OP is this your oldest child? How familiar are you with the school system?
We live in a very competitive school district. It is common for parents to drop their children down a level to earn an easy A in languages. They also do it in math and science. Advanced biology is taught in 8th grade. Most students then take AP bio in high school but some will take honors bio for the easy A.
This seems to be more common in families that have already been through the college admissions process so they must see it as an advantage. Of course if you don’t have advanced courses offered in middle school then this isn’t an option as the student may fall short of requirements.