Accreditation

[fractalgal]

This is for you experienced homeschoolers. How important is accreditation (by a regional accrediting agency) to your child getting into the college they want?

Thanks.

[newbie]

Nbr one, I dont want to waste four years.

 

Jeannette

[fractalgal]

Nbr one, I dont want to waste four years.

 

Jeannette

 

Is it important in the younger grade years?

[newbie]

I havent worried about it til last yr. which was tenth. Now I am stressing about credits, SATs, .... pressure. I am not the one in school.

 

Jeannette

[Ellie]

Not important at all, for any age/grade level.

 

Remember that there are now, I dunno, thousands of homeschoolers who have graduated from college, and the vast, vast majority of them were accepted in college based on the transcripts prepared by their own parents, or from hs umbrella programs of some sort which were not accredited.

 

I wouldn't worry about it for a nanosecond.

[Gwen in VA]

I have graduated two without even thinking about eh word "accreditation."

 

My third may be interested in sailing in college, which unfortunately is a NCAA sport. So I am beginning to think about the A word, but only with respect to playing sports in college, not with respect to admissions.

[Vicki]

I've graduated 5 from our homeschool and all of them have gone on to college. My oldest ds is working on a triple doctorate and my oldest dd will graduate next year with Elementary Ed degree. My 19 yr. old ds still has no idea what he wants to do with his life. He has taken college classes and works fulltime. Accreditation has not been important to our family.

God bless,

Vicki

[Bev in B'ville]

We live in Georgia and, unfortunately, Georgia makes it very difficult for home schoolers to get into college. They add lots of extra hoops to jump through. Also, Georgia home schooler's are not allowed to participate in dual enrollment at all without being enrolled under an accredited umbrella school.

 

I investigated my options for umbrella schools when our local CC (who average SAT score for traditional schooled children is 980, but hs'ed children must score in the top 5% of the nation, ahem) admissions counselor suggested I do so. I looked, but I hated, hated, hated, the idea of giving up my freedom of choice for curriculums (and what constitutes a credit) and grade levels and whatever for someone else's standards. Most of my homeschooling friends just give up and enroll their children in the local high school when they hit the 9th grade because it is so difficult for hs'ers.

 

One umbrella school admission person I spoke to suggested I get my own accreditation because I was telling her I hadn't been able to find an umbrella school that I wanted to participate in. I hadn't thought of that before! I investigated it, filled out the application, had two inspections (which were not a big deal) and after four whole months (sarcasm here), I received my accreditation. Now my children can continue to be homeschooled in the manner in which I see fit, participate in dual enrollment, and when it comes to college applications we'll be treated exactly the same as other traditionally schooled children.

 

I know other states are not as difficult as Georgia is with homeschoolers, and had we not lived here I would probably not have had to go this route. I don't know that either of my children will go to a college in Georgia (other than Georgia Tech - the alma mater here), but at least they'll now be able to get some CC credits while still in high school.

 

I'll be the lone dissenter in this thread about accreditation , but I don't mind one bit. I did the right thing for my children's future.

[SallyMac]

I am in RI and was told by an admissions representation of our local state university that if the applicant doesn't have an umbrella school (she mentioned NARS and American School), then the applicant has to take up to 5 SAT II's. The public and private school applicants have to take 0 SAT II's. On the other hand, she did say that if the homeschooled applicant took classes and has transcripts from other schools regardless of accreditation of that school (for example, Potter's or CC), then no umbrella school is necessary. If we homeschool next year, I am definitely using an umbrella school...why make ds go through all that testing? There are several homeschoolers on full scholarship at this school and most did not use an umbrella school, but they did have to take 2 or 3 SATII's. One of the other state colleges in RI requires GED even if the applicant was covered by an umbrella school and did full dual enrollment. But this college has always been the teacher's college, producing many of the unionized public school teachers. DS has done dual enrollment but we had to get "permission" and form signed by the superintendent every semester to take specific courses.

[Heather in Savannah]

We live in Georgia - Bev has described the challenges facing us in this state. On top of that, we are Canadians (in the US on visa's)who may be returning to Canada. Canadian college's are not homeschool friendly. For the most part they will only admit Freshman on a 2 course trial basis (usually an English and a History or other Liberal Art's type course) for the first year. Then if the student does well, they will be offered full admission the following year. So, the student wastes a year, and if they do not live close to a college, that is money spent on accommodations, etc. Consequently, I have to care about Accreditation, to deal with both Ontario and Georgia. I have had my dd registered this past year with NARHS only to find out a couple of months ago, that Georgia does not recognized NARHS as an accredited umbrella organization.....grrrr....So I am now searching for another umbrella organization. I am beginning to think that my only option may be to have my dd complete her senior year at Keystone National Highschool doing mainly AP courses. That will satisfy both GA and Ontario....sigh. :confused: If anyone has insight or more info I would welcome your thoughts.

[langfam]

We live in Georgia and we have our DC enrolled in a Catholic regionally accredited homeschool program. Will they be able to get the HOPE scholarship if their school regionally accredited?

 

Thanks.

[Bev in B'ville]

We live in Georgia and we have our DC enrolled in a Catholic regionally accredited homeschool program. Will they be able to get the HOPE scholarship if their school regionally accredited?

 

Thanks.

 

Check out the colleges your dc are interested in to find out which type of accreditation they accept. Generally, I've found that if it's a state accreditation (such as the GAC), it will be accepted.

 

HTH.

[mcconnellboys]

So far as I know, no colleges have ever declined homeschoolers because an "accreditation" issue.

 

The point of a school receiving accreditation is to show that they offer a consistent education to their students at every class level, over time. A school has to be in existence long enough to run an entire group through all it's class levels in order to reach the plateau from which it can then jump through other accreditation hoops. But sameness is the key.

 

Homeschooling, by definition, seeks excellence for each individual student. No two students will necessarily use the same study course, program, curriculum during their educational process. As such, a homeschool could never apply for accreditation status. Students of the rich and famous, who are privately tutored and have been for milennia, have never had accreditation status, but I don't think any of them have ever encountered difficulty in going to good colleges if they so chose....

[Michelle in GA]

We live in Georgia and' date=' unfortunately, Georgia makes it very difficult for home schoolers to get into college. They add lots of extra hoops to jump through. Also, Georgia home schooler's are not allowed to participate in dual enrollment at all without being enrolled under an accredited umbrella school.

 

I investigated my options for umbrella schools when our local CC (who average SAT score for traditional schooled children is 980, but hs'ed children must score in the top 5% of the nation, ahem) admissions counselor suggested I do so. I looked, but I hated, hated, hated, the idea of giving up my freedom of choice for curriculums (and what constitutes a credit) and grade levels and whatever for someone else's standards. Most of my homeschooling friends just give up and enroll their children in the local high school when they hit the 9th grade because it is so difficult for hs'ers.

 

One umbrella school admission person I spoke to suggested I get my own accreditation because I was telling her I hadn't been able to find an umbrella school that I wanted to participate in. I hadn't thought of that before! I investigated it, filled out the application, had two inspections (which were not a big deal) and after four whole months (sarcasm here), I received my accreditation. Now my children can continue to be homeschooled in the manner in which I see fit, participate in dual enrollment, and when it comes to college applications we'll be treated exactly the same as other traditionally schooled children.

 

I know other states are not as difficult as Georgia is with homeschoolers, and had we not lived here I would probably not have had to go this route. I don't know that either of my children will go to a college in Georgia (other than Georgia Tech - the alma mater here), but at least they'll now be able to get some CC credits while still in high school.

 

I'll be the lone dissenter in this thread about accreditation , but I don't mind one bit. I did the right thing for my children's future.[/quote']

 

Yes! I agree with all this! My son is at GA Tech now, and having accredidation made it so much easier. My umbrella school is very easy to work with. The only hoop we have to jump through is taking a health class which the GAC requires for graduation. Other than that, I have complete control over curriculum choices. It is a controversial issue within my hs group, but since I knew my ds was looking at UGA and Tech, I felt I has no choice. My younger dc will not be looking at those schools, but I still want the cc option if need be.

[fractalgal]

So far as I know, no colleges have ever declined homeschoolers because an "accreditation" issue.

 

"As such, a homeschool could never apply for accreditation status. "

 

 

 

 

I am now confused, because I thought homeschools could apply for accreditation status.

[Bev in B'ville]

So far as I know, no colleges have ever declined homeschoolers because an "accreditation" issue.

 

The point of a school receiving accreditation is to show that they offer a consistent education to their students at every class level, over time. A school has to be in existence long enough to run an entire group through all it's class levels in order to reach the plateau from which it can then jump through other accreditation hoops. But sameness is the key.

 

Homeschooling, by definition, seeks excellence for each individual student. No two students will necessarily use the same study course, program, curriculum during their educational process. As such, a homeschool could never apply for accreditation status. Students of the rich and famous, who are privately tutored and have been for milennia, have never had accreditation status, but I don't think any of them have ever encountered difficulty in going to good colleges if they so chose....

 

 

The "point" in getting accreditation, or using an umbrella school, is that Georgia colleges prohibit dual enrollment without one or the other. It is simply not allowed by the Georgia Board of Regents (the ruling body for Georgia's cc/universities/colleges).

 

To give you an example of the process we as home schoolers have to go through without accreditation in our small, rural cc here, which is nothing to write home about academically. They require home schooler's to score in the top 5% nationally on the SAT, take SAT-II's, submit a full, descriptive transcript of classes taken (descriptions and course outlines, text used, etc.), provide work samples, AND take the GED. Who wants to put their children through all of that? And still not be able to participate in dual enrollment in order to show colleges/universities else where that their dc are capable of college level work? That's why almost everyone I know who home schools puts their dc in public or private high school when they reach that age. And even that is a nuisance if the child in question is trying to get high school level credit (such as Algebra I). Georgia forces their own tests (called end of course tests) for all subjects that a child wants high school credit for.

 

That's why people in Georgia seek accreditation. My home school diploma will now carry the same weight as the local high school. My dc will be able to participate in dual enrollment, and when it comes time to apply to colleges my dc will actually be able to apply like "normal" students.

 

To address your other point, I'm not sure where you got your information on what a home school "must" be. My inspector was not concerned about the consistency of my curriculum and whether my dc would be using the same curriculum, at the same pace, etc. Nor was he concerned that my high school had not graduated anyone yet. He was concerned about the quality of the materials and the instruction. The Georgia Accrediting Commission is concerned with "promoting instruction of high quality for children." It is not concerned with longevity of the school, etc. (You can read their mission statement at GAC .)

 

I'm very happy (and a little jealous :) of people who live in home school friendly states. However, to tell someone who doesn't live in one of those states that they *shouldn't have to* get accreditation is not realistic. No, we *shouldn't have to*, but the fact remains that if we don't, our dc are the ones who suffer the consequences. I, like many on this board, am constantly struggling to make the best decisions for my dc that I can; sometimes that means having to do something that goes against the grain, if you will. My own personal rebelliousness against having to get accreditation was to name my home school (for accreditation purposes) after my horse.:lol:

[Anne]

I think you really have to look at where your dc will go to college. I knew that my dc would almost certainly NOT be attending State schools that were out of state. Both of my dc were accepted to all of the private schools they applied to, with no need for accreditation.

 

State schools, otoh, can be much more difficult. It's easier for a homeschooler to get into Harvard or Stanford than it is to get into a state school in Georgia or California......:glare:

 

So, research your state's requirements and make an informed decision!

 

Anne

[Alyce]

Using an accredited schools means a lot more money and more hoops to jump through. Yes there are states where you need accreditation but there are many more that don't. My children will attend a school in NC, in fact my dd is going to a state school. No school in our state required or even recommended we be accredited. We are allowed to do dual enrollment also with no hassle. My dd did that route the past two years and my son will follow her this coming year. Since I know that was the route my children wanted to take I felt nor feel any need to go through hoops and have just homeschooled my way. I think you need to ask yourself where do your children plan to attend and then check with those colleges to see what they require of homeschoolers. Every state and Every school is different. But in my mind if you don't need the extra work than don't do it.

[mcconnellboys]

Sorry, I had no idea that she was asking about an umbrella school. I have never heard anyone discussing this issue speak of being "accredited" themselves, just because they are under an umbrella school. That facility may be accredited, but under the process set forth for the types of accreditation with which I'm familiar, for public and private schools (and there are several types of accreditation; I know someone starting a school here now and the type they are seeking is different than the mainstream) the homeschool itself would not and could not be considered "accredited".

 

I also had no idea she was asking about dual enrollment. I just looked back at her original post and it still looks to me as if she's asking, "Can I get my child into a college somewhere if I homeschool them and I'm not accredited?" And I still think the answer to that is absolutely yes, as I see it happening all around me every year.

 

I'm sorry if we have some misunderstanding here about what is being asked and answered, but I can only answer the question I see asked from the experience I have. I believe that I did say that if she was looking at specific schools she wanted her child to be able to enter, then she should ask them specific questions about what they would require....

[Ellie]

I'll be the lone dissenter in this thread about accreditation ' date=' but I don't mind one bit. I did the right thing for my children's future.[/quote']

 

You are in a totally different situation than any other state, so someone else from GA would do well to consider the way you did it. :-)

[Mad Jenny Flint]

I think you really have to look at where your dc will go to college.....

 

So, research your state's requirements and make an informed decision!

 

Anne

 

This is the voice of reason, IMO. I am a Georgia home educator, as well, and I take issue with the notion that because GA state schools and the board of regents have made things a bit more difficult for home schooled children regarding the hope scholarship, joint enrollment, and even state school admission, all GA home educators must run out and find a way to become accredited. It makes me nervous to think that because one GA homeschooler thinks it is the best thing for her children to seek accreditation, it should be considered the best option for all GA home educators. (I am in no way finger-pointing on this, I have watched this occur in many environments).

 

I can see how someone might feel that they are "doing the best thing for" their children by seeking accreditation. I honestly can. I have researched the options and the consequences thoroughly myself. However, I would rather work around the problems that GA homeschoolers face in other ways than to submit my curricula to anyone, or to schedule and allow someone else to administer routine mid-term and final exams to my children, or pay money yearly for record keeping, to provide an illusion that my home school somehow meets certain standards that I know it meets already- without doing those things!

 

I want to teach the way I always have, to cater to my students' needs, and to develop the individualized, rigorous program that I want without someone looking over my shoulder. To me, in doing this, I am doing "what is best for my children." It is a gamble, and some doors may close as a result, but I would (and my son would) rather pay the price on that end than to compromise the way we envision and implement our schooling.

[langfam]

For me, I'm not saying this is for everyone, being enrolled in an accredited school has been a blessing. For years I did my own thing, and spent a lot of time planning (5 kids). As a result, I didn't get to everything and I feel there were some gaps. Enrolling has helped me because the whole year is planned out and I can adjust the plans to suit my DC. It has been very flexible that way. Often kids will have several papers or projects to choose from. If they have a big test I am can make them a study guide. My husband and I do most of the grading which is verified by the school by the samples they request. I also have the option of using their teachers to grade papers. There are also opportunities for DC to participate in "class discussion" via telephone conferencing. If I request it, the teacher can give them a grade on class discussion. I can substitute curriculum though in a limited way. For example, they use Saxon and Jacob's Geometry. I can use TT and CD, but not Lial's for example. My DC have very organized portfolios which I could not have put together well myself and all their transcripts and GPAs are put together for me. I feel very blessed because it's a classical Catholic curriculum and it works very well for my family. The cost has been about $2500 a year for all 5 and that includes books (which I try to buy used.) Going with an accredited program be helpful and easier for some families.

[nrg]

Accreditation in California is used only by high schools determining how to award transfer credits to students coming from other schools. I work for a charter school and researched this thoroughly.

 

That said, the UC system does look for what is called "A-G accredited" courses as being pre-approved for admission. This is an accreditation process separate from general accreditation, but dependent upon it. Not having any of these courses does not preclude a student from attending a UC.

[Mad Jenny Flint]

I want to teach the way I always have, to cater to my students' needs, and to develop the individualized, rigorous program that I want without someone looking over my shoulder. To me, in doing this, I am doing "what is best for my children." It is a gamble, and some doors may close as a result, but I would (and my son would) rather pay the price on that end than to compromise the way we envision and implement our schooling.

 

:001_unsure:

 

The truth is, I am scared to death about all of this! I lost sleep about it last night. This morning I was looking over the GAC website, and it doesn't look like it's all that difficult to get independent accreditation as a nontraditional center. I don't want to give up my freedom, but I don't want to close doors, either, if it can be (relatively) easily avoided.

 

I am about to call for information on how to do this... can you give me some wisdom about what you had to do, what information you had to gather and how everything went with your accreditation?

 

I appreciate you helping me after my little soapbox episode. I'm just very afraid of making an error that will limit my kids in ways that I can't truly predict right now- and equally afraid that I won't be able to give them the education I truly feel I can provide and that they deserve.

[Bev in B'ville]

Hi Jenny,

 

I'm happy to answer any questions you have. I'll pm you.

[langfam]

Here's what I found on the HOPE scholarship for those who live in GA about eligible high schools:

 

“Eligible High School†means any private or public secondary educational institution in the State of Georgia that is authorized to grant high school diplomas and is, or within the last two years has been, accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the Georgia Accrediting Commission, the Georgia Association of Christian Schools, the Association of Christian Schools International, or the Georgia Private School Accreditation Council. If the institution is not located in the State of Georgia, then it must be currently accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools or one of the following regional or state entities: New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, Northwest Association of Accredited Schools (successor to the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges), Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the Alabama Independent School Association, or the Florida Council of Independent Schools. Any high school not meeting the definition of an “Eligible High School†is considered to be an ineligible high school for purposes of the HOPE Program. The provision, allowing eligibility if accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools within the last two years, is effective until December 31, 2010.

[fractalgal]

:001_unsure:

 

 

 

I am about to call for information on how to do this... can you give me some wisdom about what you had to do, what information you had to gather and how everything went with your accreditation?

 

 

 

FYI

I am in Minnesota, and I was told [in a phone conversation] that you can get a type of non-public school accreditation from the State which enables you to have official transcripts and an official diploma.

 

This is the process:

You pay an accrediation fee. Then you attend a workshop where you learn about running your school. Next there is a meeting in your home with (in this case) homeschoolers acting as liasons between the homeschooler and the state. Then you send the liason report cards every quarter. They phone you and discuss any concerns with you (4 times per year). Then you have met your requirements, and they keep the records on file for you. Then when you need it, they send out official transcripts to you.

 

It didn't sound too bad to me because they don't tell you what curriculum you have to use, nor do they grade your children's work for you.

 

They outline a generic scope and sequence, talk to you about record keeping and recording all your hours in the day.

 

Now I have not personally done this, so my knowledge is a bit limited, but I think it could be an option for someone if they chose to do it, but definately not something that should be required of all who homeschool.

[Caroline]

I've graduated 5 from our homeschool and all of them have gone on to college. My oldest ds is working on a triple doctorate and my oldest dd will graduate next year with Elementary Ed degree. My 19 yr. old ds still has no idea what he wants to do with his life. He has taken college classes and works fulltime. Accreditation has not been important to our family.

God bless,

Vicki

 

What is a triple doctorate? Just curious. I have never heard that term.

[mcconnellboys]

That does sound very reasonable but I guess to be certain, you'd have to see it in practice.

 

As you've seen from this discussion every state behaves very differently in what sorts of hoops they set up that you have to jump through. If your objective is to get into certain colleges, then you should be attempting to fulfill whatever requirements they want fulfilled for homeschoolers as you go along.

 

State colleges are going to require different things by state, probably, than private colleges. Schools in particular regions may band together and have similar requirements, particularly if they have reciprocal agreements for grant monies. Schools like Army/Navy will have a very different set of requirements (some require GED's, still, I think, in addition to other things). So know your college target schools and try to make sure you're doing what you need to get into those schools.

 

Good luck to you!

[Mad Jenny Flint]

Hi Jenny' date='

 

I'm happy to answer any questions you have. I'll pm you.[/quote']

You are very kind. Thank you.