I am in a So. California School District known for it's top math program, every year student win top math awards. In MY DISTRICT the school is absolute sticklers that one CAN NOT take outside math and be placed in their HONORS MATH courses. PERIOD, no exception. (I'm not entirely sure what they do with kids moving into the district.) That means taking online Trig/Pre-Calc during the summer would not get him into BC Calculus. (Not sure what this means at this level maybe AB Calculus, at other levels your child would be put in the non-honors course).. Their claim is their HONORS math classes are harder than those at the community college. I've seen this problem more with kids trying to take Geometry is the summer or online and trying to get into Honors Algebra II. But the school takes a very hard line on this. I don't agree with it... but it's there. I do know of a student who started staking Algebra through the district in 5th grade and in 9th grade took AP Calculus. I do not know what this kid is doing this year. But he never skipped a year by taking a class online. The district does (like your student) allow occasional students to start the sequence as early as 5th grade but these students mostly ended up taking AP Stats and AP Computer Science to fill out their upper grades.
I would talk to your district math coordinator, or H.S. math department chair. While I know students who are more than capable of learning at this speed. My own husband finished Calculus as a 9th grader and took math classes through a top university starting in 10th, that was 30 years ago. So I have no doubt that your son could do this. I just suggest your proceed with the summer school idea only after talking with those in charge.
Something else to seriously consider. IF you son wants to get into a Top Tier University. He is more likely to get in by "playing the game". Taking AP and Honors classes through the H.S. gives you +1 on your GPA. If you take the same class online or through a university (even a UC) that grade will be face value. While I don't consider that important, many kids do. Most kids who take Calculus their junior year at my school go on to take AP Stats or AP Computer Science their senior year because on paper (ie.. for the GPA) that "LOOKS" better.
In addition, taking classes at our local UC even though it's very close are fraught with scheduling difficulties. My son is currently in Marching Band. (He Loves It.) But there is no way I could possible fit a course at the UC into his schedule even if he had a hole in his schedule, and even with a very short commute. It's more common for kids take UC classes during the summer.
I don't see anything else really wrong with the rest of the plan assuming that it goes OK for him. That schedule will have a huge homework load & he will be quite busy.
Last edited by bluemagic; 10/16/14 02:59 PM.
