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Writing up a transcript for son (update and more questions)


DawnM
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UPDATE:

 

We did not send him to the charter school.  We had looked at two, but neither were a good fit for him.  We met with the Special Ed. Coordinator at both.  Middle son is going to one this year, but not my LD son.

 

Right now we are looking at him going to the CC as a dual enrollment student in what is called a "Career Promise" program.  It is a Trade/Tech option and seems to be of interest to him.   It will NOT require general education classes other than two basic classes, and even those are not required immediately.

 

BUT, we still need a transcript and they want to see a 3.0 or higher.  So, I can't give him a pass/fail.  

 

I need to turn it in before we can meet with the Disabilities Counselor or I would ask her what to do.  I meet with her later in the month.

 

I guess I will just write up a transcript as best I can and talk to the Counselor about it and ask her what she suggests.

 

 

 

 

 

Original Post:

 

 

The charter where my son would like to go next year wants a transcript from me.

 

I know how to write up a regular transcript, but we have some issues here I need help with:

 

 All classes were modified for him.  No tests, no real "grades", lots of verbal questions, etc....

 

How do I do this?

 

He doesn't have an IEP currently, although we are working on that.

 

Do they need a GPA or can I just list the classes he took and not give a grade?

 

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I would think they are going to expect some sort of assessment, either a grade or something.  Even if you never issued a grade, could you create grades based on his oral work and what you remember he was able to do?  Schools just normally expect something like that.  Its usually their reality.   You might call and ask before trying to create something like that, though.

 

 While you wait on the IEP you might, if you haven't already, write up a sort of IEP of your own, documenting what accommodations you have allowed as a home schooler.  It is important to establish that these accommodations have been in place for quite some time, especially if you are hoping for him to get additional time on things like standardized tests.  

 

Hopefully someone else has better suggestions.  Good luck.

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His private assessment lists several accomodations.  I don't feel comfortable giving him all A's as it will look like he is able to do rigorous work, but he got A's based on doing what I asked of him.

 

No idea what do do.

 

 

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I don't have an answer for you, because I haven't done transcripts yet, but I have a little idea of what you are dealing with. We are in process of applying to private school for the fall, and they ask for grade cards or a teacher's assessment. I did grade math, and they had tests in their reading curriculum, but other than that, I was just working with them side by side on everything. So I'm going to have to figure something out for a grade report. They are working below the level of same-age peers, so A's don't seem right. But we worked on everything until they got it right, so lower grades aren't exactly appropriate, either.

 

I hope someone has a suggestion for you. :grouphug:

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Perhaps what you could do, is develop your own 'grade key'?

That defines what each grade represents.

Which you add to the transcript.

For example:

A= Excels at.

B= Full proficiency.

C= Basic proficiency.

D= Barely proficient.

E= No proficiency.

 

+ and - could be added to further clarify a grade.

 

So that you give meaning to the grades that you have given.

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Perhaps what you could do, is develop your own 'grade key'?

That defines what each grade represents.

Which you add to the transcript.

For example:

A= Excels at.

B= Full proficiency.

C= Basic proficiency.

D= Barely proficient.

E= No proficiency.

 

+ and - could be added to further clarify a grade.

 

So that you give meaning to the grades that you have given.

 

It still would be a lot of C's there.  He only excels at Art.  So everything else would be "kind of proficient, according to what he is capable of."

 

I really just want to give Pass or Fail.  Wonder if I can?

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I forget, what grade is he going into?  Is the school going to count these courses toward his GPA or only toward graduation requirements or neither?  

 

If they are going to count the courses toward his graduation requirements but not his GPA, I would take a conservative, unstressed approach.  If they're going to count toward both graduation requirements AND his GPA, I would still take a conservative approach.  

 

Just be fair and middle of the road.  Kids in a technical school would be given courses that are appropriate to themselves, covering high school material but in a way and with requirements that are appropriate to them, and within that setting the dc would receive grades.  So if he had been taking that english at the vocational charter school you've been looking at, would he have been an A, B, or C student?  Compared to his peers (not the valedictorians of somewhere else), how would he have been?  

 

Lee Binz suggests something (and I paraphrase because I don't remember exactly:

 

C--Did all the work.

B--Did all the work with some joy.

A--Did all the work and LOVED it and really got enthused and went the extra mile.

 

It's ok.  Find some middle of the road approach like that.  If you gave him a syllabus of requirements and he objectively met them for the way you had decided to calculate grades, just put those grades and be done with it.  If the school decides hey, we'll use the credits but not the grades toward his GPA, that's fine, kwim?  Everybody KNOWS a homeschool transcript doesn't have anything to compare it to.  They know that, you know that.  So just be conservative and it will be ok.  I don't think you have to just go through and mark straight Cs arbitrarily merely because you're frustrated or feel like he's less smart than his peers would be at some school.  Even in those schools they track, and they give As in those lower tracks.  So he was on his track and within that, relative to how he should function, how was he functioning?  If he would have gotten As in your system, I'd GIVE them to him!  If he's likely to go into that school and be an A/B student in their system, when tracked properly, I would GIVE him those grades.  They KNOW it wasn't some uber-AP-preppy track, kwim?

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Yeah, that still doesn't really help me.  with joy?  went the extra mile?  never.  not in the past 2 years, nope.  It has been a battle to get anything out of him, period.

 

He is going in to 11th grade.  He performs at about an 8th grade level.

 

I have no idea if it counts towards his GPA.  I honestly think I will just give Pass grades and see if they say anything.

 

I am lost as to what to give him.  These past 3 years have been extremely difficult for him and for me.  He is in therapy twice a week.  I am in therapy in a parent group.  There is no joy in learning or extra miles trecked AT ALL.  We have survived.  That is all.

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That seems reasonable to me.  And I think the school is going to get it.  Or just ask the person coordinating your evals (the psych, the SN coor, whoever), whether they need grades or if Pass is adequate.  But I think that's perfectly fine as a starting point.  Or maybe just put straight Cs except for any class a bit better in and put B for that.  But I think just putting Pass for them will be fine.  It's highly unlikely they would use your grades to calculate a GPA.  They just need something for a paper trail, something that shows what he did so they can count it to satisfy state graduation requirements.  It's more important that you put English-1cr than it is what the grade was.  

 

I'm sorry it's hard.  I hope this will be a really good change for you.

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If he is going in to 11th grade, the school needs to have a transcript to give credit for high school courses so that he can graduate in only 2 yrs. the only other option I can think of would be that he starts 9th grade in the fall at the charter school and takes 4 yrs to graduate. This is not necessarily a problem since kids with special needs can attend public school through age 21.

 

In many public schools, below level or special needs courses often have different names to help signify that it was not a "regular" level class but they still get credit for graduation. The school that I currently work at us uses "alternative" in the name such as "Alternative Language Arts 9" or "Alternative American History", and many schools only give pass/fail grades for those courses.

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If he is going in to 11th grade, the school needs to have a transcript to give credit for high school courses so that he can graduate in only 2 yrs. the only other option I can think of would be that he starts 9th grade in the fall at the charter school and takes 4 yrs to graduate. This is not necessarily a problem since kids with special needs can attend public school through age 21.

 

In many public schools, below level or special needs courses often have different names to help signify that it was not a "regular" level class but they still get credit for graduation. The school that I currently work at us uses "alternative" in the name such as "Alternative Language Arts 9" or "Alternative American History", and many schools only give pass/fail grades for those courses.

 

Yeah, no way.  His 15 year old brother is going in to 10th grade next year.  There is no way he would agree to go in to 9th or 10th grade.  He is 17, two years older than his brother.  He already feels really stupid and struggles with low self esteem, this would send him over the edge.  He is watching his friends go to CC classes and he is struggling with that knowledge knowing he can't.

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Yeah, no way.  His 15 year old brother is going in to 10th grade next year.  There is no way he would agree to go in to 9th or 10th grade.  He is 17, two years older than his brother.  He already feels really stupid and struggles with low self esteem, this would send him over the edge.  He is watching his friends go to CC classes and he is struggling with that knowledge knowing he can't.

That's the deal you're going to sort out with the school.  I assumed they had a path for you.  I had just kind of, in passing, mentioned it to our ps, just to see what they would say, and they sorta made it sound like they would figure it out.  So hopefully your school can use some common sense and just make it work too.

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Yeah, no way.  His 15 year old brother is going in to 10th grade next year.  There is no way he would agree to go in to 9th or 10th grade.  He is 17, two years older than his brother.  He already feels really stupid and struggles with low self esteem, this would send him over the edge.  He is watching his friends go to CC classes and he is struggling with that knowledge knowing he can't.

You need to find out the answer for this for sure if you don't know already.  Some people I know assumed that the schools would put the child in a later grade and were very unhappily surprised.  In our area there are some programs through the community colleges that are for high school drop outs (thought they aren't specifically labeled that way).  They are very happy for homeschoolers to join them and provide a step below the regular dual enrollment.  Many are more geared towards more hands-on learners as well.  

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You need to find out the answer for this for sure if you don't know already.  Some people I know assumed that the schools would put the child in a later grade and were very unhappily surprised.  In our area there are some programs through the community colleges that are for high school drop outs (thought they aren't specifically labeled that way).  They are very happy for homeschoolers to join them and provide a step below the regular dual enrollment.  Many are more geared towards more hands-on learners as well.  

 

Our local CC offers remedial courses as well as a high school diploma upon completing 30 credits of general ed classes. I agree it might be worth looking into the CC opportunities.

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You need to find out the answer for this for sure if you don't know already.  Some people I know assumed that the schools would put the child in a later grade and were very unhappily surprised.  In our area there are some programs through the community colleges that are for high school drop outs (thought they aren't specifically labeled that way).  They are very happy for homeschoolers to join them and provide a step below the regular dual enrollment.  Many are more geared towards more hands-on learners as well.  

 

I keep asking but I am told they have programs for really low students (low IQ, mentally challenged, etc...) and then the regular classes.

 

I need to make an appt and talk to someone.  Last time I called I was given the run around and three different people said, "I don't know what you are asking, we don't have any special programs."  So honestly, I just don't know.  

 

Although I do know that for homeschoolers, they have to pass a test in order to attend, and if they don't pass, they have to wait until they have graduated from high school.

 

It very well may be that I let him graduate next year and then find a Trade/Tech program for him.

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Our local CC offers remedial courses as well as a high school diploma upon completing 30 credits of general ed classes. I agree it might be worth looking into the CC opportunities.

 

 

He won't be able to do General Ed classes.  He will need to just focus on what he wants to do (trade/tech, no regular math and no English classes where he has to write out book reports, etc...)

 

Truth is, I am not sure if he can't do it or just refuses.  

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