Advice Needed for Junior in High School

[slytherinbratz]

I have a friend that needs some advice. Her son is a Junior in High School and is failing Algebra 2. They are starting the second semester and I feel that he needs to drop the class. So does his mom, but she is worried that it will affect his GPA. At the rate he is going he's going to fail the whole year. Can he repeat Algebra 2 next year and hope for a passing grade or will it hurt his GPA even more. He's getting A's and B's in all his other classes but this one he just doesn't seem to get.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

 

[Pixiedust34]

If he keeps the class, can they get a tutor for him? He might be able to pull up his grade before the end of the school year.

 

[Christine]

I have some experience in this as, last year, my DD failed chemistry (she was a junior).

The school really, really frowns at dropping courses mid-semester. It's not like college--they high school then has to downgrade you to a lower level course and you have to go in mid-way. Also, most colleges want to see completion of Algebra 2.

I agree with the other poster in that this is mid-year. They need to get a tutor and some further assistance from the school. With that kind of help, he will get through it. My DD had a tutor (too late) for chemistry and she couldn't recover. She took it in summer school and got a B. Yes, it did hurt her GPA.

 

[claudia]

It's time for a tutor and also some extra help sessions with the teacher. Possibly there is another child in the class that is doing well and would be willing to help out your friends son. My son has been asked by teachers in the past to sit with a student that is stuggling and work along side them to assist during the lesson....not do the work for them, just assist with any questions they may have by working through the problem with them.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Is this a public high school or private?

Why was he not getting help or tutoring already? (My dd got math tutoring all through HS.)

His GPA is already toast with a failing grade if you are looking at rank.

What did he get on the PSAT test?

It is hard to advise you because if this was my kid I already would have had tutors to help after the first failing grade on a test, etc...

My nephew is suffering right now, because of failing language in his sophmore year. He is getting rejected in all his college apps.

His rank combined with his ACT score is too low.

So bottom line *IF* this kid had a super stellar PSAT score he could pull it off.

In addition, he won't get credit for the class anyway, so he is going to have to retake it.

TELL HIM TO SEE HIS COUNSELOR!!!!!!!! Oh and mom needs to talk to them too.

You see....failing A2, messes you up for some science classes for senior yr. He really needs to work this out in the counselor's office. And please, get a tutor for the rest of his math classes.

 

[Shmily1]

If you fail a class, it is really hard to pull that grade up high enough to get scholarships and accepted to college. It's better to drop the class than fail it. The best thing to do is get a tutor.

The biggest lesson I learned with DS18 just starting college and DD17 graduating this year is that for colleges and scholarships, a good grade in an easier class is better than a lower grade in a harder class.


Good luck to your friend.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I don't know about the school system wherever he is but when I was in high school (9 years ago) I ended up taking Geometry 3 years in a row. I strongly disliked Math . Anyways, we had two different types of diplomas, advanced and standard. You received the "advanced" if you took (and passed with at least a C) four years of Math classes, among other classes that were required for the "advanced" (and apparently 3 years of the same class doesn't count ). You received the "standard" if you took (and passed with at least a C) 2 Math classes (it was also the only way you would graduate). Does his school have Math requirements? Does he have to take Algebra 2 next year or is there another Math option?

We had a strict grading scale in my county when I was in school (95 and up was an A, 86 and up was a B...) so I always tell people I would've passed Geometry quicker if I was in another city or county (most surrounding city/county scales were 90 and up for an A, 80 and up for a B...)

BTW, I never took Algebra 2. Algebra and Geometry were enough for me! But it doesn't look good to some colleges if he doesn't pass Algebra 2, if he wants or plans to go to college.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Why is the HS allowing him to be in a math class he is failing in?

That ticks me off right there and tells me they don't give a rat's behind.

The mom needs to get in there and get her hands dirty with them.

 

[chris1gill]

I have a friend that needs some advice. Her son is a Junior in High School and is failing Algebra 2. They are starting the second semester and I feel that he needs to drop the class. So does his mom, but she is worried that it will affect his GPA. At the rate he is going he's going to fail the whole year. Can he repeat Algebra 2 next year and hope for a passing grade or will it hurt his GPA even more. He's getting A's and B's in all his other classes but this one he just doesn't seem to get.

Thanks in advance for any advice!

My strong suggestion would be to keep the class and get a good tutor on the job. It's too bad they didn't do that sooner, before the first semester ended... but it's not too late... One of my children is an an Honors Algebra 1 class that they are more than capable to handle although still in junior high, the teacher however is just not very good at teaching the class. When we went hired the tutor, they went from the mid 70's to the high 90's in about 3 weeks time. Our child has maintained that grade while meeting once a week with the tutor. The tutor can teach in one week what the teacher cannot teach in two.

 

[FINFAN]

it's tough as the grades from Junior year are the ones that get submitted for college aps. I feel their pain, my DS is a freshman and A1 is getting worrisome. I agree with seeing the school counselor, there may be individual options that can take place, and believe it or not maybe dropping it will be an option based on saving his GPA. Our school offers online Algebra classes for this very purpose, so kids can not fall behind in the course schedule, but can also try and save their GPA and work at their own pace/indvidual attention, still use a tutor etc.
We have "virtual high school ", that can be taken during the school year or summer...yes you do have topay for it, about $200 a class or less, but it can be a back up plan or even good to solidify classes that maybe kids just squeaked by in.
I always think being poractive is looked upon as favorable other than just going day by day hoping it gets better. Most schools want the kids to suceed and will be pretty helpful in lots of ways.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

The biggest lesson I learned with DS18 just starting college and DD17 graduating this year is that for colleges and scholarships, a good grade in an easier class is better than a lower grade in a harder class.

This is not true if the class is weighted. C's in AP classes are better than A's in average classes, or at least the same as, when it comes to GPA. Different schools have different scales, which are also submitted with the application. So if this is an Honors Algebra II class, a C would still look relatively good on a college application.

 

[slytherinbratz]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will let her know about the tutor. I honestly don't think it will do him any good now. I also discovered that Homework wise he's getting B's. He mentioned that its the tests that are giving him problems. Only in this class though. He has no problems with his others.

As far as I know he has not taken the Psat yet. His mom is already suggesting that he stay after school or class about getting help. She's not happy that he took Algebra 2 to begin with. He didn't want to but it was suggested by a teacher and counselor. Only thing about staying after school is that he has the lead in the school play this spring. He's really involved in drama. Again brings the question as to why he took Algebra 2 to begin with. He won't need it if he's going to a Drama school. I honestly don't know if that is his major he wants for college, but I know he is also interested in Broadcasting.

I hope its not to late. His over all grade for the class right now is a "D" for the first semester. We are hoping to at least improve the second semester to get him a C.

 

[Christine]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will let her know about the tutor. I honestly don't think it will do him any good now. I also discovered that Homework wise he's getting B's. He mentioned that its the tests that are giving him problems. Only in this class though. He has no problems with his others.

As far as I know he has not taken the Psat yet. His mom is already suggesting that he stay after school or class about getting help. She's not happy that he took Algebra 2 to begin with. He didn't want to but it was suggested by a teacher and counselor. Only thing about staying after school is that he has the lead in the school play this spring. He's really involved in drama. Again brings the question as to why he took Algebra 2 to begin with. He won't need it if he's going to a Drama school. I honestly don't know if that is his major he wants for college, but I know he is also interested in Broadcasting.

I hope its not to late. His over all grade for the class right now is a "D" for the first semester. We are hoping to at least improve the second semester to get him a C.

It is not too late for the tutor. My daughter was too late for Chemistry because we could not get her grade up in the last semester. She had one F and 2 D's for the previous semesters. We tried like heck to get her last semester grade up just so she could get a "D" but it was not enough. She failed by a few points. Had I addressed it sooner (like at the mid-term where this boy is now), she would have had a fighting chance.

My daughter had the same problems with testing. Had in the 90s for homework grades and kept bombing the tests (this was for Chemistry, Geometry, and Alegebra 2). We did tutors for Chemistry and Algebra and she ended up with C's and B's in those courses. We just waited too long for Chemistry.

I really think since he is halfway through, he should finish out whether he needs it or not. A tutor for one hour a week will really pull the grade up--you would be surprised. With math, it is often a confidence thing. Once they falter in one area, they start falling apart everywhere and it multiplies. I found that having the tutor to brush up on weak areas really makes a difference. You might be surprised at how fast his grade comes up.

I understand the drama stuff. My daughter did that in 9th grade and she was spending 4-5 hours after school each night and she finally had to pull out of the program because she wasn't strong enough academically to do both.

 

[horseshowmom]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will let her know about the tutor. I honestly don't think it will do him any good now. I also discovered that Homework wise he's getting B's. He mentioned that its the tests that are giving him problems. Only in this class though. He has no problems with his others.

As far as I know he has not taken the Psat yet. His mom is already suggesting that he stay after school or class about getting help. She's not happy that he took Algebra 2 to begin with. He didn't want to but it was suggested by a teacher and counselor. Only thing about staying after school is that he has the lead in the school play this spring. He's really involved in drama. Again brings the question as to why he took Algebra 2 to begin with. He won't need it if he's going to a Drama school. I honestly don't know if that is his major he wants for college, but I know he is also interested in Broadcasting.

I hope its not to late. His over all grade for the class right now is a "D" for the first semester. We are hoping to at least improve the second semester to get him a C.

I really have to disagree with the part in bold. Most colleges require students to take College Algebra. I know that our state colleges/universities require that a student have at least Alg. I and II and Geometry to be considered for admission.

I agree with the others. Stick with it and get a good tutor. If he's doing that well on homework, he may be able to catch up some with a tutor.

Good luck!

 

[Christine]

I really have to disagree with the part in bold. Most colleges require students to take College Algebra. I know that our state colleges/universities require that a student have at least Alg. I and II and Geometry to be considered for admission.

I agree with the others. Stick with it and get a good tutor. If he's doing that well on homework, he may be able to catch up some with a tutor.

Good luck!

Ours too. It is almost a given that you must take Algebra 2 to go on to any type of college. Our guidance counselors were REALLY against pulling my daughter into a lower math, mid-year. She struggled through Algebra 2 and then for her senior year, they put her in a "milder" form of math rather than Calculus.

 

[VickiVM]

My son is a freshman and in PRE-AP Algebra II and failing right now. He switched from GT to Pre-AP and that really screwed up his grades because his previous average didn't go with him (not really sure why). Anyway, he's working with his teacher after school to get help and she's agreed to help him raise his average up if he can show her he can manage the class.

I feel badly for him because he chose to take 4 pre-AP classes against my better judgment and unfortunately, I was right. I wish I weren't, though.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I will let her know about the tutor. I honestly don't think it will do him any good now.

Of course a tutor will help!!!! Why do you think that?