[mikerathbun]

My son is graduating this year from the #5 ranked public High School in a top 10 population sized city in the US. In his four years he has never had to write a research paper or read a class assigned book. When he fails a test he is allowed to correct the errors and receive a 70% for the final test grade. His AP Computer Science class was mostly playing games and learning to create websites in HTML.

I went through the same school district in the early 1990s and had a vastly different experience and did well in college. He is absolutely not prepared for college but the kid is a master at taking state standardized tests.

I wish I had taken a more active role with his education instead of just assuming his school was getting him ready. My advice to moms and dads who have kids getting ready for High School is to participate and monitor what they are learning and find a way to fill in any gaps.

[nerdponx]

Don't assume it gets better in college. It's very possible for a smart kid to go to a good school and not get a good education. If your son does in fact plan on attending college, make sure he has an advisor who is willing and able to take an active role in his education. Not every kid knows what they want, and not every kid figures it out on their own. Source: I was that kid.