*from a teacher

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are you allowed to take two courses concurrently to replace a poor grade of a class you took in MS?
Scenario:
DD has a C in Spanish in 8th
Retakes that same level of Spanish plus a higher level Spanish class in 9th?

I really doubt anyone would sign off on that schedule even if it's technically legal because the pre-req for both is met. If the student feels weak in the language just retake it in 9th grade but don't eat two hours of their schedule jockeying a GPA.

I'm a high school Spanish teacher, and I have never heard of anyone doing this. We have a lot more students repeating Spanish 1 now that the grade is replaced on the transcript (used to be averaged, so students with a B in Spanish 1 in middle school would move on to Spanish 2 and deal with it. Now parents insist that kids who earned a B in middle school retake, and they're bored out of their minds, so bored that they often mess around to the point of earning a second B.)

There also isn't time in the students' schedule to double up on anything. As it is, the kids have very little time to make up tests and quizzes they missed while sick or get extra help for a teacher. They could all use a study hall and yet their days are all filled up.

Anonymous wrote:Are you allowed to take two courses concurrently to replace a poor grade of a class you took in MS?
Scenario:
DD has a C in Spanish in 8th
Retakes that same level of Spanish plus a higher level Spanish class in 9th?

I really doubt anyone would sign off on that schedule even if it's technically legal because the pre-req for both is met. If the student feels weak in the language just retake it in 9th grade but don't eat two hours of their schedule jockeying a GPA.

Anonymous wrote:Found it. Thank you, PP.
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/538566.page

But the posts seem to be contradictory in terms of whether you can get the MS grade replaced (and erased) if you retake the class in HS or whether both attempts would show up. I hate the idea of putting so much pressure on a middle schooler. A middle schooler should not have to be thinking about grades that will show up on college transcripts. Ridiculous.

Has anyone found documentation about this?

This is about the best written explanation I've found, it obviously geared toward students who fail a class or the final but the same would apply to anyone wanting to replace a grade:
http://www.mccpta.com/grading_reporting_dir/ACTION_Update_to_Earning_High_School_Credit-in-Middle-School.pdf
Here's an example of the letter that students taking HS credit in MS are given:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/uploadedFiles/schools/westms/counseling/Parent%20Letter%20HS%20credit%20Info(1).pdf
The issue is the HS transcript isn't generated until 9th grade, so if the student is retaking a class at that time, the MS grade for that class won't be added but whatever grade they get in 9th, even if it's lower, will be recorded. Normally when a HS student retakes a class, the higher grade is used in the GPA but both grades are on the transcript, so retaking a MS class in 9th grade is a special case. Retaking a MS class in MS works the same way, they can take the same course every year in MS if necessary, language teachers and counselors know this but the knee jerk is to keep progressing. Anyway, also speak with a HS counselor, they are very familiar with this process and the nuances of transcripts.

I certainly would never have a kid retake a class to hide a B. It would be clear the class was taken in MS and anyone who ever looks at a transcript could forgive such a grade if as a high schooler in more difficult classes they did better. However, how language is taught in the HS vs. the MS is an unknown. So it's not a bad idea to take advantage of this system and repeat a level to better acclimate to HS. E.g. RM language classes have a reputation for being more rigorous, if a freshman is coming in with three years of language credit it might be a good idea to repeat level 3 just to get the footing of a new school rather than struggling through level 4.

People in the other thread said that you could only retake in 9th

High School Credit for Middle School Students

High school credit is awarded to students who complete yearlong high school courses while in middle school after the student has passed both semesters of the course and passed the semester B high school final examination. The credit and grade are recorded on a student's transcript during the first year of high school. Grades 6–8 students may retake a high school course taken in middle school and receive the higher grade earned.

Are you allowed to take two courses concurrently to replace a poor grade of a class you took in MS?
Scenario:
DD has a C in Spanish in 8th
Retakes that same level of Spanish plus a higher level Spanish class in 9th?

Also this:
http://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/departments/policy/pdf/ikcra.pdf

The higher grade earned is what shows up on the transcript. See http://coursebulletin.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/Home/Introduction/#hscreditmsstudents.

However, it doesn't always make sense to repeat the course. DD earned a B in 7th grade Spanish. She is normally a straight-A student. However, it makes no sense for her to take the course again and be a year behind her peers so she will just have to live with the B.

Found it. Thank you, PP.
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/538566.page

But the posts seem to be contradictory in terms of whether you can get the MS grade replaced (and erased) if you retake the class in HS or whether both attempts would show up. I hate the idea of putting so much pressure on a middle schooler. A middle schooler should not have to be thinking about grades that will show up on college transcripts. Ridiculous.

Has anyone found documentation about this?

There was just a thread about this

And IED

Foreign Language and Advanced Math (HS level algebra, right?).

Just do the regular 6th grade math and do the slower foreign language option (where they take half of Spanish 1 in 7th and the other half in 8th instead of taking span 1 in 7th and 2 in 8th).

Anonymous wrote:I've seen some posts about people having middle school grades show up on high school transcripts for colleges? How does this work? Is it only for high school-level classes that middle schoolers take? How would you avoid taking any classes that might potentially show up?

Would like to let DC select classes that are fun and interesting and not classes that will be easy to get a good grade in during MS.

Typically foreign language and math.

I've seen some posts about people having middle school grades show up on high school transcripts for colleges? How does this work? Is it only for high school-level classes that middle schoolers take? How would you avoid taking any classes that might potentially show up?

Would like to let DC select classes that are fun and interesting and not classes that will be easy to get a good grade in during MS.