High School Credit in Middle School?

The central tenet of my own thinking regarding Talented and Gifted education is not complicated. It is as simple as the old saw about level and rate of learning. Students should never be pushed ahead or held back because of their ages. They should be allowed to pursue their own next steps across the curriculum.

Should Middle School students be allowed to earn high school credit? Of course. What would be the basis for believing otherwise? Granted, such a common sense approach raises certain logistical question, but they all have fairly simple answers.

FAQ's regarding High School Credit for Middle School Students:

Q: Won't students who pass Algebra or Geometry in Middle School be tempted to stop taking high school math classes as soon as they have met their graduation requirements?

A: Of course they won't, because while they have proven to have a bit of a knack for math, they are presumably under the age of 18 and will do what the significant adults in their lives expect of them. Corbett has seen dozens of instances (each year, in fact) of middle school students earning high school math credit, and not once has the result been that they skimp on math during high school. These are students who finish two years of A.P. Calculus, A.P. Statistics, and sometimes add courses at the community college to round out their senior years.

Q: What if they run out of math to take at the high school level?

A: It is a simple thing to offer two years of A.P. Calculus as well as A.P. Statistics in a high school of over 200 students. For those students who complete this entire series, there are options ranging from community college to correspondence classes. I have occasionally advised seniors to repeat A.P. Calculus(bc) in order that it be fresh for them upon entering college. Reports from the field indicate that this approach has been fruitful.

Q: What if we reserve Algebra I for 9th graders?

A: If students begin with Algebra I at 9th grade, then take Geometry and Algebra II, it seems likely that they will be seniors by the time they take Trig. (They can use their new-found understanding of right triangles to calculate the length of the canes that they will soon need!)

Q: What if we allow Algebra I in 8th grade?

A: Not much better, is it? So now Johnny takes Geometry in 9th, Algebra II in 10th and Trig in 11th? (I know that different programs use different course titles, but these seem to be the trend.) So one shot at a calculus class? Hmmm. Two shots would seem better. Three, better still. There are students (likely five to ten percent) who should be doing Algebra in grades 5 or 6 and reaching Trig by 8th. NOW there is room for an interesting high school math career!

The bottom line is that we need to quit thinking so much like rule-bound institutions and think more like caretakers of the next generation. It is too easy to find ourselves asking nonsense questions based on institutional needs. These children don't exist for the institution. On our best days, we exist for them.

One more FAQ:

Q: Is there such a thing as a dumb question?

A: You betcha.

The Golden Key to the Education of Talented and Gifted students? We need to quit wringing our hands and simply take care of the work that is right in front of us.
That, or read another book about curriculum mapping or the characteristics of gifted youth...