Reply to What constitutes a failing grade in MCPS?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]OP here. Thank you all. He will get either a C or a D for the semester in math, unfortunately, depending on the last assignments which are as yet ungraded. He's always had straight As in math previously, and in all other subjects, and [b]we don't quite understand how it has come to this[/b]. This is for AP Calc BC.

He's accepted Early Action to one college already, but the letter states that he needs to keep up the same academic record he had in the past - which in math is not the case.

Will the college rescind their application, do you think?
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Your son should. When did the fall off happen? What was the grade like at the interim?

When did he realize he wasn't grasping the material and what did he do to get tutoring or support?

His ability to do this kind of diagnosis and advocacy, in a timely manner before he can no longer recover his grades, will be key when he gets to college. So the fact that he's still struggling with those things is a sign he still has quite a bit of work to do in that area.[/quote]

OP here. Sigh. I believe it's a confluence of factors: he's had an IEP all his high school career, except this year he's had just a 504, and it's been a difficult transition without a case manager to oversee his progress. Also, the math teacher is extremely demanding, above and beyond the criteria of the College Board curriculum for AP Calc BC, but he's the only teacher for that class in that school, and we didn't react in time for him to drop the class and switch to an easier one in September - we all thought he'd do better after an adjustment period, because this situation has never happened before. He's had a tutor, but it didn't make a difference. I thought perhaps the teacher wasn't giving him all his extended time, but despite being hardcore, he is actually following the 504 plan, albeit grudgingly, so we can't complain.

It's always been in the works that DS would request accommodations from colleges' disability office. He will have all the updated neuropsychological paperwork to prove his learning disabilities.

Yes, we messed up. It's a shock, because despite his LDs, DS is strong academically. His schedule is comprised mostly of AP courses, and he's doing well in all of them, except this one.

[/quote]

Got it. I totally understand why you didn't pull him out after the first MP as I would've thought he just needed to adjust to the rigor as well.

I do think that maybe this course is too advanced for him, but as you said, you've realized it too late to do much about it at this point since the damage is done.

Despite what the other poster on here claims, I'm not being mean. AP classes by their nature are designed to measure and demonstrate college readiness. Students who flourish in them are given more consideration and priority. And likewise, those who struggle or fail in those courses can be deemed less college ready and less desirable by colleges, particularly those that might be more selective.

At this point, maybe consider downgrading him to a pre-calc or statistics class. Even though it won't fix the D, it will demonstrate some level of advocacy and problem solving. And then IF there's a rejection, you can explain the context and the subsequent steps you took as a result of that failure in your appeal. I've heard of people doing that successfully. I don't think you'll benefit from proactively alerting the colleges about this bad grade, as they might overlook it or not care because the full body of work is impressive enough as is.

But I also don't think people should lie to you and say you have nothing to worry about. Doing poorly in an AP course is a red flag for many college admissions teams, but it might not be the thing that prevents your DS from being accepted.[/quote]

OP here. I understand, PP. DS wants to continue with this class because now it's *personal* :-) His two reach applications are in the 10% acceptance rate and I am sure this C or D will definitely count against him. We've written them off already. The other colleges are in the 30-60% acceptance rate, and the one that already accepted him has the 60% acceptance rate. Since my son has learning disabilities and accommodations, and the schools can see that he took a resource class in 9th and 10th grade, he applied to a wide range of schools. It's really hard to know how his profile will be assessed by admissions officers.

[/quote]

PP here. Perfect! Honestly, since you provided more details, I think you're doing the best you can and either way, your son will get into a good school somewhere. So he shouldn't freak out about it. And if it ends up being a C rather than a D, I really wouldn't worry about it.

And I LOVE that he's motivated to keep going and overcome his setback. Honestly, that says more about him than the grade he's gotten! [/quote]

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