National Merit Scholars, Homeschooling, and G.P.A.

[BlsdMama]

I think I've found a hiccup.

 

All along I've read colleges and recruiters don't put a lot of stock in grading systems contrived by homeschooling mamas. I wasn't terribly concerned... After all we'll have a portfolio and Ana's writing ability doesn't concern us. I had assumed this, partnered with SAT scores, would be sufficient in the future.

 

We've had our eyes on the National Merit competition for a good long while but I hadn't given much thought to the application process. We're entering her freshman year this year, using Tapestry of Grace, and I'm a little concerned.

 

Should I grade her? How in the world do I go about grading her writing with zero past experience on which to base my grading system?

 

I'm concerned.

[Tullia]

Well, I'm no expert but isn't consideration for that dependent on PSAT scores when the exam taken in the fall of 10th grade? If so, you'd probably want to make sure her coursework lines up reasonably well with what's on the test--especially for the math sequence.

 

Some schools do want to see SAT II scores as validation of homeschool grades/transcripts, but I don't think they're tied to National Merit in any way.

 

I do think you'll do your daughter a great service by obtaining writing rubrics and looking at her writing systematically with an eye on what is required for SAT, ACT, scholarship essays, and college writing. If you don't want to do it yourself, maybe an online class.

[BlsdMama]

My apologies, you're right. We were looking online last night to see whether or not our move from Iowa to Oregon would affect her and I wasn't paying attention that I had read beyond what I needed to know. I ended up reading on a Hispanic scholarship related to the National Merit scholarship and GPA.

 

Thanks so much.

[Musicmom]

YES, I would highly recommend you start assigning grades for her high school work. You will need them to make a transcript (most colleges want a transcript) and you will need them if she makes National Merit semi-finalist (based on PSAT scores) and wishes to apply for National Merit finalist. Many colleges give huge scholarships, some even a full-ride, to National Merit finalists.

 

Doing well on the PSAT is only the first step in the National Merit process, and you'll want to prepare her well for it (a whole other discussion.) If she makes National Merit semi-finalist, then early in the fall of her senior year she will receive an application for National Merit Finalist. On the application form you will need to list her GPA, the scale on which it's based (e.g. 3.9 on a 4.0 scale), and all of her high school courses--with grades (not just final grades--semester or term grades, too.) It will be much easier if you have been doing grades all along. You will also need to indicate which courses were accelerated (e.g. Honors, AP, college-level, etc.) Sooooo... I think it's a really good idea to plan on some advanced courses for high school. She will also need a letter of recommendation for the application, so be on the lookout over the next couple of years for someone who can write her a good one (it has to be someone other than a parent.) If she has an outside instructor in some area that's she's gifted in, that can be a good resource.

 

As far as grading goes, for math and science it's quite easy, as those usually have objective tests. For the English/writing, it's a little more seat-of-the-pants, but you can grade grammar pretty objectively, you can grade literature based on completion of reading assignments and effort put forth in discussing literature with you, for example. For writing, as a previous poster suggested, you can use some writing rubrics (the ones in the SAT prep books that help you score your practice test essays are helpful), to get ideas of what to look for, maybe have an outside person take a look at some of her writing, and take into account your overall impression of her work, too. Also keep an eye on her standardized test scores in this area (from tests like the Iowa Basics, or practice PSATs for example), and check that the grades you assign are consistent with the scores.

 

HTH! My ds is a National Merit finalist--it was worth shooting for! :001_smile:

[MomsintheGarden]

Great post, Musicmom!

 

Several of us on this board (& also the College Board here on the WTM Forums) have NM Finalists. We encouraged each other through this process, so if you and your dd will be going through it, you will have lots of support because most of us will still be here then.

 

We have found that the NM Corporation did not blink at our homeschool grades. The transcript must be formatted to their specifications, but don't worry, they give you a template. One of the keys for the NM application is an SAT score from the test taken within a certain time period. The SAT score verifies the PSAT score and the grades; really the whole package (grades, test scores, essay, recommendation) works together.

 

For right now - keep doing what you're doing, by giving your dd a well-rounded, rigorous high school program. Have your dd begin studying the free "SAT question of the Day" on the CB website as part of her daily routine. She should start studying in earnest with PSAT-geared materials the summer before her junior year.

 

Enjoy these final years of high school. They fly by!

GardenMom

[April in CA]

Hi Blsdmama!

I am a TOG user and the mother of a NM finalist. Some TOG advice - be sure to get the R level evaluations for your daughter. There are quarterly tests for both history and literature, plus a final for each. There are also weekly quizzes which include both short answer and essay questions. These give you something to grade objectively. Be sure to prepare for them, or even let your daughter do them open book (for the essay part, anyway), and help your daughter learn good study skills as she prepares. You don't have to require an essay test every week, but they can be great practice for timed essay writing - very important for SAT tests (and college, of course!)

 

Something that helped my son prepare for the writing portion of the SAT was IEW's essay intensive. It really stressed the absolute necessity of addressing the prompt on the SAT. Regardless of how brilliant your essay is, it will receive a score of ZERO if it does not address the prompt.

 

Your daughter will take the PSAT "for real" in the fall of her junior year, but be sure to have her take it during her sophomore year as well, just for a dry run. As a sophomore, my NMF son did not realize that there was a page filled with lovely and useful math formulas in the from of the test booklet...I am really glad he had a chance to work out all those issues before it counted!

Blessings to you and your daughter,

April

[merylvdm]

My dd was a NM finalist 2 years ago too - I know lots of homeschool kids who have achieved it - definitely worth trying for.

 

As far as grading goes, you could buy My Access Writing Program. It has various topics to write on and gives and immediate grade. I took one essay graded by My Access to the coordinator of the homeschool program at the school we umbrella under and she verified that the grade was what it should be (she was an English teacher). If you just use it for a year, you will get an idea of what grade you should be giving and you can take it from there after that.

 

My Access also allows unlimited numbers of revision - which is great ie your dd can work on the essay until she achieves the grade she wants.

 

You can get My Access very cheaply from Homeschoolbuyersco-op. It is currently $50 for a year's subscription for 3 students. You can share this with friends, which is what I do each year. I buy the subscription for 6 students and sell the additional 'slots' to others in our homeschool group and it works out round $15 per student. A huge bargain!!

[Gwen in VA]

One additional suggestion -- Once your daughter's amazing PSAT scores :) have qualified her for NM status, she will need to fill out the application for Finalist status. Part of the application is a recommendation that MUST be filled out by a person who knows your child well but it NOT related to your child.

 

Look for a good person to write the recommendation! This person can be someone who has taught her an academic subject, but also can be someone who just knows her well and can speak to her strengths.

 

Your child will need recommendations for college too -- so keep track of people who you think might be able to write good recs!

[Lori D.]

In advance of each class each year, pre-determine the combination of things from a list that will go into awarding grades for a high school transcript:

1. quiz scores

2. test scores

3. completion of daily assignments

4. completion of hands-on activities

5. papers (writing responses, term papers, essays, research papers, creative writing, etc.)

6. books/articles read

7. effort

 

Also, check out this article on grading guidelines at the HSLDA website.

 

And since you're using TOG, take a look at Marcia Somerville's Writing Aids for guidelines on grading writing. Also her audio lectures on writing are very helpful on how to grade writing (as well as how to teach writing and writing independence). BEST of luck! Warmly, Lori D.

[KnitWit]

Hi! I just wanted to chime in and agree with all the advice you have already been given. I use TOG and I have a NM Finalist. We also used the IEW Essay Intensive.

 

Your child will need to be prepared to take the essay portion of the SAT, as well as write an essay for the NMSC application.

 

FWIW, I am very happy with the way that TOG has prepared my daughter to read, think, and write. :)

[BlsdMama]

My dd was a NM finalist 2 years ago too - I know lots of homeschool kids who have achieved it - definitely worth trying for.

 

As far as grading goes, you could buy My Access Writing Program. It has various topics to write on and gives and immediate grade. I took one essay graded by My Access to the coordinator of the homeschool program at the school we umbrella under and she verified that the grade was what it should be (she was an English teacher). If you just use it for a year, you will get an idea of what grade you should be giving and you can take it from there after that.

 

My Access also allows unlimited numbers of revision - which is great ie your dd can work on the essay until she achieves the grade she wants.

 

You can get My Access very cheaply from Homeschoolbuyersco-op. It is currently $50 for a year's subscription for 3 students. You can share this with friends, which is what I do each year. I buy the subscription for 6 students and sell the additional 'slots' to others in our homeschool group and it works out round $15 per student. A huge bargain!!

 

Thank you for this suggestion!

[BlsdMama]

 

For right now - keep doing what you're doing, by giving your dd a well-rounded, rigorous high school program. Have your dd begin studying the free "SAT question of the Day" on the CB website as part of her daily routine. She should start studying in earnest with PSAT-geared materials the summer before her junior year.

 

Enjoy these final years of high school. They fly by!

GardenMom

 

I feel like we've spent most of her life preparing for this.... Odd, I know. But we've had this in our sites since she was itsy bitsy - 7 or 8? Latin, piano, all things that have a tendency to raise the score, and so on.

 

I really wish she wasn't the oldest and that I'd been through high school / college prep just ONCE before this. DS wants to go straight into the Army, why couldn't he have been the oldest?! :D

[BlsdMama]

 

Your daughter will take the PSAT "for real" in the fall of her junior year, but be sure to have her take it during her sophomore year as well, just for a dry run. As a sophomore, my NMF son did not realize that there was a page filled with lovely and useful math formulas in the from of the test booklet...I am really glad he had a chance to work out all those issues before it counted!

Blessings to you and your daughter,

April

Thank you so much for the tip. One question though - I thought NM competitors must only take the PSAT once? Please correct me if I am wrong. We have every intention of taking practice tests, but I thought they truly were practice forms and not just the PSAT early? Correct me please?

[MomsintheGarden]

Thank you so much for the tip. One question though - I thought NM competitors must only take the PSAT once? Please correct me if I am wrong. We have every intention of taking practice tests, but I thought they truly were practice forms and not just the PSAT early? Correct me please?

Students can choose take the actual PSAT before their Junior year in hs. It only counts for the NM competition when taken in the Jr. year. Your student will fill out bubbles indicating that she is a Junior, and answering other NMSQT qualifying questions (Note: Make sure about her answers before she tests!). Practice tests are available as purchased materials from the CB and other places, and students are given an official practice test when they register for the PSAT. Students do the practice PSAT tests on their own. They take the official PSAT at an administering high school. BTW, PSAT stands for PRELIMINARY SAT, not "Practice" SAT. SAT doesn't stand for anything anymore; some folks got offended because it used to stand for Scholastic "Aptitude" Test.

 

If your student desires a high score on the PSAT, I strongly encourage you to have her work through PSAT-geared study materials at least a couple of months before the exam. The PSAT is designed to be tricky. Many of the questions are puzzles, geared to test student's thinking skills. The questions often look difficult, but there can be quick way to solve them if you know what to look for. It will be very helpful to for your student to have seen as many of their tricks as possible.

 

And one other thing - the CB recommends that work on finding an administering school in June for the October test. Be as choosy as you can about the location. Call high school guidance offices. Ask where the PSAT is given (in the gym on bleachers, cafeteria, classroom, auditorium, etc.), and when (Wednesday or Saturday?), and note the tone of the guidance office. If the guidance office seems difficult to deal with, find another school.

 

HTH,

GardenMom

Edited May 4, 2010 by MomsintheGarden