Grade retention in 8th grade

<p>Thank you blossom! This is a child! </p>

<p>If the kid loves math and science they take the classes that feed their interest, that are part of a well rounded, rigorous, college prep curriculum. Nowhere will you find it written, suggested, or advocated that students must take ALL the AP classes offered when the school offers so many. It’s just patently untrue.</p>

<p>Instead of stacking advanced classes beyond academic need let your student find an activity they really enjoy and dig in. Does the hs have a robotics team? Significant involvement in robotics is more worthwhile then stacking APs, both to your students development and diversifying a college application. If they aren’t into robotics, model UN or debate are great also. Something they can get involved and spend time enjoying other then studying and doing hw.</p>

<p>OP- With all due respect he is in 7th grade. He may end up liking something completely differently than physics or engineering by then.Plus if you look at the top engineering universities most aren’t Ivy’s and Harvard isn’t in the top 10 anyway. My 7th grader thinks he wants to be an engineer but that’s 6 years away…If your DS does well in his classes he will get into a good engineering program if that’s what he wants. A couple more AP classes aren’t going to make that much difference.</p>

<p>Terrible idea. Hopefully a ■■■■■ but if not…kid will have issues, and the resultant courses won’t make a difference anyway</p>

<p>OP - What did your son think of this plan when you discussed it with him?</p>

<p>Won’t discuss with him since everyone thinks it is not a good idea.</p>

<p>This is seriously the saddest thing I’ve ever heard.I hope your son does not know what you think of his progress up to this point. You will crush him if you suggest he repeat 8th grade with his stats.</p>

<p>I have a “young” kid. He started college at 17 and guess what, he met 16 year olds in his dorm.</p>

<p>HYPS admissions is a crap shoot. Some of it is based on the number of kids in the high school class applying since most universities won’t take all the kids from the same high school.</p>

<p>Taking all APs in high school doesn’t necessarily equate to college credit in the most elite colleges. I wouldn’t consider it necessary. </p>

<p>I do agree with you – as a parent, if your child has a and passion for a subject, I would want them to immerse themselves. You an find methods aside from normal high school classes for this. You may even find some summer college courses. I preferred the CTY/Duke TIP type programs. Many colleges also have high school STEM summer programs. </p>

<p>You may also want to consider boarding schools. Many students do repeat a year when moving to boarding school.</p>

<p>I’d like to elaborate on the idea of taking all the math and science APs. My daughter loves math and science and she was able to do this. I also took most of them myself, many years ago of course. Here is my opinion about them. There really is an issue with many of these classes not being the equivalent of a good college class. So, while it’s a good class for a high school class, it may not be the best option to place out of the college equivalent. A lot of bright college students get into trouble when they do this. I think calculus BC and AP chem may be the closest matches for what you would get in college. I once asked a statistics professor about AP stats, and he thought it was pretty lightweight. So did my daughter. If I recall, I don’t think colleges are too generous with credit for stats. I think it’s a lot better than not ever taking stats though. AP bio, a good class but probably not as in depth as in college, and I don’t think my daughter is getting the same lab experience she would be in college either. However, very nice to have if you want to avoid the premed scene. AP physics C, I don’t think this is a good equivalent to a good college course. I know it wasn’t when I took it. You should keep in mind that good high school physics teachers are hard to come by. Can’t speak for my daughter’s experience because she only has physics B at her school. Actually because of this, we originally planned that she wouldn’t take AP physics at all, but then she liked physics so much, she wanted to do it anyhow.</p>

<p>If you poke around on this site, you’ll find there are some high school students who like to self-study AP classes. Personally, I don’t think this is generally such a good idea, because I think there’s a lot more going on in many of these classes than just what they can assess on the test. But in your son’s case, it might make sense to consider self-studying AP stats. I’d pick that one because I think it’s easier than calculus, and I think there is value in doing the hands-on labs in the science classes. It would be better to take the class, but if that’s not possible to fit in his schedule and if he’s determined and talented in math, I don’t see why he couldn’t do stats on his own.</p>

<p>Regarding AP courses and tests…</p>

<p>AP calculus BC is probably the most valuable one, since many students do succeed in this course and test and then succeed in subsequent college math courses. However, a student considering skipping college calculus courses to take more advanced college math courses ought to look at the college’s old final exams for the courses to be skipped to verify his/her knowledge of the course material before making the decision.</p>

<p>AP statistics appears to be modeled after a one semester non-calculus-based introductory college statistics course for low-math majors and students who need to fulfill a quantitative reasoning requirement. As such, it would not be considered a difficult course for a high school student who is good at math.</p>

<p>AP physics C is limited because many colleges require completion of first semester calculus before starting calculus-based physics, and require at least concurrent enrollment in multivariable calculus to take the physics course with E&M.</p>

<p>AP physics B (or 1 and 2, if the high school offers each as a one semester course) is probably best treated as a good high school physics course (some high schools use it as the honors physics course). It is supposedly modeled on a non-calculus-based physics for biology majors course, although since many biology majors are pre-meds, they may need to take it in college anyway (medical schools often do not allow AP credit on pre-med course requirements).</p>

<p>AP chemistry may be accepted for subject credit for majors that require chemistry as a peripheral requirement, but may be less useful for credit for pre-meds or others who need chemistry as a core requirement.</p>

<p>Thanks for all your help and advice.
I accept it is a bad idea to ask for grade retention.
About AP courses, I personally want my son finish AP calc BC, AP Physics B & C (M + EM), AP computer and one of AP chem/AP Bio. My purpose is not to use them for college credits. I think they can build a solid fundament of science knowledge and good learning habit. I don’t understand why many students skip Physics in high school. </p>

<p>Another important fact is that I can be his tutor on most AP courses except AP chem/AP Bio.</p>

<p>Agree with those who say this is a crappy reason to retain a child in school. </p>

<p>If my parents did that with me, I’d be furious even though I’ve always been among the very youngest and smallest in my grade. </p>

<p>Well…the smallest part ended during mid-late high school when I had a sudden growth spurt over a summer. :)</p>

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<p>I started college at 17 as well and met younger undergrads such as a 14 year old sophomore, 16 year old junior transfer, and a classmate a few classes ahead who GRADUATED college at 17 with honors. </p>

<p>What’s more funny is that none of us had social or academic difficulties. If anything, I had the odd experience of acting as an “older brother” figure for some older classmates…including some upperclassmen who did have serious academic or social adjustment issues. </p>

<p>As for my younger classmates, you wouldn’t have known by first glance considering their high academic achievements during undergrad and social maturity.</p>

<p>Wow. You are pushing your child way too hard. I am sure that he can accomplish all that you have planned for him but to have all of this hanging over the head of a 13 year old is way too much. Just let your plan unfold naturally over 4 years. If you have to make changes, do so. You sound completely out of hand. And I come from a pressurized school district and know where you are coming from. You must relax your grip on your child for his sake.</p>

<p>I don’t know if this has been mentioned before, but the peer and social consequences of holding him back are huge. He’s got his friend group to enter high school with already. He’s actually a strong student- but I am concerned that he isn’t strong enough in your eyes, and holding him back will reinforce that message.
In high school, he is going to discover subjects he likes. While I agree that a strong foundation in all of them- science and math included- he may end up with a passion for history or languages. It is great that you are a resource for him, but too much tutoring over a subject might hurt your relationship- especially if he feels he isn’t good enough in your eyes. He needs to know you are proud of him. If you do tutor him, also spend time bonding over a love of movies, museums, sports or some other fun activity.</p>

<p>@cobrat, </p>

<p>My mom graduated at 19, summa cum laude from college! Haha</p>

<p>Agreed that the social consequences would be relatively severe</p>

<p>I’m confused. This child will have to REPEAT 8th grade English and other subjects only offered in 8th grade? So he can do Geometry the next time around?</p>

<p>No.</p>

<p>The AP Stats teacher at our high school was famous for getting through the AP curriculum by November and then teaching real stats the rest of the year. It is not the equivalent of most college statistics courses. AP Comp Sci is a pretty useless course too - especially now that they only offer the first easy version of the course. A better plan for Comp Sci is to go to summer camp for a few weeks in middle school and see if one gets the computer bug. Those who do, can teach themselves the rest.</p>

<p>Mathmom - I don’t know what’s happening at other hs’s. Ours actually still teaches AP Comp Sci AB, but then we’re an IT magnet. Of course the AP test is no longer given, not a bad thing as it eliminates the ‘teach to the test’.</p>

<p>@blueiguana, completely disagree. Much to my dismay, our school dropped their CS AB class like a hot potato the minute the test was discontinued. Same teacher, same student body, but why would they offer a class if there’s no test for it? My daughter would have benefited from the AB class but was a victim of teach to the test. Sigh.</p>

<p>@OP, I agree, it’s nice for a student interested in science to be able to take all the AP classes, but I don’t think it will make or break anything to miss one. To make it happen for him, it may be worth it to appeal to the school higher-ups, or to take a class online, or to do a summer program, or to self-study something. But I think we all agree it’s not at all worth holding him back over this. At this point, I’d think about having him take either geometry or algebra2 over the summer, in some way–summer school, online, self-study, and appeal his case for getting placement up the administrative chain.</p>

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Because there’s a significant number of students asking for, and ready for advanced instruction. As important, we have an instructor that’s capable of teaching at this level. Without the instructor I wouldn’t feel the same way. The kids aren’t concerned about the AP designation or credit, they want to be with this instructor another year and learn.</p>

<p>OP- Are you saying kids that you think kids are skipping AP Physics or regular Physics in high school? Because at our school and I believe it’s all of Georgia it’s required that they take at least the regular Physics in high school in order to graduate.</p>