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[quote=Anonymous]I have had multiple kids go through SSSAS. In order to get into honors math, which starts in 7th grade, the kid needs to end 6th grade with an A- or higher and be recommended by their teacher. With my first, no one mentioned how it worked (not the teacher, not the advisor, not any admin) and suddenly I was hearing over the summer between 6th and 7th that certain kids were placed in honors math. When I asked about my child, who had an A-, I was told the teacher didn't like my kid's ERB scores but that they don't track and the kid would be eligible each year to move into honors (do not believe them when they tell you this, because it was no true). I was stupid and didn't push back and the school refused to ever place my kid in any honors math, even after placement tests for high school (they continued to discourage us). My kid graduated with a 3.9. They were being ridiculous.

I didn't make the same mistake again and with my next kid, who had excellent ERB math scores and is very good in math, and I made sure from BTSN I asked directly with the teacher what my kid needed to do to be placed in honors math in 7th and she said the A-. And by 7th my kid was in honors. That kid ended up leaving in 9th for a different high school and was placed in Algebra II for 9th after a placement test with a geometry summer school because they were accelerated. I don't know why SSSAS doesn't allow this (which seems to get to some of the OP's concern).

SSSAS is a low pressure cooker school and many people like that. If you think your child needs more challenging academic classes you are going to have to strongly and repeatedly advocate for that there. There are definitely ceilings to how high your kid can go (just because a class is listed in the high school's catalog doesn't mean the school will actually be offering it, they need a quota of eligible kids to take it, I think 5, so you can't rely on that as an option if you're planning ahead). There is also strong bias and rigidity over a kid who has been labeled not eligible, whether for ERB scores OR if the kid is seemed as difficult (and hence can't get the teacher recommendation because the teacher doesn't like or is irritated by the kid) and the school tracks (meaning you need to get into the honors track like in math as soon as you are eligible because you probably won't be let in a year or two later).[/quote]

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