SMART HOME-SCHOOLERS START COLLEGE EARLY

My son did well in his dual enrolment university course last year but he was a private school student

When Sarah Cheney began excelling in her home school lessons, her parents decided it was time for some accelerated learning at the next level. So they joined what has become a growing trend for home schooled high school students. The Cheneys signed up their daughter for dual-enrollment courses at Pasco-Hernando Community College, an option once reserved for students in public schools. ``She's done well,'' said Richard Cheney, her father. ``She's gotten all A's, except one B.'' Dual enrollment allows teenagers to take college courses while they are still in high school. The credits earned are counted toward both a high school diploma and a college degree. Students pay no tuition, but home school students pay for their textbooks. School districts typically pay for textbooks for their dual-enrollment students.

At one time, dual enrollment was strictly for public high school students. Then the program was made available to students in private schools. In 1996, the Legislature expanded the program to include home school students. ``It's an equity issue to be sure we are fair,'' said Paul Szuch, vice president of educational services for PHCC. ``It makes sure all students, whether they are in public school, private school or home school, have access to the program.'' Initially, PHCC didn't see many home school students. That began to change about three or four years ago as what had been one or two students quickly grew, Szuch said. Today, PHCC has 47 dual-enrollment agreements with home school families.

Colleges report that dual enrollment, in general, is growing. But Szuch said the home school portion appears to be increasing at a faster rate at PHCC. Szuch anticipates there could be as many as 60 home- school students in the PHCC program when the fall semester begins in August. ``It wasn't too long ago we didn't have any,'' Szuch said......

LaWanda Sutherland of Plant City, who is District 5 director of the Florida Parent- Educator Association, said dual enrollment is popular among home school families. ``Home schoolers love it,'' Sutherland said. ``It's an opportunity for them to get their AA [associate's] degree while they are getting their high school diploma.'' Sutherland's daughter Jenny, 17, was in dual enrollment at Hillsborough Community College last year, earning 14 credit hours, said Sutherland, who began home schooling her children 12 years ago. She also has a son, Britt, 14, and another daughter, Erin, 12.

The Florida Parent-Educator Association district that Sutherland represents consists of Pasco, Hillsborough, Pinellas, Hernando and Citrus counties. The association doesn't push dual enrollment, but it does make sure its members are familiar with it. Each year, the association holds a graduation ceremony for home school students. Several of the students already have earned an associate's degree by the time they accept their high school diplomas, she said.

That may not be surprising, considering trends Moore has observed at St. Petersburg College. ``These students take more courses than students in public and private schools because they have more time,'' Moore said. Students in public and private schools have a structured schedule during the day to work around, while the home school students don't, he said.........

Richard and Beverly Cheney began home schooling their daughter, Sarah, 19, in their New Port Richey home after she finished sixth grade in public schools. ``She was only doing fair, a little below average on achievement tests,'' Richard Cheney said. ``Since then, she's several grades ahead on most of it.'' The Cheneys make use of a computer program designed with home school students in mind. When Sarah was 16, the Cheneys learned about the dual-enrollment option and decided she had progressed well enough to take on the more challenging courses at PHCC. Sarah has taken college courses in such subjects as marketing, English and psychology.

Sarah said as a young girl in public school, she had been a shy loner. During her years of home schooling, though, she developed into an outgoing teenager. Moving back into a classroom setting with other students at PHCC wasn't that difficult a transition, she said. ``I really enjoyed it,'' she said. ``I opened up more and liked to interact more with people after I was home schooled awhile.''

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CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATS INSIST ON LOW STANDARDS

In the Legislature, the Democratic majority's only agenda is to undermine hard-won education reforms that had been championed by Democrats in the past. The high school exit examination tops the list. On party line votes, Democrats on Assembly and Senate education committees have passed bills that would delay the exam in perpetuity or transmogrify the requirement into mush. SB 517 would suspend the exit exam until a school district can show that it has fully certified teachers in core subject areas, instructional materials aligned with content standards, supplementary instruction and counselor/pupil ratios of 1 to 476. If we wait until the school system is perfect, we'll never make progress in creating a meaningful high school diploma.

Another bill, AB 1531, would create a fragmented system, where each school district could create its own "performance assessments." All students would still take the exit exam, but could not be denied a high school diploma if they fail - unless they were given two or more ways to complete an "alternate performance assessment." This would render diplomas worthless.

The fact is, the exit exam requirement for a high school diploma, beginning with the Class of 2006, already is having positive effects. High schools are offering more demanding courses. They're working with feeder middle schools. They are identifying students who need additional help and offering more remedial programs. Students have a new incentive to take high school seriously and parents to demand higher quality.

Democrats are poised to take a giant step backward. Next on their list is charter schools. California was the second state to authorize public charter schools and could rejoin other states leading charter school development by allowing colleges and universities to authorize and oversee public charter schools. Many school districts simply have no interest in charter schools or no capacity to do proper oversight. Yet, on a party line vote, Democrats rejected SB 844, which would expand charter school options in a positive way and require greater accountability for oversight.

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For greatest efficiency, lowest cost and maximum choice, ALL schools should be privately owned and run -- with government-paid vouchers for the poor and minimal regulation.

The NEA and similar unions worldwide believe that children should be thoroughly indoctrinated with Green/Left, feminist/homosexual ideology but the "3 R's" are something that kids should just be allowed to "discover"

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