How are honors classes in 9th grade weighted?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biology<Honors Biology><AL Biology><AP/IB Biology ><Post AP (magnet) Biology

If you take Honors Biology in 9th grade, it will be weighted, but colleges know that you did not take AP Biology that most of your cohort did in the same grade. >

so confused, kids usually take biology in 9th grade right? so do they take AP biology again in later years??[/quoteDD is taking honors biology in 9th, and plans to take AP biology as a senior. We know kids taking AP physics in 9th, but none taking AP biology in 9th.

[Anonymous]

AP Biology has Biology as a prerequisite in MCPS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:AP Biology has Biology as a prerequisite in MCPS.

Might be school specific; my daughter took it as a Sophomore without having taken any other Bio course.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But isn’t IB >AP > honors in terms of rigidity, how is this fair?

It's not fair, but it does "close" the achievement gap.

It's not fair at all, but colleges know about the grade inflation at MCPS, so I am not worried about my private school kid, who needs to get a 93 to get an A.

First of all, too many kids are taking honors courses who really should be in regular courses. Consequently the courses have to be dumbed down. They end up taking "honor" whatever, but it is really just a regular course. Then they get a weighted GPA for honors (5 for an A), which is ridiculous. At most schools, regular is a 4, honors 4.5, and AP a 5. That makes more sense. MCPS needs to stop playing games because colleges are on to them and the ones who get hurt are the ones who are truly gifted and bright. Nobody will believe these bright kids are truly bright because everyone is getting As -- even the average to below average student.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Biology<Honors Biology><AL Biology><AP/IB Biology ><Post AP (magnet) Biology

If you take Honors Biology in 9th grade, it will be weighted, but colleges know that you did not take AP Biology that most of your cohort did in the same grade. >

so confused, kids usually take biology in 9th grade right? so do they take AP biology again in later years??

The biology in 9th grade is not the same material as AP Biology.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:But isn’t IB >AP > honors in terms of rigidity, how is this fair?

It's not fair, but it does "close" the achievement gap.

It's not fair at all, but colleges know about the grade inflation at MCPS, so I am not worried about my private school kid, who needs to get a 93 to get an A.

First of all, too many kids are taking honors courses who really should be in regular courses. Consequently the courses have to be dumbed down. They end up taking "honor" whatever, but it is really just a regular course. Then they get a weighted GPA for honors (5 for an A), which is ridiculous. At most schools, regular is a 4, honors 4.5, and AP a 5. That makes more sense. MCPS needs to stop playing games because colleges are on to them and the ones who get hurt are the ones who are truly gifted and bright. Nobody will believe these bright kids are truly bright because everyone is getting As -- even the average to below average student.

All colleges know about grade inflation at many many schools.