Replies

I found this on TxBec's home page here in Free Republic.

Allowing gifted students to skip high school in Calfornia

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/702562/posts

In addition, here is an interesting proposal from Michigan:

http://www.bridges4kids.org/articles/4-04/MIRS4-23-04.html#top

Smart Kid? Skip High School
MIRS, April 23, 2004
For more articles like this visit http://www.bridges4kids.org.

It's always been assumed that dropping out of high school is a bad thing, but a West Michigan lawmaker has a new twist on the drop out situation with the state picking up the tab.

Rep. Jack Hoogendyk (R-Portage) is finalizing legislation that would allow advanced students to end their high school career after their sophomore year and enter community college or a four-year university with the state paying for the first two yeas of that higher education.

"If you have a motivated son or daughter at home and they want to get moving with their lives and high school is not that important to them, they certainly will have that opportunity," he said.

Funding for this unique program would come by shifting K-12 funds that would go for the 11th and 12th grades and using it pay for kid's college tuition, books and fees. Hoogendyk said that will actually save money for the state because, in most cases, the foundation grant is higher than the tuition in a J.C. or four-year school.

Plus he argues the concept fits in with the Granholm administration's goal of training more students for jobs of the future.

"What will this do for Michigan? I believe it will get more kids in college quicker and will help the governor meet her goals of getting more of children through college and ready for the work force," he contends.

Hoogendyk is calling his bill the Michigan Accelerated College Education Act (MI-ACE) and is eligible to any 15-to 19-year-old who has completed two years of high school or earned high scores on the ACT or SAT.

HB 5791 has been referred to the House Higher Education Committee for review and consideration.

In many high schools here in Michigan fast tracking, achieving high school students can take Community College classes their last two years in high school at district expense (if their district are not offering these classes themselves).

I had two nieces in Petosky do this... it put them 1/2 to 1 year ahead in college while they still had the normal high school activities.

I've recently gone back to college to change careers and since I already hold 3 degrees I didn't want to waste alot of time on entry level classes.... so I'm testing out of many of classes with CLEP or competency exams. One big benefit of this is that it costs less than 1/10 of what it costs to take the courses. Other benefits are that I can do it at my convenience, and I can get older (cheaper) books.

These are 100 and 200 level courses... didn't want to waste my time.

For advanced high school students who are aware of the world this might also be good.

Bill Gates has declared American high schools "obsolete."

Public education isn't preparing teens

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1367344/posts?page=22#22

The Washington Times ^ | 3-21-05 | Michael Smith

Posted on 03/21/2005 11:12:45 AM PST by JZelle

Bill Gates has declared American high schools "obsolete." In a Feb. 26 speech to the National Education Summit on High Schools, he said "our high schools — even when they're working exactly as designed — cannot teach our kids what they need to know today." These criticisms are not new, but the fact that America's most successful businessman is concerned about how America will survive in a world that requires educated workers should cause people to take notice. Mr. Gates went on to say he was "terrified for our work force of tomorrow."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
http://www.washingtontimes.com/metro/20050320-092252-1935r.htm