Step daughter school admissions

[AMT7565 5]

I am awaiting approval of my I-129f fiance visa soon. I will be inheriting a step daughter from South Asia. She was born in January of 2003 and is currently in grade-5 (school year runs Sept through Aug) and is following an international academic curriculum of repute.

Today I called up the local school district school assigned to my region in Texas and was told that she would only be able to start in grade 4 primarily because she has not studied in a US based system before, etc etc. I was disappointed to hear this. My step daughter is a very bright a studious student so I would love for her to continue in grade-5.

Does anyone have any helpful suggestions to make this happen?

Thank you

AMT

[AnotherLostSoul 167]

They might be able to do a test and if she passes she can continue with grade 5th. But there is a very good rationale behind why they do this. Even for a kid, it is a big change to go to a new school, let alone into a school that is far different from her previous...different language, different customs etc. It would greatly benefit her if she could be a year behind so that she gets used to everything and even if she has a hard time first, and may even get not the shiniest grades, it is not like she is missing out on the material as she has covered 4th grade in her home country. However, if she goes straight into 5th grade, she will sit in classes that are totally new to her, and whether language bias will make it hard for her or not, she can totally can get lost in her first year and fall behind, even if she is smart to start out with. I would very very highly recommend that you don't insist on her going into fifth grade. Let her hear the same stuff over for one year, but at least she is not risking of missing out on things due to being in a "foreign country" with "foreign kids" around her with different language! Seriously! When we came with my family, they shoved me back by a year too....it was well worth it! I was not happy as a kid at that time to hear this, but looking back, I'm glad they did that. Anyway, I have no other helpful information, but just to tell you that I personally don't think you should insist on her going into 5th grade. That is also the year when kids are getting close to being teenagers and might bully her for being a new comer and a foreign...it's just not worth it (my opinion). Anyway, whatever you guys do, good luck for the girl!

[thairath 4]

Agree with previous poster and will add: have you compared the grade 4 curriculum where she is now with the grade 4 curriculum at the school she'll be attending in Texas? You didn't specify what curriculum she's following in her home country (American, British, etc.) so there may be differences; they can be quite different.

I used to teach at an international school abroad and even though the curriculum was considered American, what was taught at, say, grade 5 was different in some ways from what a child in grade 5 in the States would be learning.

[Penguin_ie 5,994]

*** Moving from AOS to Moving Here forum for more answers ****

One thing they may be worried about is that her English will hold her back. It could be helpful if you can assure them her english speaking and comprehension is fluent, or near so.

[NikLR 13,227]

She may be doing grade 5 work where she lives, but she would be the youngest in her class in Grade 5 in the USA. My daughter is in grade 4 and was born in March 2003. Socially, it would be better for her to be with her age group especially since she will be attending a new school. It doesn't hurt to do the work over again. There is stuff that will be covered that she never has done before most likely as well. School curriculum are not world universal. For example my daughter studies things about Canada, I'm sure US children study things about the USA, so there are things she'll have never encountered before. You can always download or do extra work as well. Or home school her. I think socially, it would be best for her to attend regular school though, whatever the grade. You can look into private schools as well which may be more accommodating to her grade level vs age level.

[AMT7565 5]

Thank you All.

My step daughter is following the British system of education in an international school. We are yet to compare the curriculum, but perhaps I should do that.

However, i agree with all of your valuable advise drawing from your own experience. I have discussed this again with my fiance and we feel better about taking a year'####### if that is what it comes to.

Thanks.

[tomigaoka 8]

Seems this is a school to school basis. My 2 kids also came from asia 2 yrs ago and just easily accepted and just continue in their 5th and 1st grade w/o taking exams, at a younger age compared to their classmates and poor english...

That is in the beautiful state of CA

[DaveE 178]

My step daughter was 14 when she came here. The local school system gave her a battery of tests at their international student input center. They determined she was performing at a 10th grade US level. She is a senior now and will graduate high school at age 16.

They should not just dump her into a classroom without determining at what level she is performing.

[AMT7565 5]

Thank you.

Noted your encouragement and comments.