tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post3242562887008629139..comments2024-03-28T02:21:17.452-07:00Comments on Seattle Schools Community Forum: High School CreditMelissa Westbrookhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17179994245880629080noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-16552163064754215172008-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:002008-08-26T09:27:00.000-07:00I was familiar with this WAC and so did not usuall...I was familiar with this WAC and so did not usually include the Washington State History class on my list of courses available for high school credit. Director Martin-Morris, however, specifically mentioned it on his list of classes that should be eligible for credit.<BR/><BR/>Here is <A HREF="http://apps.leg.wa.gov/WAC/default.aspx?cite=180-51-061" REL="nofollow">the WAC</A> and here is what it says on this matter:<BR/><BR/>"<I>(A) For purposes of the Washington state history and government requirement only, the term "secondary student" shall mean a student who is in one of the grades seven through twelve. If a district offers this course in the seventh or eighth grade, it can still count towards the state history and government graduation requirement. However, the course should only count as a high school credit if the academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors. (RCW 28A.230.090(4).)</I>"Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-78728598773689660572008-08-25T23:09:00.000-07:002008-08-25T23:09:00.000-07:00FYI- Charlie, have you read WAC 180-51-061? There ...FYI- Charlie, have you read WAC 180-51-061? There is some more specific language about getting HS credit for WA State History which might be of interest.SPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12726295210572942506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-12385634708883374622008-08-25T06:11:00.000-07:002008-08-25T06:11:00.000-07:00taylor, and anyone else interested in high school ...<A HREF="http://www.blogger.com/profile/16113567168931120400" REL="nofollow">taylor</A>, and anyone else interested in high school credit for classes taken in middle school, need only petition the Board for the credit. I did it via email. This was the full content of my message:<BR/><BR/>"<I>From: Charlie Mas [mailto:charliemas@msn.com]<BR/>Sent: Tuesday, August 12, 2008 8:07 AM<BR/>To: SchoolBoard<BR/>Subject: Petition for high school credit per RCW 28A.230.090<BR/><BR/>Members of the Seattle School Board,<BR/> <BR/>I am writing to petition you for high school credit for my daughter, Xxxxx Xxx, for the Integrated I math class she took at Washington Middle School during the 2006-2007 school year.<BR/> <BR/>Per RCW 28A.230.090, Section 4, "If requested by the student and his or her family, a student who has completed high school courses before attending high school shall be given high school credit which shall be applied to fulfilling high school graduation requirements if: ...<BR/>"(b) The academic level of the course exceeds the requirements for seventh and eighth grade classes and the course would qualify for high school credit, because the course is similar or equivalent to a course offered at a high school in the district as determined by the school district board of directors."<BR/> <BR/>I don't think there is any question that the Integrated I course at Washington exceeds the requirements for seventh grade classes. Nor is there any question that the course would qualify for high school credit because it is similar to the Integrated I course offered at district high schools. It only remains for the Board of directors to make that determination and grant the credit.<BR/> <BR/>I look forward to your determination and high school credit awarded to my daughter.<BR/> <BR/>Thank you for your attention,<BR/> <BR/>Charlie Mas</I>"<BR/><BR/>I don't think I can say it strongly enough:<BR/><BR/><B>Everyone who wants high school credit for classes taken in middle school should petition the Board for the credit.</B><BR/><BR/>While this is a matter of principle, and it shouldn't matter if the Board receives one petition or one hundred or one thousand, one thousand would be better.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-76717124129262744452008-08-24T20:32:00.000-07:002008-08-24T20:32:00.000-07:00I have a student who took high school level foreig...I have a student who took high school level foreign language (Spanish) in an eastside school district (WA state) in 8th grade and was given high school credit from that district. When we transferred into the Seattle Public Schools in 9th grade, we asked the high school guidance counselor at the beginning of the school year to check out to see if the transferred transcripts gave the student's HS credit for this advanced Spanish class. After two more inquiries, the high school guidance counselor told us via e-mail that there would not be high school credit. <BR/><BR/>How should we proceed? Should we go to a school board meeting and requested since we were denied at the beginning of 2007?taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16113567168931120400noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-20932848800886078912008-08-22T18:49:00.000-07:002008-08-22T18:49:00.000-07:00I have had a phone conversation with Director Mart...I have had a phone conversation with Director Martin-Morris on this topic.<BR/><BR/>1. He, too, believes that this decision is the Board's, not the staff's. Actually, he seemed kind of angry about the usurption. He says he has the votes and that the Board will take action on this in September.<BR/><BR/>2. Unlike Ms Derse', Director Martin-Morris believes that if the District cannot say with confidence that the class is notably different (and they can't) that we should presume that the middle school versions of these classes are, in fact, equivalent to the high school versions. It is up to the staff to assure the equivalency of the courses.<BR/><BR/>3. Director Martin-Morris believes the credit SHOULD be retroactive and intends to award it to every student still in high school who requests it.<BR/><BR/>4. Director Martin-Morris also rejects the notion of predicating the credit on the teacher's qualifications.<BR/><BR/>In short, Director Martin-Morris, and the Board majority he represents, all share the same perspective on this matter. Moreover, they believe, as I do, that this is a twenty-minute problem - not a two-year one. He intends to open and close the book on this in September.<BR/><BR/>He will bring a motion to the Board to amend Policy D46.01, to name a list of courses that they will declare equivalent to ones taught in high school (the Integrated math classes, two years of world language, and the Washington State History class), and to make the credit available to any student still enrolled in high school who requests it. He doesn't anticipate much discussion and he has assured me of a majority of votes in support of the motion. There's your twenty-minute solution.<BR/><BR/>I look forward to the positive resolution of this issue within the next 60 days.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-57879048257408501122008-08-21T10:19:00.000-07:002008-08-21T10:19:00.000-07:00You get what's weird about this, right?It's the la...You get what's weird about this, right?<BR/><BR/>It's the law that the students should be eligible for high school credit for these classes.<BR/><BR/>Everybody, from the Board on down, including the superintendent, the CAO, and the Director of High Schools, agrees that the students should get high school credit for these classes.<BR/><BR/>Everybody, from the Board on down, including the superintendent, the CAO, and the Director of High Schools, wants the students to get high school credit for these classes.<BR/><BR/>So all of these forces and people are all on the same side. The only resistance is from bureaucratic inertia - yet the bureaucratic inertia is winning.<BR/><BR/>How can it be that everyone in the institution is in favor of it, yet the institution still opposes it? That's madness.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-88220078577779053402008-08-21T10:09:00.000-07:002008-08-21T10:09:00.000-07:00Some of the recommendations essentially call for g...<B><I>Some of the recommendations essentially call for greater fidelity of implementation across the district of existing district procedures and policies. These recommendations are going forward right away.</I></B><BR/><BR/>What a statement coming from the SPS the crew that ignores their own School Board Policies and is now hung up on fidelity. What has been going on since July 1985 when the Promotion / non promotion policies were last revised?<BR/><BR/>read D43 D44 D45 D46<BR/><BR/>This is just another instance of long and continuing incompetence that the School Board fails to address.<BR/><BR/>Is it anyone's job to know what is required at any grade level or in any course?<BR/><BR/>Apparently NOT.<BR/><BR/>Disregarding State Law appears to be nothing more than a minor inconvenience in the SPS. Keep up the good work Charlie.<BR/><BR/>I would encourage people to read the Phi Delta Kappa curriculum audit and see just how much has been and continues to be ignored by SPS leaders.dan dempseyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15536720661510933983noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-64069863053153412052008-08-21T08:25:00.000-07:002008-08-21T08:25:00.000-07:00I thought the whole point of AP classes at Lowell ...I thought the whole point of AP classes at Lowell and Washington was to have the student working two grade levels above. So it would seem that the Integrated Math I would definitely be equal to the Freshman equivalent in High School. <BR/>I could see if the course had been offered at a different school District, but shouldn't SPS know the quality level of their own programs?SolvayGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12709893209963350066noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-32156860136722324012008-08-21T07:59:00.000-07:002008-08-21T07:59:00.000-07:00Helen, you are correct. However, if the placement ...Helen, you are correct. However, if the placement is a direct consequence of the successful completion of the Integrated I course in middle school, and not a consequence of any other factor, then the placement is, in fact, a de facto recognition of the equivalency of the middle school course.Charlie Mashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17173903762962067277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-19713436271226610712008-08-21T06:59:00.000-07:002008-08-21T06:59:00.000-07:00But you can place out of a class without necessari...But you can place out of a class without necessarily having taken another such class. I've heard of a number of kids who skipped a year of the Integrated Math sequence, and some who've skipped a year in Japanese. So I don't think placement is everything as far as getting credit (nor do I think it necessarily should be).<BR/><BR/>Helen Schinskehschinskehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10316478950862562594noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28765366.post-31887138408656652002008-08-20T23:43:00.000-07:002008-08-20T23:43:00.000-07:00Isn't the fact that students who take Integrated I...Isn't the fact that students who take Integrated I in MS are placed into Integrated II in HS a de facto acknowledgement that the MS class is "similar or equivalent" to the HS course? (Same for language and Integrated II)Maureenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18444916440000921599noreply@blogger.com