<p>Does anyone knows an attorney to plaid my daughter's cause front of the district of Broward in Florida ? Just arrived from France last august in a magnet high school, the counselor choose to place her in 11th grade because she was recorded on the system as having an 8th grade in 2010/2011. But she came just for one year as an exchange student program. Her transcripts are showing she did not get any credit required (except in french - foreign language). So right away, just arrived in America, she has been following 11th grade classes with no option to choose AP/Aice or Honors Classes with all the prejudices it is causing to her and the challenge she has to face to. I fighted few months with the counselor claiming it was a big mistake because of her fresh immigration and young age (15). But she did not accept any consideration arguing the 8th grade and the rules.... Unfortunately, she missed too times the FCAT reading and scored very badly at the ACT plus writing.... Sure, it is not possible to integrate a such strategic year at 15 years old. With those results, I'm actually asking them to back up her in her 11th grade age group level arguing they should consider this year as a 10th grade. It is terrible for her future. This situation does not allow my daughter to improve her academic profile because of the English. Today they told me because she is enrolled in ESOL (but she never had any extra times for her tests) she could do a 13th grade in the school.... Is it really existing? How those kids are considered by challenging colleges ? I will appreciate your ideas, suggestions and advices. thank you</p>
<p>You do not need a lawyer. You need help from the ESOL office, and you might need a translator. The school district should provide you with a translator for free. Go speak with her ESOL teachers. They have a lot of experience helping students like your daughter, and they will have good ideas for you. They will be able to help you and the guidance office figure out a plan.</p>
<p>Just because your daughter is currently listed as being in 11th grade does not mean that she will be ready to graduate in only one more year. If she needs to, she can stay a lot longer. In most public school districts in the US, a student may remain in high school until that student has completed the requirements for a high school diploma, or until the end of the school year in which the student turns 21. If that is true in Broward, your daughter has six years more in which to fulfill her graduation requirements.</p>
<p>Many ESOL students take extra time to graduate. Do not worry about that!</p>
<p>15 is quite young for an American junior so yes she could potentially benefit from that extra year and still enroll in college with kids her own age (or older). As she settles into the new school she’d also have the opportunity to take classes she might need (or AP classes for enrichment). She’d have the opportunity to take the ACT or SAT more with that extra year prior to college applications.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>A “13th grade” year is called a “post-graduate” (PG) year. It exists, but the student must first graduate in the 12th grade. I have not heard of public schools offering PG. Quite a number of private, college-preparatory schools (“prep schools”) do offer PG. </p>
<p>I agree that 15 is very young in the U.S. for junior year. I would not be happy about my kids being in a class with older kids and their older kids social dynamic… </p>
<p>She won’t have enough ‘end of course’ exams passed or FCATs, so she won’t graduate. No ‘post grad’ year if no graduation. The school may call her a junior or a senior, but if she hasn’t passed the EOC for algebra, that’s the class she’ll be in.</p>
<p>If she doesn’t pass some courses, she can qualify for summer school. Ask about that.</p>
<p>You need to meet with a guidance counselor, with a translator and advocate. They need to set a plan for your daughter for the next 2-3 years. There are certain classes she must have to get a Florida high school diploma.</p>
<p>What if she has most credits except a handful and doesn’t pass the FCAT? What if she has all the credits but not the FCAT score?
If a student was doing A-work in a high-level program and ends up with remedial and regular classes due to their English proficiency, isn’t that also a problem in terms of college prospects (especially if the kid was high performing before and could expect to attend a good college)…</p>
<p>If students have low FCAT scores, they have to take the remedial classes (math plus the math intensive, like a study hall/tutoring just in math; same with reading). If they don’t pass the End of Course tests, they have to retake them. They are in algebra, geometry, world history, bio, and a few others. They are just plain a requirement for a diploma. You don’t have to retake the class, but you do have to retake the exam. At our school, if you fail you can take a 6-8 week summer school course and retake the test.</p>
<p>The intensive classes are actually very helpful, and if you just attend you get an A, which helps the GPA.</p>
<p>Thank you everyone. I’ve been contacting by the ESOL advocate today. She told me my daughter should have the opportunity to go in a 13th grade (PG) if she does not get enough at the reading part (FCAT or ACT) but this women did not know if the credits could count. The question is that all the regular classes she followed does not show famous credits even if she is a A straight student. Unfortunately, she would have enough credits to graduate but she does not have the time to deal wilth all the challenges of a 11th grade (test scores, early applications…) </p>