Shay, Rover, question please?

Don’t know about the other questions — but yes, the “you showed up and passed” diploma isn’t worth much. On the other hand, lots of folks have known that the other kind hasn’t been worth anything either.

Hi Amy,
I’m sorry but it is more complicated than that. In order to receive the standard diploma, they have to pass the following courses: algebra 1 part 1, algebra 1 part 2, geometry, earth science, biology, physics or chemistry, world history 1 and 2, US history, government, and four years of English. They have to pass the following SOLs: 11th grade English (American lit) three parts, writing (a five paragraph essay), reading, and grammar; earth science or biology, algebra 1 (after part 1 and part 2), two of the history tests, either world 1, world 2, or US history. In order to receive a modified diploma,( for sped only, you can get into a VA community college but not a 4 year) you have to pass the 8th grade math and reading SOL. If you opt to not take the tests, you can get either a letter of attendence or an IEP diploma, at least with it, they can get a low paying job!

The courses that you have to take inorder to receive a modified diploma still has to be algebra 1 part 1 and 2, earth science and biology, all four years of English, and two years of history. The problem that we are having is getting our kids to pass algebra 1 part 1! Some of the kids are taking it for the third time and still failing it, never mind not passing the eighth grade SOLs. This is a real problem. I not only have to teach English so that they can pass the 11th grade SOLs but the 8th grade SOLs. The eighth grade SOLs are going to be given in Dec, 11th grade SOls writing and editing portion in March and the reading in May. I have to now drop everything and teach to the test! I feel very stressed, them passing the tests will directly influence their future! I wish that they would just ‘teach’ them in elementary school and throw out whole languge so that I don’t have to do it in 11th grade.

This is something I will have to think about and talk to his teachers about this year. There is a program open to all 8th graders to address their futures that I plan to attend with my son. Believe it or not, the soc. studies and science don’t worry me as much as the math and english.

On the one hand, I don’t want to hinder his future, on the other hand, I don’t have a problem with community college. The U. of W.Florida back when I was college age was only a jr,sr college so most kids I knew who stayed in the area went to cc, got their AA’s or AS’s and then transferred. If they have the program my son wants, I would encourage these schools because of small class size and a much more personal atmosphere. I couldn’t imagine him in a school with over 100 students per class.

I appreciate your help on this, I have been worrying over this ever since the SOL’ s were introduced. We got in on the ground floor of the thing 5 yrs ago. Of course there is no guarantee that we will come to VA, we just like the area best of all the places we have lived. The military kind of likes to keep you hanging as to where you will go next. Well, at least it seems that way.

Thanks again.
Amy

Shay — re third time in algebra 1 and still failing — this is **exactly** the same situation as you have in English with kids taking writing skills 1 or whatever three times and continuing to fail it. As you have found out, if they don’t know the alphabet, they are never going to get writing skills 1. Well, if they don’t know the mathematical alphabet, they are never going to get algebra 1. Two problems with learning the mathematical alphabet: one is that it’s long and cumulative, and there will never be a short and simple program like PG that can cover everything. There are programs, but they take (oh no) time and hard work. The second is that people, especially in the US, simply close their minds to it. Not just the students, but the parents and a large number of teachers don’t want to do that stuff because they see it as pointless — even more of an uphill battle that getting phonics accepted. I have pretty much given up on teaching public high school math before college entrance level; the kids, parents, and teachers all don’t want thinking skills, they want quick tricks and work done for them. Once you reach the do-or-die SOL level, you can try to see if you can get a motivated group together to work after school with a tutor, doing the same kind of ground-up re-teaching you do with PG. Steady work at least three times a week is the only thing that will work; if you could get a group, they could keep costs down. Then, if the majority of them pass, you could try to get the district to finally fund something effective in math maybe in a decade or so.

Hi, I posted a question to you on the teaching math bb. Could you please take a look? Thanks so much.
Amy