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monica4patience
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| Posted: March 11 2014 at 10:50am | IP Logged
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We have homeschooled from 11/12 (7th grade) to now in 8th grade. DS14 was struggling with reading, writing, and math. We were doing 3-5 hours of homework with him and he was begging to come home to school. Now that sports are becoming more important, he's now wanting to return to school. The original plan was to homeschool through 9th grade, but the draw of sports at the HS level is strong.
We have spent the last year and a half determining how he learns best, and most recently, how to overcome his learning disabilities. To that end, we have been through many curricula, never sticking with one before he starts shutting down. They're either too hard, too easy, not how he learns best, etc. We have been successful with Spelling Power and Math-u-See.
Here's what we need advice for:
1. Report cards? with all our jumping around and working on identifying problem areas, we haven't stayed with any curricula long enough. Plus we haven't been grading as that's an area of stress. We could pull together grades for spelling and math. Other that that I'm not sure how to document what we've done.
2. Iowa Test? one of the schools he's applying to requires Iowa test scores. He hasn't taken it since 6th grade. I contacted a local woman who will administer the test for $100. Any groups doing testing?
3. Rest of 8th grade? I'm planning to continue with Dianne Craft's Brain Integration Therapy for reading and writing. We've seen some success with it already. Continue with Spelling Power. Move up to MUS Zeta (he just passed the Epsilon test). I'm thinking of adding in studying the High School Placement Test to bring him up to speed. What do you think? Anything I should add / subtract?
We have a new charter HS going in very near our home to which he's applied. They're not sure if they'll have sports the first year. Also applied to one that is a little further away and has sports. He's also applying to the local Catholic HS, but they already have a waitlist. I know, I know, we're a bit late on this, but I would like to honor his initiative and do what we can for this year.
Thanks for any advice you can give,
Deb
__________________
~Monica (58)
DH(62), married 34 yrs.
DD23, DS21, DS13 (all adoptees)
New to homeschooling 11/12.
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SallyT
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| Posted: March 11 2014 at 12:29pm | IP Logged
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Will they accept E-S-NI type grades (Excellent/Satisfactory/etc)? It might be easier to draw a profile for him based on a scale like that than actual A-B-C-type grades -- especially if you've been dealing with learning issues.
Regardless of scale, you might draw up a grading rubric to use across the curriculum. Doesn't matter what/how many curricula you've used, or how you've gotten where you are -- what you want to do is come up with some overall assessment of progress across the subject areas.
So, some important criteria might be:
*engagement with subject matter -- did he become interested and active as a learner, or did he phone it in/expect to be spoon-fed the whole way? Or somewhere in the middle?
*did he improve his mastery of subject matter? how much more able is he to do x, y, or z, than he was at the start of the year?
Actually, those would be my big two, across the curriculum.
An A+/Excellent student in a subject would be a student who totally engaged with it, maybe went out of his way to learn about it, kept reading/talking/exploring about it on his own time. A . . . "Needs Improvement" student would be at the other end of that scale: barely there, barely focused, doing the minimum, if that.
An A+/Excellent student in a subject would also be a student who either a) was already way ahead of the pack in ability, OR b) had knocked himself out to improve in a subject, and really had improved vastly over where he was at the start of the year. I'd make that the top of the scale and work down.
Do they absolutely require the Iowa Test, and no other, or would they take the CAT (California Achievement Test)? That one you can administer yourself, and it's only $25 from Seton Testing Services. Even if he *has* to have the Iowa, you might consider doing the basic CAT (I forget the real title, but it's not the expanded, every-subject test) to get a read on where he is on a more standardized scale. You could base the grades you submit to the school on his performance on a test like that -- grades based on something like that may be of more utility to them precisely because they would be aligned with a standardized scale. I would never do that for home reasons, and I'm hugely skeptical about standardized tests in general, but for a school returnee, it might be useful in helping them to assess where he belongs in terms of classes.
If they're at all interested in a narrative transcript, you might consider putting one together. Doesn't have to be long, but could include descriptions of where he began the year in all his subjects, and how he's progressed. That might be more illuminating to the guidance counselor than letters or numbers on a report card -- if said guidance counselor is really interesting in learning something about this student.
Just some thoughts here. I wouldn't worry about how you've gotten where you are so much as coming up with some kind of rubric for measuring that and making it intelligible to school staff, who speak and understand educationese!
Good luck with everything!
Sally
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Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
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monica4patience
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| Posted: March 11 2014 at 5:45pm | IP Logged
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Sally,
Thanks so much for your quick response. I had posted to a few other boards with no response! I knew I could count on the moms here!
You've given me lots to think about....but it'll have to wait (the thinking that is). I went to doctor for a bladder infection and ended up with a diabetes diagnosis also. What a shocker that was. I've got to schedule a bunch of other appointments and learn how to eat properly. Hopefully, this will all fall into place and I can get back to dealing with high school apps.
Thanks again,
Deb
__________________
~Monica (58)
DH(62), married 34 yrs.
DD23, DS21, DS13 (all adoptees)
New to homeschooling 11/12.
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SallyT
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| Posted: March 11 2014 at 9:45pm | IP Logged
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Oh no! Prayers for you. That is a shock, and a lot to have on your plate when it was already full.
I'm saying a Hail Mary for you right now. Hang in there!
Sally
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Castle in the Sea
Abandon Hopefully
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monica4patience
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| Posted: July 28 2014 at 3:12pm | IP Logged
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Thanks for all the information and the prayers.
Still trying to eat right and exercise...a never-ending challenge!
DS14 is all set for the charter high school. Had his meeting with the principal and the family. I am very pleased with everything. I think this school will be a good fit for him.
We did not need to do any testing; no report cards; just complete the regular paperwork. One section asked about special ed. so I jotted some notes and then typed up a page summing up what special ed services he received in 6th grade, his psychologist report of Learning Disabilities, and what I had done with him while homeschooling.
We will have an appointment in August with the principal and the special ed team to determine a plan of action. All students are tested in September to determine best placement. The school has its own special ed department! yeh! and they want their students to succeed! another yeh!
He's been keeping up with his MUS Pre-Algebra lessons and reading daily. He has to read 3 books and write a short paper on each. Doubt he'll finish all three...it's a struggle to get him to read.
See my next post for how I'm handling this all!
__________________
~Monica (58)
DH(62), married 34 yrs.
DD23, DS21, DS13 (all adoptees)
New to homeschooling 11/12.
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4Real Forums : High School Years and Beyond
Topic: Advice needed re: DS14 returning to schoo
