This evening I received the above question to which I answered using the following citation. I think many homeschooling families may find this information vital to their home educating of their 7th/8th grade students.
From the Code of Regulations, Article 19, 43.232 which provides the following:
I. Basic Program/Curriculum for Grades 6-8
B. High School Credit
When approved by the principal and the parents, a student promoted to the seventh or eighth grade may take units of ninth grade or higher work for high school credit.
Many of our state accountability associations have used the following ‘rules of thumbs:’
*A student can only take core subjects in 7th or 8th grade not to include physical education, keyboarding or computer applications.
*A student in the 7th or 8th grade can only gain credit for an elective course if they are also taking a core class that is a high school credit worthy course.
Rule of thumbs mean that they are ‘created’ or ‘decided’ to be a good rule to follow but is not actually stated in state regulations.
If a parent deems that their student is able to handle the rigor and challenge of high school courses in middle school then by all means the homeschooling parent has the freedom to make that determination.
If the student does not fair well in the high school subject while in the 7th or 8th grade then the home educator has the freedom to have the student retake the course in their high schooling years.
The following SC UGS can appy:
“Students taking courses for a Carnegie unit prior to their ninth grade year, only the 9th grade retake grade will be used in figuring the student’s gpa, and only the 9th grade attempt will be shown on the transcript. This grade will apply whether the grade earned is higher or lower than the pre-ninth grade attempt.”
Great question.
~Angela P.