My 15 year old niece who lives in Florida will be coming to live with us here in PA. I will be homeschooling her in Pennsylvania. Since we'll have temporary guardianship, I know that I can just folllow PA law regarding homeschooling her. However, I want to keep open the possibility of her re-entering the Florida school system should she want to go home after this year or if her parents insist that she come home or if we just can't do it more than a year. We all are committed to one year, but we'll have to evaulate it after that. My niece failed 9th grade. She failed all the core subjects and passed just PE and music. I want to start her on the road to making up that lost year. I'm pretty sure that if she has to stay in school past her original graduation date, she will just drop out. So, for instance, if we cover Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 this year; will Florida's school system give her two math credits even though they were earned in one year? If we do a full literature course and a full writing course, can I call that two English credits? She's a bright girl; she can do it. In fact, I think she will do better if she is challenged a bit. Thanks.
I know when I was in 3rd grade many moons ago! I failed. My parents took me out and put me in a private school. Even though I had made the progression that I needed to they still didn't let me move back to my original grade. Saying that, you should have her parents ask the school district in Florida. There policy's may be different. I am 40 now so this was a very long time ago. I would recommend letting her make it up and graduate as a homeschooler if that is a option.
You will need to check with the specific school she would go back to if she goes back, each one could be different. Now.. here in PA, she would still need to have mastered 4 years of math to graduate as a homeschooler, not simply done 4 levels... does that make sense? So most likely if she were to enter a diploma program here, they wouldn't count her failed 9th grade year and she would still have to complete 4 full years of math. My SIL is homeschooling her oldest, she is a special needs child and they didn't like that for school in the public school they did things that got the children ready for the real world (like field trips to the grocery store, and the kids each taking turns telling the driver directions to and from the store and such things) :roll:. I really think it's a matter of they try to copy what hubby and I do... anyway, the girl is now 17, should be a senior this year... BUT because my SIL didn't keep any transcripts and didn't cover what is required to be considered a homeschool graduate here in PA, my neice will sit in limbo. She wanted to go back to highschool and get a diploma.. going back halfway through this year.. well the school told her it won't happen because she hasn't had all the required subjects for the required numbers of years. The girl would never be able to pass her GED either
If her parents aren't opposed, you could teach her everything she needs to know in x-amount of time and have her take the GED for a diploma equivalent (check the state for minimum age requirement... they're different). That way, it doesn't matter what grade the school thinks she's in. I know you only have a one year commitment, but for someone who's as bright as you say but failing in PS, I bet the reason has something to do with the school itself (teachers, peers, stress, or whatever). I bet she'll decide she doesn't want to go back at all. With a GED, she has the option of career or college just like a diploma-carrying graduate would.
Isn't that silly that PA goes by time rather than content? I've just started researching graduation requirements here, so I did not know that yet. It seems to me that if a child did Algebra 1 and Algebra 2 in one year, she should get 2 math credits. I know she couldn't do that in school, but she could take Business or Consumer Math and Algebra 1 in school and get two math credits in one year. I think the problem is partly at the school, but she has more stress at home than a 15 year old should. She failed, because she did nothing, but yet she aces Florida's standardized test. It is possible that she could be in PA until she graduates, but I'm not guarenteed that, so I want to make sure that I'm leaving all her options open.
I would contact the school yourself and see what they have to say... and if they say something like yes she can get in her credits by doing 2 years in one and be considered a JR next year tell them you would like it in writing to cover you in case they would change their mind between now and then.
