Repeating High School Classes
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Repeating High School Classes
Dec 2008
I am looking for an expert opinion from someone who has
been through this or is in the know:
My son is a freshman at a private high school and is not
doing well in one particular class. If he were at our
public high school he would not be taking the class this
year (he would be taking it as a sophomore). My questions
are (a) Can he repeat this class as a sophomore either at
his school or at a different school? What then goes on his
transcript? Or, can he (should he) take the class again
this summer, and what goes on his transcript? (b) Should
he drop the class now and cut his losses (if so, what goes
on his transcript), or should he gut it out and retake it
later (which might help because he will have had the
material)? It looks unlikely that his grade will improve
in this class, and I feel guilty for having him take it as
a freshman, as it is dragging his GPA down. Thanks in
advance for advice.
concerned parent
If your son is doing so poorly in this class, you see no
way he could improve, and you think he would do better
taking it somewhere else or in a later year, then it
sounds like a good idea to cut his losses now. HOWEVER,
will the high school allow him to drop a course this
late? Find out. Also, ask the high school how it would
appear on his transcript. Schools may differ in this so
you need to know for your particular school.
However, if the school won't let him drop the course, then
do overything you can to get him help (tutors, study
materials)to try to improve that grade.
If he can drop the course, next time he gets ready to take
the course, line up a tutor ahead and time and make sure
he focuses on this subject right from the beginning. Give
him all the help you can.
taking it somewhere else or in a later year, then it
sounds like a good idea to cut his losses now. HOWEVER,
will the high school allow him to drop a course this
late? Find out. Also, ask the high school how it would
appear on his transcript. Schools may differ in this so
you need to know for your particular school.
By the way, I'm not really sure that the student can re-
take courses unless he gets a D or F in them, and I'd
think it would be better to avoid those types of grades on
a transcript.
Anonymous
Your question is multifaceted. I suggest you check with
the high school counselor. As one of those myself, I know
from experience that it depends on the school/district
policy and the grade in the class. Also, transcript
ramifications will vary by school/district. In my school
district all grades are reported on the transcript. When
completing college applications, the colleges usually want
all grades on the application and each college will
recompute the grades according to their own internal
formula. Usually the gpa is recalculated using the higher
of grades when repeating a D or F. Confused? Call the
high school counselor and he/she will explain it to you
specifically to your son/daughter's situation.
Jenifer
You should consult with the school your child will graduate
from. They provide the transcripts and the rules about what
they will and won't accept. You cannot be the only person
to have this experience. Maybe they have some helpful
suggestions for you.
anonymous
Dear Concerned Parent,
Your son's school counselor should be able to tell you what
happens if your son drops the course now versus remaining in
the course until completion, and whether he can take it
again at the school next year based upon his final grade.
However, we would like to let you know of an alternative
approach to resolving this dilemma. The School for
Independent Learners (SIL) is a private high school on
Solano Avenue in Albany that offers one-to-one teaching of
U.C. approved high school courses for credit. We have both
full-time students and students who take individual courses
while remaining enrolled in their school of record. We use
a mastery learning approach--if your son doesn't do well on
a test, we reteach and retest to insure success. The
one-to-one approach also allows us to match your student's
pace and learning style. We have year-round registration,
so your son can start at any time, including in the summer.
Your son can repeat his class here after completing it at
his school, or drop the class (if his school will allow
this) and take it at SIL instead. We then provide a
WASC-accredited transcript to his high school for the
completed course.
If you choose to keep him in his current class for now, we
can also provide tutoring, and then if he drops the course
later or needs to repeat it due to a poor grade, his tutor
could continue as his teacher to complete the course with
improved understanding and mastery. If you'd like to find
out more about this option, feel free to contact us at
510-525-5506.
Karen
this page was last updated: Jan 19, 2009
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