<p>I'll chime in, having had two kids take high school level classes in middle school. Of primary concern, was that the kids were challenged, not bored, and working at their individual level. Our elementary school operated that way but our middle school had everyone on the same level of work. My kids had several accomodations made that took advocating as situations like the OP presented here were not in place but we were able to make things happen (which I might add, has benefitted kids who have come after my kids, who have similar learning needs). </p>
<p>Here the norm is Algebra in ninth grade, and then the ADVANCED 8th graders take Algebra. My kids were ready for Algebra in 7th grade. As many know, lots of schools and/or kids in the country take Algebra as 7th graders. Here you would think we were talking of something very out of the ordinary. Here, our 7/8 middle school is at the same facility as the high school which COULD make it very easy to take advantage of high school classes for gifted middle schoolers...you WOULD think, right? LOL.....I can't begin to tell you what it has taken to think outside the box here. I could write reams. Anyway, no need to bus them here but lots of need to get them to see the light. So, both my kids did Algebra in 7th grade and Geometry in 8th grade, but they did not go into the high school to do it. They worked independently during math time and were given the high school course assignments and tests to do on their own, under the supervision of a willing middle school math teacher. My kids happen to do well in independent study and they were graded and took the high school final exams, and everything. They got high school credit and these credits obtained in middle school ARE on their HS transcript. All their HS classes/credits taken in 7/8 grade are listed with their grades and it says which years they took them in. My older D, since she exhausted the math offerings after junior year (AP Calculus), she took independent AP Calculus BC through Johns Hopkins CTY senior year for which she got credit on her transcript (though we had to pay for the course). </p>
<p>Further, this was an issue for my kids in French as well. Our elem school teaches French starting in first grade. My kids were bored to death in the middle school French classes which consist of French I taken over a two year sequence (slower pace than high school's French I). So, the only thing we could do with D1 was that luckily during her two years of middle school, one French class was taught by the English teacher who was a native French speaker who also operates at high standards and my D was switched into her class which worked at a faster/higher pace. It was better. In ninth grade, a schedule problem arose because she could not get French 2 in her schedule because it took place during Algebra 2 Honors (because it was highly unusual for a freshman to be in that math class so these subjects conflicted for her). First the school said, too bad, she won't take French (this affected three students who had done Geometry as 8th graders....three of the top students in their grade). It was not their fault that they were advanced at math and certainly did not want to give up French as they were advanced at that too. So, this same teacher who really is an English teacher, but is French, volunteered to teach on her break these three students French 2 three times per week, much to the huge criticism of her colleagues (teaching an extra period? shame!). Well, these kids learned SO much that they skipped French 3 the next year and went straight to French 4 as sophs, French 5 as juniors and then two of them (my D and her best friend) did a joint indep. study French 6 as seniors under the supervision of another French teacher they had had for 4&5. One is now majoring in French and the other, my D, loves French and is in advanced levels at college. To think they almost had to give it up due to the schedule. But I digress. </p>
<p>Second D.....same problem with French. School finally wised up to the handful of kids who came from our elem school who really had picked up French and were bored starting over in seventh grade so they let a couple kids take 8th grade French (second half of French I) as seventh graders. So, 8th grade, they had to go into the high school (finally!) to take French 2. So, this D, like her sister, basically skipped a year of French and so was in French 5 as a junior. </p>
<p>Second D is gifted verbally, particularly with writing. She actually is strong at math but could care less about it. I disagree with Northstarmom (though I rarely do!) in that I don't think acceleration in math is just for those who might go into the math and sciences. This kid NEVER will and likely will never take another course in college in either (is a musical theater major) but she still is strong in math (ie., standardized testing, as well as achievement) and needed to work at the appropriate level as she had been doing all through elementary school. I do agree that acceleration is NOT for all kids develomentally, however. Anyway, this D was to have taken writing at the high school with seniors as a seventh grader. Her elementary school had arranged this between the sending and receiving principals and we had this in writing but it fell through based on the teacher, long story, not good....happened as she was to have started this course. However, in 8th grade, she did go to the high school for Creative Writing with 12th grade and also was invited by another high school English teacher to take Shakespeare, primarily with juniors/seniors as well. She got two high school credits for these English courses. She still was in 8th grade English too. She also took Johns Hopkins CTY long distance course in Crafting the Essay which was considered on the level of College Freshman Writing (we had to pay for this but she got credit and she worked on it one period per day at school). For one marking period, she did independent History with the HS History Dept. head but no HS credit for that (I did not care about HS credit at the time, just appropriate level work). By the time she got out of the middle school, she had six HS courses, two math, two French, two English.</p>
<p>Subsequently, my younger D graduated high school a year early, though that was NEVER the plan when she did the high school level work in middle school....it was merely to get appropriate level of work/challenge for her learning needs at the time. But when she wanted to graduate early (mid year in tenth grade, asked us...putting it mildly,lol.....to graduate after junior year), it was possible, in part, due to these credits. Like her sister, she had exhausted the math and French offerings at our school too though could have done indep. study like her sister in 12th grade or just stopped math anyway (older one wanted to continue at math...very strong in that area, more interested in it too). </p>
<p>So, that's my story....even when the school did NOT have such things in place to take high school courses while in middle school (though they offer Algebra to the 8th grade IN middle school), and this is with a middle school attached to a high school. I do recommend accomodating for the level of learning needs. I am entirely in agreement with Marite that the appropriate level of challenge must be there for gifted type learners or they will be bored. So, for the OP, Yes, I would definitely take advantage of this offering at your school if your child really needs this level of math. </p>
<p>Susan</p>