Is this how high school works?

[LisaR]

DD has a friend that was in 9th grade this year (she was also in 9th grade last year ). She was very excited because she passed this year and will move up to 10th grade.

For the first semester of Algebra, she got an F. For the second semester, she got a C. I understand a C is passing but she got an F during the first semester. Is that still considered passing? Isn't it safe to say she didn't really comprehend much?

She flunked Biology. She was doing so poorly in the class that she just stopped going because the teacher told her she wouldn't be able to pass. She thought she was going to have to go to summer school. Instead, she is taking an online Biology class. My question to her was what would happen if she flunked that class? Would she still move on to 10th grade? She said she would. She would just have to retake it again.

My DD isn't in high school yet. Is this really how it works? Is this kid really learning anything?

 

[golfgal]

Not at our school--that would never fly. Are you sure of the grades? A lot of people say they are failing and really get a D. I would be more concerned that she has already repeated 9th grade and STILL isn't catching on. Have they had her tested?

 

[diznygirl]

At this point, I wouldn't take her word for it. Could be she has been skipping classes and that's why she's failing. I can't imagine any teacher allowing a student to just not come.

Sounds like she's telling some tall tales here.

 

[Nette]

Actually, here, they won't "fail" a kid anymore... It might hurt their self-esteem or something. GAG. WHATEVER!

 

[jodifla]

I don't think it ever worked that you failed one class and failed the whole grade.

 

[Linzybrooke]

At our school a 70 is the lowest grade you can recieve to pass. If you failed first semester, and passed second semester then your average for both must be 70 or higher to get full course credit.

 

[shortyK]

Actually, here, they won't "fail" a kid anymore... It might hurt their self-esteem or something. GAG. WHATEVER!

Seriously?

 

[Nette]

Seriously?

Deadly. Which is why our kid is not in public school anymore. Sigh.

 

[BellePrincessBelle]

Actually, here, they won't "fail" a kid anymore... It might hurt their self-esteem or something. GAG. WHATEVER!

Here too!! They feel the sigma of being held back would hurt their self esteem. Bull crap IMO!!

 

[shortyK]

Deadly. Which is why our kid is not in public school anymore. Sigh.

That's just sad. What does the school system think is going to happen when the kids get their performance reviews at work?

 

[Liberty Belle]

DD has a friend that was in 9th grade this year (she was also in 9th grade last year ). She was very excited because she passed this year and will move up to 10th grade.

For the first semester of Algebra, she got an F. For the second semester, she got a C. I understand a C is passing but she got an F during the first semester. Is that still considered passing? Isn't it safe to say she didn't really comprehend much?

She flunked Biology. She was doing so poorly in the class that she just stopped going because the teacher told her she wouldn't be able to pass. She thought she was going to have to go to summer school. Instead, she is taking an online Biology class. My question to her was what would happen if she flunked that class? Would she still move on to 10th grade? She said she would. She would just have to retake it again.

My DD isn't in high school yet. Is this really how it works? Is this kid really learning anything?

Here, all highschool summer school is online. And if she got a C the first semester and an F (if a high F) the second, it could average out to a D, which would make her pass the class.

She might be wrong about moving on to 10th grade, too. She could be some of the way there, or most of the way there and still consider herself a sophomore, though she wouldn't officially be until mid year or later.

 

[Liberty Belle]

That's just sad. What does the school system think is going to happen when the kids get their performance reviews at work?

I've never heard of that. Kids certainly fail and get held back here.

 

[Cup Cake]

I really don't remember anybody being held back in high school.

I know I failed a required class (technical education aka shop) because I was afraid of the power tools, and I still moved on.

 

[Caropooh]

I'm not sure how it works in high school in our district, but I can say how it works in middle school. You can get all F's in your core classes, but as long as you pass the state standardized testing you will be moved on to high school. Doesn't make sense to me, but that's how it is.

 

[englishteacha]

In the district where I teach, you may have to repeat a class in high school, but seldom a whole grade, unless you flunk everything. The system is based on credits. You only get credits for passing. Summer school is only an option for math and English classes.

In our middle school, retention is based on grades, ability, and effort. If a kid passes every test but doesn't do the homework, they might go on. If a kid fails every test, never does homework, and really doesn't understand what's going on, they will probably repeat. Unfortunately, under our current system, a lot of slackers go on to the next grade just because they'll still be slackers if they repeat, and most have already repeated one grade and will be "too old" to be in middle school. In Maine, you age out of public school at 20, so if you're 15 in 8th grade, you barely have enough time to finish high school before aging out.

 

[disneyworldluvr349]

I am in high school and will be a junior. I have always had A's and B's. In our school and any in our county you have to get a D in math that is passing. If you get an F first semester you have to take it in summer school. As for flunking a whole semester of Biology you have to retake it next year for credit or possibly during the summer.

 

[BrerMom]

In grades K-2, teachers can recommend that a child repeat, but the parents can choose to have the kid "assigned" to the next grade ... again... and again.

Grades 3-5 vary by school, but rarely does a student repeat unless teacher and parent agree the child is not mature enough for middle school.

Grades 6-8: Even if a student fails every class, they will be passed on to the high school. I watched a two-month argument with a parent last year. He desperately wanted his son to repeat. He was failing all his core classes and was very immature. Dad didn't want him to go to the freedom of high school. I think the middle school administration wanted the trouble-maker out. Dad lost. He transferred kid to a different district to repeat 8th grade.

High school: Students can fail one class at a time. Repeating it is optional. Grade level is solely based on number of credits completed. Next year's 9th graders are required by the state to have four years of math, four years of English, etc. If a student fails 1st semester Algebra, they can choose to go on, but it wouldn't be a smart decision. They are still required to pass four years of math. If they don't get credit for 1st semester Algebra, they will be forced to take a semester of higher level math down the road.

In anticipation of the larger numbers of students who decide to quit because they think they can't possible complete all the requirements, there is talk about the legislature requiring students to stay in school until age 18 instead of the current 16.

 

[4greatboys]

DD has a friend that was in 9th grade this year (she was also in 9th grade last year ). She was very excited because she passed this year and will move up to 10th grade.

For the first semester of Algebra, she got an F. For the second semester, she got a C. I understand a C is passing but she got an F during the first semester. Is that still considered passing? Isn't it safe to say she didn't really comprehend much?

She flunked Biology. She was doing so poorly in the class that she just stopped going because the teacher told her she wouldn't be able to pass. She thought she was going to have to go to summer school. Instead, she is taking an online Biology class. My question to her was what would happen if she flunked that class? Would she still move on to 10th grade? She said she would. She would just have to retake it again.

My DD isn't in high school yet. Is this really how it works? Is this kid really learning anything?

Yes you can pass the class with a F the first semester and a C the next. They average the 2 semesters for your final grade.

 

[southurnmimi]

When I was in HS, I failed Algebra 1 LOTS of times. Till this day, I STILL suck at math. Give me two plus two, I'm good. Don't ask me to do fractions and decimals and then divide and multiply them and anything else.
My school worked the same way. I failed Algebra 1 with one teacher in the 1st semester, but the 2nd semester, I had Mr. Gatlin and he really took his time to help me understand stuff, so I passed 2nd semester. So next year (still 9th, heh), I had Algebra 1 first semester and ready for this.... ALGEBRA 2 2nd semester. I missed anything they taught for algebra 2 in the 1st semester, so of course I totally bombed the 2nd semester. The only time I passed any math class in high school was the one semester I had Mr. Gatlin. I eventually made the HUGE mistake of dropping out. The math classes had some to do with that decision, but not all. I don't know what happens come senion year... I guess you can't get short day because you're making up classes you failed previously.

 

[BrerMom]

When I was in HS, I failed Algebra 1 LOTS of times. Till this day, I STILL suck at math. Give me two plus two, I'm good. Don't ask me to do fractions and decimals and then divide and multiply them and anything else.
My school worked the same way. I failed Algebra 1 with one teacher in the 1st semester, but the 2nd semester, I had Mr. Gatlin and he really took his time to help me understand stuff, so I passed 2nd semester. So next year (still 9th, heh), I had Algebra 1 first semester and ready for this.... ALGEBRA 2 2nd semester. I missed anything they taught for algebra 2 in the 1st semester, so of course I totally bombed the 2nd semester. The only time I passed any math class in high school was the one semester I had Mr. Gatlin. I eventually made the HUGE mistake of dropping out. The math classes had some to do with that decision, but not all. I don't know what happens come senion year... I guess you can't get short day because you're making up classes you failed previously.

No wonder you don't like math; what a frustrating experience!

In our district, if you fail first semester very badly, you can opt not take math second semester and try again next year. The second option is to go ahead and take the 2nd semester. The next year, it's recommended that you still sign up for Algebra I. If you pass the first semester, wonderful. If you pass the second semester with a higher grade than the first try, that's the grade that will show on your transcript.

With our current state standards, I'm afraid there will be a lot more students like you that are frustrated with math. There won't be any room for error in our district: if you fail any semester, you won't graduate on time. The district is going to be forced into offering summer school or we're going to have a lot of fifth-year seniors.