Repeating High School Classes

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Repeat the class next year, or drop it now?

Dec 2008

I am looking for an expert opinion from someone who has been through this or is in the know: My son is a freshman at a private high school and is not doing well in one particular class. If he were at our public high school he would not be taking the class this year (he would be taking it as a sophomore). My questions are (a) Can he repeat this class as a sophomore either at his school or at a different school? What then goes on his transcript? Or, can he (should he) take the class again this summer, and what goes on his transcript? (b) Should he drop the class now and cut his losses (if so, what goes on his transcript), or should he gut it out and retake it later (which might help because he will have had the material)? It looks unlikely that his grade will improve in this class, and I feel guilty for having him take it as a freshman, as it is dragging his GPA down. Thanks in advance for advice. concerned parent

If your son is doing so poorly in this class, you see no way he could improve, and you think he would do better taking it somewhere else or in a later year, then it sounds like a good idea to cut his losses now. HOWEVER, will the high school allow him to drop a course this late? Find out. Also, ask the high school how it would appear on his transcript. Schools may differ in this so you need to know for your particular school.

However, if the school won't let him drop the course, then do overything you can to get him help (tutors, study materials)to try to improve that grade.

If he can drop the course, next time he gets ready to take the course, line up a tutor ahead and time and make sure he focuses on this subject right from the beginning. Give him all the help you can.

taking it somewhere else or in a later year, then it sounds like a good idea to cut his losses now. HOWEVER, will the high school allow him to drop a course this late? Find out. Also, ask the high school how it would appear on his transcript. Schools may differ in this so you need to know for your particular school.

By the way, I'm not really sure that the student can re- take courses unless he gets a D or F in them, and I'd think it would be better to avoid those types of grades on a transcript. Anonymous

Your question is multifaceted. I suggest you check with the high school counselor. As one of those myself, I know from experience that it depends on the school/district policy and the grade in the class. Also, transcript ramifications will vary by school/district. In my school district all grades are reported on the transcript. When completing college applications, the colleges usually want all grades on the application and each college will recompute the grades according to their own internal formula. Usually the gpa is recalculated using the higher of grades when repeating a D or F. Confused? Call the high school counselor and he/she will explain it to you specifically to your son/daughter's situation. Jenifer

You should consult with the school your child will graduate from. They provide the transcripts and the rules about what they will and won't accept. You cannot be the only person to have this experience. Maybe they have some helpful suggestions for you. anonymous

Dear Concerned Parent,
Your son's school counselor should be able to tell you what happens if your son drops the course now versus remaining in the course until completion, and whether he can take it again at the school next year based upon his final grade. However, we would like to let you know of an alternative approach to resolving this dilemma. The School for Independent Learners (SIL) is a private high school on Solano Avenue in Albany that offers one-to-one teaching of U.C. approved high school courses for credit. We have both full-time students and students who take individual courses while remaining enrolled in their school of record. We use a mastery learning approach--if your son doesn't do well on a test, we reteach and retest to insure success. The one-to-one approach also allows us to match your student's pace and learning style. We have year-round registration, so your son can start at any time, including in the summer. Your son can repeat his class here after completing it at his school, or drop the class (if his school will allow this) and take it at SIL instead. We then provide a WASC-accredited transcript to his high school for the completed course.

If you choose to keep him in his current class for now, we can also provide tutoring, and then if he drops the course later or needs to repeat it due to a poor grade, his tutor could continue as his teacher to complete the course with improved understanding and mastery. If you'd like to find out more about this option, feel free to contact us at 510-525-5506. Karen