Posted on 01/06/2005 7:58:45 PM PST by Kevin OMalley
I've been getting asked more and more about my position that high school is a waste of time and my recommendation for parents to give their children a choice to skip high school. This is in response to the liberal agendas now prevalent in high schools as well as the simple fact that such a strategy would give kids a 4 year head start on their peers. Below are some useful links for investigating this option. I will repost my own experience under that.
http://parents.berkeley.edu/advice/school/equivexam.html
UCB Parents Advice about School Taking the High School Equivalency Exam Advice and recommendations from the UCB Parents mailing list. This page is brought to you by UC Berkeley Parents Network Back to: Advice about School & Preschool --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
How does GED differ from CHSPE? What's an R-4 Affadavit? 16-year-old wants to drop out & take the GED
http://www.cde.ca.gov/ta/tg/sp/documents/faq.pdf
California High School Proficiency Exam (CHSPE) Frequently Asked Questions — FAQs
http://www.hsc.org/chaos/teens/tests.php
Tests (CHSPE and GED) By Wes Beach Tests provide a limited means of measuring test-taking ability and maybe other things. Don't let them be any kind of measure of who your kids are. They can, however, serve important practical purposes such as high school completion or college admissions and credit.
There are two tests by means of which to earn a high-school-diploma-equivalent certificate: the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) and the General Educational Development (GED). The CHSPE has a narrower focus and tests skills and knowledge in reading, math, writing, and language. The GED includes these areas and also tests in science and social studies. Opinions vary about which test is more difficult, and different perceptions probably arise from kids with different strengths. The GED is more widely known and may be more readily accepted, although it is a myth that the CHSPE Certificate is unacceptable outside California.
In California (different states have different rules), anyone 18 or older can take the GED, and there are exceptions for somewhat younger people under some circumstances. It is administered by adult education schools in public school districts and is offered frequently. Contact your local adult school for information on the GED or call the GED Office at the California Department of Education at (800) 331-6316.
The CHSPE may be taken by anyone who, on the day of the exam, is 16 or older, or has finished the tenth grade, or is enrolled in the second semester of the tenth grade. This exam is offered two or three times a year at test sites throughout the state. CHSPE information bulletins can be found at high schools and libraries or at http://www.chspe.net/. For questions not answered in the bulletin, call (866) 342-4773. There is a great deal of misinformation about the CHSPE floating around, especially within the public schools. Check the official bulletin to confirm anything you hear. A student who passes the CHSPE still has the right to attend public high school if desired.
If a CHSPE or GED certificate is to be used for admission to college, entering the military, specific job requirements, etc., be sure to check at the source (the colleges, the military, the employer, etc.) regarding their policies.
Preparation books for these exams can be found in bookstores and libraries.
The College Board/Educational Testing Service offers a number of exams that can support college admission and/or can lead to college credit:
The PSAT, a shortened version of SAT I, is usually taken by high school juniors. If a student is in high school at the time he takes this test, he is automatically entered into the National Merit Scholarship competition. The PSAT is administered by high schools on their campuses; non-enrolled students may be allowed to take the test. Contact local high schools. SAT I (possibly along with SAT II) may be required for admission to four-year colleges and universities. There are two parts to SAT I: verbal—analogies, sentence completions, and critical reading questions—and math at the high school college preparatory level. The SAT's (I & II) are given at test sites throughout the state; sites are listed in the application booklet (see below). SAT II is a set of separate tests on high school subjects—world history, chemistry, French, etc. Advanced Placement: Colleges often grant credit for sufficiently high scores on AP exams. These exams are final exams in college-level classes taught in high school and are given at high schools at the end of the courses; students who have not taken the courses may be allowed to take the exams. Colleges also grant credit for good scores on CLEP exams. These exams are generally easier than AP exams, are given at test centers throughout the state, and cover the content of more than thirty college-level courses. ACT (formerly American College Testing) offers the ACT, a somewhat broader college admission test that colleges may use instead of or in addition to the SAT. The ACT consists of four sections: English, math, reading, and science. Even when SAT/ACT scores aren't required, they provide one way (there are others) to demonstrate academic ability and acquired knowledge in the absence of a traditional transcript. It may be possible to gain admission to the schools your kids choose through testing alone, and impressive test scores always add strength to a college application. Just as in the case with the SAT/ACT, good scores on AP and/or CLEP exams can support a college application. Check carefully with colleges of interest for their policies regarding credit. Classes that prepare students for these tests may be offered by high schools, adult schools, community colleges, and private companies.
Guides and preparation materials can be found in libraries and bookstores. Explanatory and application materials from the College Board and ACT can be found at high schools, colleges, and libraries, and also can be obtained directly from the College Board at (510) 873-8000 or at http://www.collegeboard.org; SAT tests will be changing within the next few years. To keep informed of those changes, check the website http://www.collegeboard.com/about/newsat/newsat.html. Information about the ACT can be obtained at (916) 631-9200 or at http://www.act.org. Information on the GED is available at http://www.acenet.edu/calec/ged.
http://www.collegeconfidential.com/dean/archives/000064.htm
College Confidential: Does CHSPE = GED?
Question: When colleges say that they accept GEDs, what does that mean for the CHSPE? Do they accept that credential as a high school diploma? If not, what should I do?
At the California High School Proficiency Examination (CHSPE) Web site (www.cde.ca.gov/statetests/chspe) you can find an Information Bulletin and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the CHSPE. California law states that the Certificate of Proficiency provided to students who pass the CHSPE is equivalent to a high school diploma. In other words, institutions that are subject to California law and that require a high school diploma must also accept the CHSPE. (However, the Certificate of Proficiency is not equivalent to completing all course work required for regular graduation from high school.)
Therefore, if you've received the CHSPE Certificate of Proficiency, your certificate would be equivalent to a high school diploma. The Certificate of Proficiency is not equivalent to completing all course work required for regular graduation from high school in California. However--and this is a good caveat for most general college-entrance-related questions--you should always check with the admissions offices (or admissions sections of the Web sites) of those colleges to which you are considering applying. This is especially important if you're interested in colleges and universities outside of California that may not accept the CHSPE or may not even be familiar with it.
"There was a story in educationnews.org today about a high school in Dallas that wouldn't let kids go to the bathroom during class unless they were accompanied by a POLICE OFFICER or the school nurse...."
***Nor can the student wear the necklace of her choice.
Patriotic Necklace Gets Student In Trouble
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/bloggers/1316316/posts?page=1
Here's another one:
http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/stories/010805/met_17636853.shtml
Taser guns in the school. Parents are concerned according to the article.
"The statements we've made about the safety of the Taser is supported by adequate studies," said Smith, who traveled to Palatka in December to defend the device used in Putnam County schools before dozens of concerned parents."
The parents are nuts if they send their kids to schools that are apparently so dangerous, there have to be guards patrolling the halls with taser guns.
Welcome to the "Day Prison."
Actually, Freeper University isn't what I meant. That would be too much work and tons of money. The opportunity is for the Free Republic High School Diploma. We could arrange proctored assessment exams that would be tougher than CHSPE and GED. We set it up so that the kids are "dual track" or whatever it takes to get them through the loophole. And then they're off to the local community college. At 14 years of age.
It would be especially interesting to set up these kids with 529 funds and publish to all the freepers how they could contribute if they desired. Money donated into such a fund can only be used for education and not goofing off/drinking beer/loitering/whatever.
From Teen Scene Magazine:
http://www.teenscenemag.com/sections/reallife/reality/intellect.php
Reality - Lauren Betancourt: Not Your Average College Graduate
Lauren Betancourt is not your average college graduate. She is not able to vote, go to the bars or even officially be called an adult yet. That's because Lauren entered college at the age of 13 and graduated at 16 years old from The University of Hartford with a Bachelor of Science in Biology Degree.
Lauren went to high school orientation, but wasn't excited about attending. While on her way home, Lauren said to her mom, "Wouldn't it be cool if I could just skip high school?" Lauren and her mom looked into it. Lauren had to take 5 CLEP tests which are tests that students of any age can take to demonstrate college-level achievement through a program of exams in undergraduate college courses. She also had to meet with the board of professors from the college so they could ask her questions and see if she was mature enough to interact with the other students. Her hard work paid off and she was off to college.
While attending college Lauren said that she didn't really tell anyone her age, unless they asked. But most people just assumed she was your average 18 year old college student. She explains that most of the time, her age did not change her friendship with the other students. Lauren surrounded herself with people who liked her for her and those were her true friends.
College was exactly what Lauren expected. She went to college to have more opportunities to learn and have a lot more freedom. She got to learn what she wanted, when she wanted and made some lifelong friends. Lauren was entering a world of adults even though she was only 13 years old. Many people told her that she'd never get into college, let alone make it as a college student. But she proved them wrong and accomplished everything they said she wouldn't.
Now that Lauren has graduated college, there is much more in store for her. She would like to get her Masters Degree in the future. But right now, she is taking a break from academics to dance. Lauren has been dancing since she was three years old and now she has the time to pursue it. Lauren states, "Dance is my passion and I am a strong believer in doing what you're passionate about." Lauren wants to pursue a professional career in dance right now and when she is older, go to graduate school.
Besides dance, Lauren keeps busy with a numerous amount of things. She has her own web design business. She also tutors high school kids and just finished teaching a Biology Laboratory Section at the University. She also just started an education site that she hopes will help people research all types of education. For more information, please check out, www.extremeintellect.com.
Lauren's mom spent many hours in the car, either driving or waiting for Lauren during college, that she had to entertain herself somehow. She started taking down a lot of notes about what Lauren did in school and how she was feeling. Lauren and her mom decided to write a book and share their knowledge about her experiences in college. They found that people were asking the same questions over and over again so they put a book together answering them from both their points of view. Lauren hopes her book will inspire people everywhere to follow their dreams and never give up, no matter how unachievable they seem. Lauren says, "Everyone can do what I have done. I was never singled out as "gifted" by school officials. I was not chosen by anyone to skip ahead. I wanted to skip school and my mom was cool with it so we figured out how to do it. I hope my book will give a clearer picture of what accelerated kids are like." She also wants to inspire kids who have been told that they're not good at something. Just because someone else doesn't see your potential, doesn't mean you don't have it. The book will also help kids who may not want to skip high school, but may want to skip a year or two, or finish college early.
If Lauren could go back and do it again, she would skip high school again and go to college. Lauren says she has an extra 5 years now to concentrate on other things like dancing. Lauren also adds that her college experience has made her into exactly the person she wants to be, and she wouldn't change that for the world. Following her dreams has changed her life and she hopes that you follow yours as well.
- Kelly Kurowski, Associate Editor
Some more interesting reading on other forums:
http://www.gamingforce.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-54789.html
Gamingforce Interactive Forums > Gamingforce Network > The Quiet Place > ANGST! > No more High School
There's some fascinating reading on the internet if you type in the phrase "just skip high school". It is a sentiment shared by many teens on their blogs.
".... But I know that employers DO in fact prefer high school diplomas to GEDs. "
***Would most employers prefer an 18 year old with a straight HS diploma or an 18 year old with an AA degree? Assume the same GPA in both cases.
I took a number of advanced courses in 11th and 12th grades that have broadened my education. I would have been poorer intellectually without that knowledge. A student is still developing at that point, IMO.
>>The opportunity is for the Free Republic High School Diploma
Please! Instead of getting indocrinated with left wing crap, the kids will get indoctrinated with libertarian/ultracapitalistic far right crap.
You'll end up with a generation of young adults who bow down to the almight dollar and quote Walter Williams and Greenspan as if they were God.
Just homeschool your kids and select an established, credible curriculum. If you raise them with strong values (especially historical Christian/Judiac/ect based values), they'll be able to navigate their way through political and social issues.
"Best option is to homeschool, and NOT to take the GED."
That's the way we did it with our daughter. If you have a degree in a rigorous subject from a quality college, no one cares how you got through college.
BTTT
That is unthinkable here in the People's Republic of Hillaryland.
"Instead of getting indocrinated with left wing crap, the kids will get indoctrinated with libertarian/ultracapitalistic far right crap. "
***Given a forced choice, I'd take the right wing stuff over the left wing stuff, any day. But I think you miss the point. There's a giant loophole that allows home schoolers to "print their own diploma", and we could take advantage of that to influence an entire generation of kids and education policy. Very inexpensively.
I took advanced courses as well. It was still a waste of time. At the time I was in high school, if one took every AP course offered, he could have built up enough to challenge about 1 semester's worth of college credits. I bypassed all of that by taking just one test. If I had heard about the CHSPE earlier, I could have had 4 years of college under my belt by the time my peers graduated high school, which trumps whatever "advanced" courses would be offered by any high school, especially the heavily liberal indoctrinaire ones.
Just homeschool your kids and select an established, credible curriculum.
***What about parents who cannot afford to home school? This is a credible alternative for them.
If you raise them with strong values (especially historical Christian/Judiac/ect based values), they'll be able to navigate their way through political and social issues.
***There are plenty of kids who KNOW they're not being raised right, who would seek to find a way out of their current prison cell known as high school. This is one way out. It's POTO (Pointing Out The Obvious) to suggest that you should raise your kids with the right values; but it neglects that many kids simply aren't. What is your proposal for them?
While, from a purely technical standpoint, there's little difference between a General Equivalency Diploma and one acquired through the traditional route-in fact, I believe that most noncompetitive colleges consider their relative merit to be equal, in most regards-there is a world of difference in practical terms.
Someone who has been out of the classroom for years is going to have a much harder time adjusting to routine college-level courses than someone who has recently graduated from high school.
>>***Given a forced choice, I'd take the right wing stuff over the left wing stuff, any day
It seems this is based upon the premise that there is only one truth, and those on the ecnomic right own it. Neither system is perfect, and neither is infallible. Why indoctrinate at all?
If you teach your children faith and morals as principal values, they can find the truths which lay in each ecomomic system.
I'm home schooling, rather have him alive than shot dead in educated hood high school. Actually he's ahead and should graduate faster.
Why indoctrinate at all?
***The FR HS diploma proposal has nothing to do with indoctrination. I was answering your implied conditional.
If you teach your children faith and morals as principal values, they can find the truths which lay in each ecomomic system.
***Agreed, but what if you're a child who isn't being taught faith & morals? What are your options? How can you escape the prison of PC moral relativism being force fed in our high schools today?
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