Is it ever allowed for a student to drop down to a lower level class at the quarter mark?

[Anonymous]

BC calc is kicking my kid's butt. I'm thinking about suggesting he talk to the counselor about moving down to AB, but I don't want to bring it up if it is not a real option. In my mind, he would finish BC for this quarter and move to AB at the start of the new quarter. Any idea?

[Anonymous]

I was under the impression that the drop deadline is the 25th day of the quarter—could be wrong though! Would love to know if this is an option. Good luck OP!

[Anonymous]

As far as I understand, they can switch any time but it will be on their transcript that they took an honors/AP class and changed. (Is this a big deal for colleges? I have no idea).

And is it better to stay in an honors class and get a C vs be on level and get an A?

I'm in the same dilemma with my high schooler.

[Anonymous]

I’m a MS teacher in MCPS and just got an email from the 6th grade counselor that a student was switching to another class at the end of the first quarter

[Anonymous]

This is the official language in the regulation for high school students:

Grades and credits shall be awarded according to the following guidelines:

a) If a student withdraws from a course before the end of the fifth week
(25 school days), no notation is made on the student's permanent
record or report card.

b) If the student withdraws after the end of the fifth week (25 school
days) of the course, "withdrew" or "W", the date of the withdrawal,
and the grade averaged to the time of withdrawal will be entered on
the report card and permanent record.

c) Should the student transfer to a course in the same subject area,
credit is awarded for those courses completed successfully.

https://ww2.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/jecra.pdf

[Anonymous]

Your kid can go from BC to AB but BC will show up as withdrawal.

My DC had an awful teacher for AB. Causing her lots of stress. On the last day when it was allowed (the 25th day of school), she moved down to Calculus with Applications. Her plan is to take that class as a junior and then to take BC next year as a senior (BC teachers are supposed to be much better plus she'll already have a foundation in calc).

A few weeks into the plan, I'm glad she made the decision she did. She is a lot less stressed and I feel like she is getting a better foundation in calculus. Isn't that goal?

What grade is your DC in? What do they want to major in in college? At a certain point, you can't make all your decisions based on colleges. If the BC shows up on your kid's transcript with a W but your kid is less stressed and you feel they are learning more in AB - isn't that the ultimate goal? Won't that serve them better in the long run? They could always take BC next year (provided they are a senior).

And if a college holds it against your kid that they dropped down from BC to AB...well, that college isn't the right college for your kid.

[Anonymous]

Be grateful you have this option at all, under any timeline. You are lucky in MoCo.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Wow, such great, specific information. Thank you all!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Your kid can go from BC to AB but BC will show up as withdrawal.

My DC had an awful teacher for AB. Causing her lots of stress. On the last day when it was allowed (the 25th day of school), she moved down to Calculus with Applications. Her plan is to take that class as a junior and then to take BC next year as a senior (BC teachers are supposed to be much better plus she'll already have a foundation in calc).

A few weeks into the plan, I'm glad she made the decision she did. She is a lot less stressed and I feel like she is getting a better foundation in calculus. Isn't that goal?

What grade is your DC in? What do they want to major in in college? At a certain point, you can't make all your decisions based on colleges. If the BC shows up on your kid's transcript with a W but your kid is less stressed and you feel they are learning more in AB - isn't that the ultimate goal? Won't that serve them better in the long run? They could always take BC next year (provided they are a senior).

And if a college holds it against your kid that they dropped down from BC to AB...well, that college isn't the right college for your kid.

Similar thing happened to me 30 years ago. Teacher for AB was so tough and not helpful and I struggled terribly for the first time ever. I had a D (69 pct) after first quarter and had been a straight A student up to that point. Ended up dropping down, had a different teacher and As in calc the following year and still got into an Ivy League school. I know things are different now but staying in that class would have been a big mistake for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As far as I understand, they can switch any time but it will be on their transcript that they took an honors/AP class and changed. (Is this a big deal for colleges? I have no idea).

And is it better to stay in an honors class and get a C vs be on level and get an A?

I'm in the same dilemma with my high schooler.

Had my DD switch from AP physics 1 to honors physics. The counselor said that a W would appear on the transcript and the current grade in the class. It didn’t effect college admissions though i was warned that it might. DD got in everywhere she applied.