@menloparkmom I think we have to agree to disagree. Perhaps we have had different experiences in our school systems. Our guidance counselor was clear that the HS level classes taken in middle school would generally be valued and considered by most colleges (of course each college will view things as it sees fit).
–The classes my D took were HS level classes taught by teachers certified to teach the subject at the HS level (and included a NYS Regents exam after the math class). IMO it is appropriate to give students high school credit for these classes.
–When given the opportunity, my D specifically asked admissions officer about this at colleges she visited (because she wanted to (and did) drop Spanish early since with the middle school class she completed to the requisite level) and each one replied that the middle school class plus her HS classes would be sufficient and would both count towards the total recommended courses. I absolutely understand this is a very limited sample size, but the answer was consistent.
–IMO this practice does not put anyone at a disadvantage – each school system does things differently – school profiles are created to allow admission officers to understand how each school system works and included in that should be disclosure of how the school treats classes such as this.
Anyway, this will be my last post on this…
Hopefully we can agree that before making a decision, the OP would be wise to discuss this with his/her guidance counselor as well as the Spanish teacher to insure that he will have reached HS Level Four after this class. I’d also suggest the OP read through the the link in post #1.