high school career (and I must say, I am a bit surprised at the rigorous path he has chosen).

So, we have the bulk of his ninth grade year ahead of us. What are the top issues you would suggest we focus on to make his transition to school a smooth one?

I should add that Jeffrey is not entirely new to a public school setting. He has been taking advanced math and science at the local junior high for two years.

[Doran]

We have been having discussions about enrolling Jeffrey at the local high school next fall. He is so excited about the prospect that he has downloaded the school's catalog and has planned his entire high school career (and I must say, I am a bit surprised at the rigorous path he has chosen).

So, we have the bulk of his ninth grade year ahead of us. What are the top issues you would suggest we focus on to make his transition to school a smooth one?

I should add that Jeffrey is not entirely new to a public school setting. He has been taking advanced math and science at the local junior high for two years.


Here on WTM, and here in my real life, there has been discussion about how it is sometimes difficult to have a student entering school after 9th grade. It has to do with the fact that schools are required to show that each graduate has passed a series of classes, beginning in 9th grade and continuing through 12th. If a student enrolls in 10th from a homeschooling environment, there is sometimes a struggle to prove that the courses the child completed in homeschool are transferrable.

Since Jeffrey is taking math and science at the local junior high, it may be less of an issue.

Have you asked about this?

[Crissy]

Have you asked about this?

I have only just requested a conference with the high school counselor.

Because Jeffrey wants to take honors courses in English and history, I can see this being an issue. I wonder if the offer of a portfolio would be helpful.

:confused:

[LizzyBee]

Crissy,

I would just make sure his foundational skills are solid, and I'm sure they are. My dd14 is going to a small public charter college prep high school this year, taking 2 honors classes, and she says homeschooling was harder than school. And I worried all the time that we weren't doing enough!

To get into Honors English, she had to take a test (and it was very easy), and to get her moved from standard to honors history, I just mentioned her composite score on her latest ITBS.

[Doran]

I have only just requested a conference with the high school counselor.

Because Jeffrey wants to take honors courses in English and history, I can see this being an issue. I wonder if the offer of a portfolio would be helpful.

:confused:

A portfolio should be all that would be required -- that and/or possibly general testing to see that he would qualify to pass 9th grade. But, I'm so new at this myself that I'm not exactly sure how it works. I only know that when we first met with the guidance couselor about enrolling dd14, it was mentioned that if we were going to enroll her at all we should really do it in 9th. Hopefully, you won't have any issues.

[Crissy]

it was mentioned that if we were going to enroll her at all we should really do it in 9th.

Is yours a four year high school?

[Crissy]

and she says homeschooling was harder than school. And I worried all the time that we weren't doing enough!



I worry about the very same thing!

To get into Honors English, she had to take a test (and it was very easy), and to get her moved from standard to honors history, I just mentioned her composite score on her latest ITBS.

I hadn't even considered testing. We do it every year, and I have all his records in a file.
Thank you!

[Needleroozer]

A portfolio should be all that would be required -- that and/or possibly general testing to see that he would qualify to pass 9th grade. But, I'm so new at this myself that I'm not exactly sure how it works. I only know that when we first met with the guidance couselor about enrolling dd14, it was mentioned that if we were going to enroll her at all we should really do it in 9th. Hopefully, you won't have any issues.

We tried to enroll ds at the second semester of ninth grade and had a very tough time of it. If you do a portfolio, it will need to be very comprehensive, for each subject. You will need to bring in the textbook, have a scope and sequence for each subject, and then defend (show examples of) the work he did and how you taught each subject. This is how it was for the Renton school district, and how it was for a friend whose ds tried to enter Bellevue's district in tenth grade.

It would have been easier for us if ds had been diligent in his work habits during 9th and 10th grades- that is one thing Jeffrey has going for him- he actually has samples of work that he can use to put together a portfolio. It is time-consuming, but it is doable.

I would definitely talk to someone there asap, and if possible, it may be better to enrol him at second semester of ninth grade- then you won't have as many credits to defend.

Feel free to call me to get more details.
LB

[Crissy]

If you do a portfolio, it will need to be very comprehensive, for each subject. You will need to bring in the textbook, have a scope and sequence for each subject, and then defend (show examples of) the work he did and how you taught each subject. LB

That sounds excessive. I'd be lugging an entire bookshelf with me!


I would definitely talk to someone there asap
We have an appointment with the HS counselor in two weeks. I'm feeling relieved that we are asking these questions now when we have the whole year to prepare.

it may be better to enrol him at second semester of ninth grade- then you won't have as many credits to defend.


We still have some things that I want to do at home. The junior high doesn't have anything that compares to our history, literature, logic and philosophy courses.
The regular school hours would also interfere with this year's Latin class, another thing I'm not willing to give up.

Corky and I will be talking more and keeping a list of questions for which we need to find answers. Mind if I call you once we have that list together?

[Doran]

Is yours a four year high school?

Yes, it is. Is yours not?

[Needleroozer]

That sounds excessive. I'd be lugging an entire bookshelf with me!

For much of it, I am sure a booklist will work.

We have an appointment with the HS counselor in two weeks. I'm feeling relieved that we are asking these questions now when we have the whole year to prepare.

Hopefully, the requirements won't be quite so stringent as the ones we were facing. Being able to know them in advance will be a big help.

We still have some things that I want to do at home. The junior high doesn't have anything that compares to our history, literature, logic and philosophy courses.
The regular school hours would also interfere with this year's Latin class, another thing I'm not willing to give up.

So now I am confused- is J in 8th this year? If so, and if he will be starting the high school in 9th, you most likely will not have to do all the justification stuff.

Corky and I will be talking more and keeping a list of questions for which we need to find answers. Mind if I call you once we have that list together?

Absolutely. Best of luck with this process- how exciting for J. What high school are you looking at?
LB

[Needleroozer]

Oops. I did not do the quote thingy right in that post, but I am too pooped to fix it.
LB

[Crissy]

So now I am confused- is J in 8th this year? If so, and if he will be starting the high school in 9th, you most likely will not have to do all the justification stuff.

No. He's in 9th. Our junior high schools are 7-9.

[Crissy]

Yes, it is. Is yours not?

No. Just 10-12 grades at our high schools.

[Needleroozer]

No. He's in 9th. Our junior high schools are 7-9.

Then I would think you shouldn't have to do any defending. I am used to a 9th thru 12th system. What district are you in?

[Crissy]

Then I would think you shouldn't have to do any defending. I am used to a 9th thru 12th system. What district are you in?


We're in the Lake Washington district.

[Needleroozer]

We're in the Lake Washington district.

Is the 10 to 12 in high school a fairly new thing? It was 9 to 12 when I went there 25 yrs ago- that is why I was confused.

[Colleen]

No. He's in 9th. Our junior high schools are 7-9.

I thought junior high (with grades 7-9) had gone by the wayside. Junior high was the norm "back in my day", but now middle school (grades 6-8) followed by a four year high school is standard. That's the case up here, and the district I attended has changed, too. Interesting that Lake Washington differs!

Any-hoo, I will be listening in closely to this conversation as Jan wants very much to go to high school next year (when he'll be a 9th grader). To say I'm ambivalent about it is an understatement. At this point, I'd so much rather he stay the course with homeschooling and perhaps just take a class or two, then begin Running Start in a couple of years. But right now, he's all about the high school social scene and associated hoopla. Meh.

[LisaNY]

I have only just requested a conference with the high school counselor.

Because Jeffrey wants to take honors courses in English and history, I can see this being an issue. I wonder if the offer of a portfolio would be helpful.

:confused:

We sent our older dd to ps in 10th grade. The first thing they asked for was a transcript. They accepted it without any problems at all. I asked that she be put into Honor's English, and they did it without any questions. Since NY has Regents requirements, my dd had to take the 9th grade math Regents in 10th grade.

Since your ds has been taking math and science through the ps already, he is ahead of the game. I highly recommend focusing on writing skills. Writing has always been a priority for me, and it paid off when my dd went to school. She was well-prepared. (I used PTIW 1)

ETA: Our local hs is 10th-12th gr.

[Needleroozer]

Is the 10 to 12 in high school a fairly new thing? It was 9 to 12 when I went there 25 yrs ago- that is why I was confused.

I take this back- I just went back and checked, and it was indeed 10 through 12, I was just confused. I had forgotten all about it- guess all this stress has whacked out my memory.:001_smile:

[Crissy]

I thought junior high (with grades 7-9) had gone by the wayside. Junior high was the norm "back in my day", but now middle school (grades 6-8) followed by a four year high school is standard. That's the case up here, and the district I attended has changed, too. Interesting that Lake Washington differs!


We are surrounded by districts that have middle schools and 4 year high schools. I don't know why we're holding out. Especially since we still consider 9th grade as a high school year. All of Jeffrey's classes from this year will be on his official high school transcript. :confused:



Any-hoo, I will be listening in closely to this conversation as Jan wants very much to go to high school next year (when he'll be a 9th grader). To say I'm ambivalent about it is an understatement. At this point, I'd so much rather he stay the course with homeschooling and perhaps just take a class or two, then begin Running Start in a couple of years. But right now, he's all about the high school social scene and associated hoopla. Meh.

We have been very slowly working our way toward this discussion. I have been resistant, but I am beginning to believe that it might be best. While Jeffrey is becoming more interested in the social scene, that's the least of my concerns. ;)
He does plan to enroll in Running Start courses for his junior year, and I think a couple of more challenging classes (honors English and such) during his sophomore year would be helpful in the transition.
I am also concerned about the amount of time I will have to dedicate to giving him more the rigorous classes he's looking for. In addition to our photography business, I am going to be putting more hours into creating and selling my artwork. I don't want him shortchanged as a result of my personal goals.

We have an appointment with the high school counselor on the 6th of November. I'll let you know how that goes.

[kate in seattle]

Crissy,

What you need to decide, which I haven't seen while quickly running through this thread - do you want to end up with an official Lake Washington School District diploma, an AA from the community college, or enough credits to be competitive for college admissions. The answer to this question will affect what you need to do to make that happen.

The most 'difficult' is to graduate with a high school diploma. Even if 9th grade is at the middle school, i bet the classes count towards graduation credits (could be wrong here, has been known to happen!). If you want everything you are doing this year to count as credits, you will have to 'prove' each course. What it takes to do that is entirely dependent upon the high school prinicpal - he/she has the final say. They might just love you upon meeting and give you credits, he/she might want to see each book, work done, etc. and still not grant credit. May you, like Daniel, find favor in the eyes of the officials.

ANY student has to be allowed to register and attend public high school That won't be a problem. High schools are anxious for students to do Running Start as they end up with cash in their pockets. In my experience, all a student has to do to qualify for Running Start is pass the Compass Test (which Jeffrey could probably do now). Once attending Running Start, they can finish with an AA or AS, if they just take the right classes. Getting an AA from CC is NOT dependent on also earning a high school diploma (and vice versa - you can get a diploma and not get an AA from the CC through Running Start - OR you could not get a diploma OR an AA, but just a lot of credits, which is where my dd will probably be).

At the end of four years you could prepare a homeschool transcript. It would include what you have done this 9th grade year, anything you have homeschooled or afterschooled in the next three years. You would include, duly marked, which classes were done at a public high school and which were done at the CC. He would not have a public school diploma, but he would be very competitive for college admissions (depending, of course, on how he has done with his classes).

Is this as clear as mud. I would be happy to talk to you about it. The big thing is deciding what you want at the end. If you are sure he is doing Running Start, I would not worry about transferring the credits from this year, skip the diploma and then move on to college.

Also, here in WA we are very pirvileged (i CAN NOT spell that word!) is playing the system to our advantage. I kept one child home for four years of high school and another for three years of high school and THEN sent them to Running Start as homeschooled students. We don't have to put a grade on our declaration of intent, only an age. Certainly, by public school standards my children did not have enough credits to graduate (we have a prinicple who would not admit anything done at home) so they are eligible for two years of Running Start.


Wishing you all success in your journey. And, as they get older, schooling is the EASIEST part of the process!!!

kate in seattle

[Crissy]

Oh, Kate. You always make me think harder than I was prepared to.
I'll be back with comments and questions when I've processed this whole post.

:D

[Diana in OR]

Last year I ended up plunking my ds down into ps 6 weeks into 9th grade. When we decided it would be best for him, I was going to wait until the semester break. After talking with the counselor, I realized he would not graduate unless he made up the 1st semester's credits somewhere along the way. Here in OR, they prorate the credits, so he only ended up being 1 1/3 credits short, instead of 4, and he will be able to work that into his elective schedule.

[Crissy]

Last year I ended up plunking my ds down into ps 6 weeks into 9th grade. When we decided it would be best for him, I was going to wait until the semester break. After talking with the counselor, I realized he would not graduate unless he made up the 1st semester's credits somewhere along the way. Here in OR, they prorate the credits, so he only ended up being 1 1/3 credits short, instead of 4, and he will be able to work that into his elective schedule.

Did they give you no options for counting the credits for all the work he had done at home?

[Diana in OR]

Did they give you no options for counting the credits for all the work he had done at home?

No, they wouldn't give us any credit for work homeschool work. They didn't want to see any of his homeschool work or his standardized test scores. However, at the end of the semester Aaron took his finals and they were all based on the entire semester-they didn't cut him any slack for what he missed the first 6 weeks.

At the beginning of this school year, I talked to the counselor and I was ready to challenge the lack of credits based on the fact that he had to take finals that included the entire semester. I didn't have to do that. They had already given him the full credit for history and English(without telling us) and the rest will be made up through electives. I could not have counted on that being the case ahead of time.