When a GED is not enough...

[bulbasaur]

A GED is not the only way to get a high school equivalency.  There is also TASC and HiSET.  These tests have been out for a while, but I just recently found out. 

These tests are supposed to be equivalent to a high school diploma, but has anyone actually applied and entered to college with one?  If a GED, TASC, and HiSET can be seen as a high school diploma, then wouldn't it be cool to push your kid along?  I think a keen 14-18 year old can do college-level material (at least first year college).  Some high school kids are already doing high level calculus and above.  So why not move on ahead?  I know there are programs out there that give high school kids college credit, but if a 16 year old want to try to move on ahead, then why not?  Why be forced to stay in high school? 

[bulbasaur]

Simply being an honors student isn't a good enough indication of whether or not a person is ready for college.  Heck, being #1 isn't a good indication.  There is a reason why no one lists their high school class ranking on their professional resumes.

When I was in high school, I thought calculus was high level math.  I was taking precal as a sophomore, and I thought I was ahead of the curve because not many kids at my school were taking precal as a sophomore.  However, when I changed schools (to a more affluent one), I found myself trailing.  Many of the kids were already taking cal2 and 3 or diffeq or above, and some were so far ahead that they were doing independent study.  These kids were clearly exposed to more opportunities than me.  Some of these kids left their junior or senior to go straight to college.  They were academically successful. 

The kids who are good candidates to skip are probably those who go to private schools or those who come from home effective home schooling.  A lot of private schools emulate a college course and schedule.  Some schools have a harder schedule. 

I don't know about those things.

But i'd say.  It goes way beyond just being able to take on the classes.

From what one of my old high school friends said (I didn't run into her till recently even though we went to the same college).  Going straight from high school to college is tough.  She was an honor student, she did take AP courses, and she was taking Calculus.  She found them fun and challenging.  And so when she got to college (CSUS) she found the bio courses, some of the math courses to be harder along with juggling everything.

Aside from the "college life" being superbly different and juggling with time.
One of the things she had to learn to adapt to was the pacing.  In high school,  we learned the whole book in one year.  We had class 3x a week.  2 of those are 2 hour block periods, and 1 is a 45 min class.  So there was more time to work in class, ask questions in class, and overall more time to really get used to the material before testing day.

VS college.
Where its about a 16 week semester and you learn just about the entire book.  Class is roughly 1 hour 15 minutes long, 2 days a week.  She did get help from professor and classmates and she did do well.  However, the pacing is very different.

I get what she means.  In high school we had an 8-3 schedule.  it was very static.  We can easily set everything up accordingly.  There was a whole year to learn the entire book.  Time wasn't an issue.  And then when you get to college all of that is cut shorter and you just have to pick up the pace and adapt accordingly.  One semester you might have all morning, one semester you might have all night courses.  One semester you might have gaps.  You just have to learn to adapt.

And she also told me about her cousin who goes to UCD and they use a quarter system.  I don't know what that is too well, but apparently, instead of classes being a full semester, they are quarters of about 10 weeks each. 
-------------------------------------------------------
I guess.  If the kids wants to go for it.  I won't hold them back. GO FOR IT.  But they must know that college is very different from high school in many aspects.  If you're lucky you get classes your first semester that helps transition you into college.  But if you're like me, you didn't get the transition, you just had to adapt.

[thePoster]

Man...the best way to learn...


Well let me just say...it was like 3 test a week!!!

[Giggles_Shyly]

I found this out recently! CA residence individuals who failed their exit exams

Senate Bill No. 172 states: students who failed the California High School Exit Exam to receive a high school diploma retroactively and will require school districts to award diplomas to students who met every other graduation target but failed the exit exam, which became a requirement starting with the class of 2006.

Thought it may help a few individuals who fall into this category.

[nightrider]

A GED is not the only way to get a high school equivalency.  There is also TASC and HiSET.  These tests have been out for a while, but I just recently found out. 

These tests are supposed to be equivalent to a high school diploma, but has anyone actually applied and entered to college with one?  If a GED, TASC, and HiSET can be seen as a high school diploma, then wouldn't it be cool to push your kid along?  I think a keen 14-18 year old can do college-level material (at least first year college).  Some high school kids are already doing high level calculus and above.  So why not move on ahead?  I know there are programs out there that give high school kids college credit, but if a 16 year old want to try to move on ahead, then why not?  Why be forced to stay in high school?

It's supposed to be equivalent to your standard HS diploma at the regular level but in fact, it is not but inferior to that of a regular HS diploma track. Kids or adult individuals going thru a GED path is even less prepared than regular diplomas for college. If you want your kids to get on the fast track, you need to force them to learn every critical courses of advance Math, Science, and Literature before entering middle school. It's important that your kid can impress the teachers for such placements to happen. I've seen my fair share of kids whom were really just in middle school but got bump up to HS as freshmen and taking senior subject courses. I wasn't around to see them but for sure, those kids would have graduated after their 2nd year of HS as there's no longer any advance courses to teach them.

[thePoster]

Man, yalls don't even know what fast pace is...


The course that I just got done taking.....


We talking covering books and books and tests and tests...

Like 3 test a week...

I mean Cheezez...


I look back and wonder how I even did it....

And somedays....i was a zombie because no sleep and then test that following morning....


But here I am now!!!   Lead cook at chillis!

[techy]

I think it's a great idea.  Just make sure your child is mentally, socially, and academically ready.  Sometimes we forget the soft skills are also learned through normal education process - friends, teamwork, study skills, mental resilience to take on loads and loads of work, ability to deal with unclear expectations, and experience to understand the context of what university level education may expect.  Know your child well enough so that you don't set your child up for failure either.

As long as we can give them all the soft social skills and they are ready academically, we shouldn't let the system hold back the brilliance of our future generations.