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.
One of the reasons why a lot of people don't go to grad school (myself included).....
I was such a slow learner that I did 3 years of graduate school before I finally understood how worthless it was. I did all but the dissertation. PHds in the social sciences such as education are a FRAUD. Works in the hard sciences though.
When I was a Sophomore in HS, I had dropped out and ended up in alternative school. I begged my principal to let me take the GED so I could go on to college. He refused. I went to my regular high school principal and he refused, also...but let me do a program called "Running Start" where I could take all my classes at the community college and get credit for both. I ended up getting my HS diploma and Associate Degree the same month. It was the best move I ever made. High school was such a waste of time. I will be offering that option to my children, too.
Good points and good post
"High school was such a waste of time. I will be offering that option to my children, too."
I have to admit, this is tempting option for a lot of reasons. You guys are making a LOT of sense.
Credits in the district were awarded based on hours spent in the classroom, and NOT demonstrated knowledge.
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The same thing happened to my brother. He was quite gifted as well, but he was so bored by the whole thing he skipped class a lot. They were going to make him re-take his senior year because of it, even though he had straight "A"'s. He ultimately dropped out and got his GED instead of retaking his entire year.
He wasn't black, but the liberal mind set that ran his school was trying to hold him back as well. Good thing for both of you that you found ways around it. Although I have to say, I think your approach was a lot more responsible than his. :)
One thing I did was take a job where I was working on swing shifts as a security guard. Everyone else was bored stiff, but I was able to take advantage and study on the job. Unfortunately, the supervisors saw that I was someone trying to improve himself and jealously sought to hamper this activity. Reading magazines -- OK. Reading text books -- not allowed. I had to photocopy my text books.
I would encourage you to take that GED test and focus on some kind of strategy such as this one. There are scholarships available which come to your advantage. When I was working my way through college, there was no such thing as a 529 fund. If there were, I wouldn't have paid any income taxes whatsoever. Every little bit helps.
Also, keep in mind that you have a support structure of more than half a million people here in FR that would be rooting for you. GO Girl!
Get your GED. My brother did. He then got an Associates degree at the local community college, went in the Army for several years and now runs product development at Dell Computers.
Me, I sit here with my almost MBA (I need to do the electives and the school is a 2 hour drive away) with huge student loan debt.
Bro owns his home, has one of his girls in college and is getting ready to build on his new property.
Because it challenges the liberal's sacred cow of equality. If some kids can do it faster, that means they're smarter or more ambitious...and the class clown might feel stupid as a result - which we just couldn't have /sarcasm
A couple of visits to Free Republic will wipe out that liberal brainwashing. Don't worry. ;-)
Yes, I am interested in that. I guess I am opposed to the GED because in my mind there is a stigma attached. It is perhaps unimportant in the long run, but I'd like to explore every other option first.
"not too much they can do about math for instance"
I'll give you one chance to retract the above statement. If you don't you may in for a firestorm here.
If you have an AA, no one is worried about what type of H.S. diploma you have.
No, a GED isn't the only option. There are a lot of
online high schools that will accept older people. For
starters you can try American School.
"If you have an AA, no one is worried about what type of H.S. diploma you have."
***Actually, I found that employers stopped asking about high school well before I got an AA degree. As soon as I had a few college classes under my belt, high school had become completely irrelevant. Just by saying you attend a certain college, their assumption is you have a high school diploma.
And there is no stigma attached whatsoever. I actually bring it up as a point of pride that I never graduated from my ridiculous high school but I have a college degree.
My high school was among the worst in the nation at the time, even though it was in a "good" neighborhood, because there were forced busing policies from the areas that had high concentrations of minorities (and they closed down the schools in the minority districts). It was a mess caused by well-meaning liberal administrators. Basically the school had the same problems as inner city schools without the teachers nor administrators having the slightest idea of how to deal with it.
A woman who taught in my school wrote a book about her experience, titled "My Posse Don't Do Homework". It became a hit movie: "Dangerous Minds" with Michelle Pfeiffer.
I have no comprehension of your statement.
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