Questions

[Guest mom2mpr]

I am just starting on this high school journey and am analyzing requirements, planning, and trying to make good decisions :)

A few questions came to my mind last night and I thought I might be able to get some good insight here.

if you decide to make your own diploma and your child does not go to college is he doomed if someone doesn't recognize or want to accept it? I am seeing this journey as if you homeschool high school as long as you get into college and get a degree it is like you hopped over the diploma issue.

Do you need a high school diploma to get into community college or can you just pass the compass and be good?

If I decide to go with a school like MODG or K12 and it doesn't work for us does the work my kid does at that school transfer to another school if we decide to switch? I am trying to find the one direction we will go for high school and stick with it but am looking at the "what if's"

Thank you in advance for your help. I am sure I'll be back over the next few weeks as I try to get our direction for the next 4 years :)

[Deb in NJ]

Hi,

 

I think most applications just ask if you have a diploma - they don't ask from where.

 

Many of the children in our area (homeschooled) attend the community college when they are Jr. in highschool. It is called dual-enrollment.

 

They graduate with their Assoc degree AND their highschool diploma at the same time!

 

Check if the community college in your area requires a high school diploma - based on what I said above, I bet they don't.

 

Deb

[Julie in MN]

if you decide to make your own diploma and your child does not go to college is he doomed if someone doesn't recognize or want to accept it? I am seeing this journey as if you homeschool high school as long as you get into college and get a degree it is like you hopped over the diploma issue.

So far, I haven't had any problems using homeschool IDs or transcripts or anything homeschool. It seems fairly well known now. A diploma is a diploma. There are advanced, regular, and remedial diplomas in public schools, and they are all diplomas.

 

I do think that testing matters more than diplomas. It matters more than public school diplomas, from what I've seen (since all public schools aren't the same), and probably matters even more to homeschoolers.

 

Do you need a high school diploma to get into community college or can you just pass the compass and be good?

In my area (Minnesota), community colleges want you to take their placement tests. Christian colleges so far want to see a transcript with a GPA even for homeschoolers.

 

If I decide to go with a school like MODG or K12 and it doesn't work for us does the work my kid does at that school transfer to another school if we decide to switch?

Our public high school doesn't accept homeschool credits, or so they told me (although I know of a gal who just recently transferred to 100% ps, and I'll have to ask if they accepted any home credits or if she has to redo those).

 

But public schools in general have to accept a lot of transfer students from other schools, and K12 would be one of those. The new public school might have different requirements, but most of the requirements would be the same. For example, I went to 3 public high schools, and the last one was the only one that required speech so I had to quickly take a speech class my last semester.

 

HTH,

Julie

[Lori D.]

Hi Mom2mpr, and welcome to the high school board!

 

 

if you decide to make your own diploma and your child does not go to college is he doomed if someone doesn't recognize or want to accept it?

 

Not doomed at all! While I wouldn't just go by anecdotal evidence, I have never heard of anyone having a problem with having a homeschool diploma -- not with college admissions, nor with employers. And there are certain legal protections in place so, for example, the Military can not deny you entrance due to homeschooling and having a parent-awarded diploma.

 

There are very rare cases in which you might wish to, in addition to awarding your homeschool diploma, have paid for an accreditation service in order to have an accredited diploma. May I stress the word RARE. Now, there are just a very few states (New York) and just a very few post-high school institutions that are a bit more persnickity about diplomas, which requires a bit more hoop-jumping, so you will want to double-check both your state's homeschool requirements AND the requirements of any post-high school institution (university, community college, technical institute, cosmetology school, etc.) your student may wish to attend to make sure you have covered all your bases.

 

Also, if you are given grief about the homeschool diploma by a particular institution or employer, you really want to ask yourself, "Do I WANT to be a part of a school/company/etc. that is making this so difficult -- or would it be better to go with the school/company/etc. that will appreciate me for my unique strengths and experiences?" Because, more and more, colleges are eagerly recruiting homeschoolers, finding the majority to be self-starters, with good study habits, and high interest in learning.

 

 

I am seeing this journey as if you homeschool high school as long as you get into college and get a degree it is like you hopped over the diploma issue.

 

Just to clarify: as a homeschool you are NOT hopping over the diploma issue. As long as you comply with your state's homeschooling laws, AND your student completes your high school requirements, yes, YOU award your student a diploma, and it is both an OFFICIAL and VALID diploma, proving completion of your homeschool high school program. This is the same process high schools go through: they set the list of requirements for graduation, students complete the requirements, and the school awards the diploma. The diploma simply means the student has completed the homeschool parents' or the school's requirements for graduation.

 

Your homeschool diploma will NOT be an accredited diploma unless you go through an accreditation program. But then, NOT ALL high schools are accredited. Accreditation simply means a school or business has undergone a type of quality assurance process under which services and operations of educational institutions or programs are evaluated by an external body to determine if applicable standards are met. If standards are met, accredited status is granted by the agency.

 

So, a diploma awarded by an unaccredited school is also OFFICIAL and VALID (in other words, the diploma was issued by the school to the student because the student accomplished all that was required by the school in order to receive the diploma). But the diploma is not accredited. The diploma IS official, valid, and proof of completion of a particular set of high school graduation requirements -- in the SAME way, your homeschool diploma IS official, valid proof of completion of a particular set of high school graduation requirements.

 

 

 

Do you need a high school diploma to get into community college

 

No. (At least, I have never heard of any CC requiring a diploma or GED for a dual enrollment high school student to attend!)

 

 

or can you just pass the compass and be good?)

 

There are often other requirements other than a diploma that might be a "hoop to jump" -- it depends on the CC. The vast majority accept students age 16 and older as long as they can pass the school's assessment/placement tests in reading, writing, and math. Many take students as young as 14yo, or 10th grade and up, depending on ability to pass an additional test or other qualifications.

 

And some schools (mostly I am hearing in CA) are more selective because they have such high enrollment, so they put high school students wishing to do dual enrollment at the bottom of the list, where there are few, if any class openings available to high school students.

 

So possible issues for high school students taking CC classes tend to be about age, ability to pass the assessment, who pays for the dual enrollment (some states pay for the tuition for 1-2 dual enrollment classes, others pay none), and availability of classes. The best thing to do is to read over the website information carefully, and contact the admissions office or dual enrollment counselor for the CC you are interested in for the details that will directly impact you.

 

 

If I decide to go with a school like MODG or K12 and it doesn't work for us does the work my kid does at that school transfer to another school if we decide to switch?

 

Best to make sure you ask in advance from the accreditation company you are interested in; be sure you also find out about any possible fees or penalties for "early withdrawal" or transferring, and make sure that you would still be able to get transcripts for the time done with the company, as you will need official transcripts for future college applications, scholarships, etc.

 

The only potential problem I have heard that people sometimes run into is they start homeschooling, need to enroll in a traditional school, and the school's policy is to not accept any homeschooling credits. So a student would be started in 9th grade coursework, even if they have already done 1, 2, or even 3 years of high school work at home. Again, best to check out in advance what the policies are for any public/private/charter school you might possibly use as your "plan B", for future planning.

 

 

You may find these articles on homeschool diplomas helpful:

- from HSLDA

- HSLDA diploma FAQ

- from Lee Binz, the Home Scholar

- past thread on High School Diploma

- past thread on Accredited diploma: is it worth the money?

 

Welcome, and enjoy your homeschool high school adventures! Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited April 30, 2012 by Lori D.