<p>SteveMA,</p>
<p>It’s hard to know what’s accurate and what’s boasting parents and what’s my kid exaggerating. Here’s what I do know:</p>
<p>My son claims that he’s the “only kid” who is in Algebra 1 in eighth grade. He says “everybody” else takes Algebra in sixth or seventh. I know that’s not true, but it is true of all the other kids I know personally at the school, except one. In contrast the other school lists Geometry as the highest possible math to take in 9th. </p>
<p>At back to school night his honors history teacher talked to us about the process for applying for APUSH next year. She said about 1/2 her kids are accepted into it. I know that there are more sections of honors than on level, so I figure that means that 1/4 of the kids are taking AP for that subject. </p>
<p>I don’t think that all these kids are amazingly bright. I think that academics may come a little easier to them, that they may do less outside of school, or their parents are providing more support than I’m interested in doing, but overall I think they’re kids pretty much like my kid.</p>