Diploma

[pamd]

Can Home schoolers get a diploma instead of a GED? I looked on the dnpe of nc and the way I read it there is no way to get this, but maybe I am wrong any help is appreciated. What is required for graduation?:confused:

[wy_kid_wrangler04]

Can Home schoolers get a diploma instead of a GED? I looked on the dnpe of nc and the way I read it there is no way to get this, but maybe I am wrong any help is appreciated. What is required for graduation?:confused:

 

 

I have often wondered this myself. I have been told to "just print up a diploma" but I want something legally valid. Is it a state by state thing? Is it a federal thing? :bigear:

 

I will be watching this thread VERY closely!

[Chris in VA]

Diplomas are issued by parents, not the state, for homeschoolers. You can require anything you want for graduation, as long as you provide education that follows the homeschool law in your state. There's also a mandatory/compulsory attendance age.

Most folks who are interested in college look on the college websites to determine what their child needs for entrance and build a curriculum from there.

 

GED is an equivalency that IS issued by the state. Supposedly, the actual "level" of the test is 10th grade.

 

ETA: You can also join an online or umbrella school that issues diplomas, but these will not come from the state but from that organization. I know in NY, you can also take CC classes and they will issue a high school equivalency certificate, but again, it's not a state-issued diploma, technically.

Edited April 22, 2010 by Chris in VA

[pamd]

Thank you so much. How does the on line diploma work? Anyone with more info. we would love to hear from you.

[TechWife]

Can Home schoolers get a diploma instead of a GED? I looked on the dnpe of nc and the way I read it there is no way to get this, but maybe I am wrong any help is appreciated. What is required for graduation?:confused:

Yes! In NC, each home school is a private school. As such, you can determine graduation requirements for your school and issue a diploma when the requirements are satisfied. There is no required set of courses that needs to be completed for a private school (home school) diploma in NC. NC does not issue any diplomas for any schools. The individual public school systems (by county in NC) and private schools (including home schools) determine what the graduation requirements are & when they are met and issue a diploma accordingly. The transcripts of home schooled students are widely accepted both at UNC schools and at private universities around the country. It is the transcript that the universities see, not the actual diploma. Of course, it needs to have a graduation date on it (or an expected graduation date). A home school issuing a diploma IS legal in North Carolina. If, in fact, a student received their education through a home school, the home school (a private school, remember) is the only entity that can issue a diploma to that student.

 

Many people I know look at the admission requirements for the UNC system and base their high school graduation requirements on those, adding electives as needed. The county I live in also has the graduation requirements for their schools listed on their website, so you can look at those for input as well.

 

If a student chooses to, they can take the GED test, but why would a student who has earned a high school diploma want to do that? That test is for students who have not earned a high school diploma. The "powers that be" in our state home schooling organization discourage home schoolers from taking the GED test because it is not as well thought of as a diploma. It would be the same as if I, a high school and college grad, decided to take the GED - it serves no purpose. For a high school graduate who just happened to be homeschooled, it serves no purpose. A graduate is a graduate.

 

I hope you find much freedom with this information! It means that you can customize your curriculum to suit your students' goals, interests and abilities. As home schoolers, we have a great deal of freedom in North Carolina. With that freedom goes the responsibility of determining graduation requirements, choosing curriculum and a host of other things. Getting started with high school is daunting - I see it coming down the road and it can easily overwhelm me. What has helped me is to talk to mom's who have already done it, look at the sites I mentioned above and try to think objectively about what needs to be done. Then, it will be one step at a time.

Edited April 23, 2010 by TechWife

[meet me in paris]

You can also look at NARS. They issue credits for high school work with a portfolio review each year, and will issue a diploma if the minimum requirements are met. We are a military family and are always moving from state to state, so this is the service I plan on using.

[pamd]

Wow Susan thanks sooo much. How did you get all of this information? I felt like you, just because we home school doesn't mean my ds hasn't earned a diploma and I think a Ged says you didn't complete high school. So there is no requirements for NC on what credits or classes need to be taken in high school?

[pamd]

Yes! In NC, each home school is a private school. As such, you can determine graduation requirements for your school and issue a diploma when the requirements are satisfied. There is no required set of courses that needs to be completed for a private school (home school) diploma in NC. NC does not issue any diplomas for any schools. The individual public school systems (by county in NC) and private schools (including home schools) determine what the graduation requirements are & when they are met and issue a diploma accordingly. The transcripts of home schooled students are widely accepted both at UNC schools and at private universities around the country. It is the transcript that the universities see, not the actual diploma. Of course, it needs to have a graduation date on it (or an expected graduation date). A home school issuing a diploma IS legal in North Carolina. If, in fact, a student received their education through a home school, the home school (a private school, remember) is the only entity that can issue a diploma to that student.

 

Many people I know look at the admission requirements for the UNC system and base their high school graduation requirements on those, adding electives as needed. The county I live in also has the graduation requirements for their schools listed on their website, so you can look at those for input as well.

 

If a student chooses to, they can take the GED test, but why would a student who has earned a high school diploma want to do that? That test is for students who have not earned a high school diploma. The "powers that be" in our state home schooling organization discourage home schoolers from taking the GED test because it is not as well thought of as a diploma. It would be the same as if I, a high school and college grad, decided to take the GED - it serves no purpose. For a high school graduate who just happened to be homeschooled, it serves no purpose. A graduate is a graduate.

 

I hope you find much freedom with this information! It means that you can customize your curriculum to suit your students' goals, interests and abilities. As home schoolers, we have a great deal of freedom in North Carolina. With that freedom goes the responsibility of determining graduation requirements, choosing curriculum and a host of other things. Getting started with high school is daunting - I see it coming down the road and it can easily overwhelm me. What has helped me is to talk to mom's who have already done it, look at the sites I mentioned above and try to think objectively about what needs to be done. Then, it will be one step at a time.

Sorry I sent to Susan what I meant to ask you. I can not believe how much wisdom some of you have. I feel so small at times.lol I just want to be prepared for what is ahead. I know I shouldn't because I struggle with the lower grades now. Is that a sign of things to come. I hope not.:lol:

[Devotional Soul]

You NC homeschoolers have it good! In Hawaii, a high school diploma is only acknowledged if it is from a regionally accredited school, and no credits are given for homeschooling.

 

I just recently filled out a college federal financial aid FAFSA form, and it gave three options, diploma, GED, or homeschooled. :)

Edited April 23, 2010 by Devotional Soul

[pamd]

You NC homeschoolers have it good! In Hawaii, a high school diploma is only acknowledged if it is from a regionally accredited school, and no credits are given for homeschooling.

 

I just recently filled out a college federal financial aid FAFSA form, and it gave three options, diploma, GED, or homeschooled. :)

 

We are pretty blessed. I didn't know this either.:lol:

[TechWife]

This site explains the basics of homeschooling high school in NC.

http://nche.com/high_school

[TechWife]

We are very blessed!

[pamd]

This site explains the basics of homeschooling high school in NC.

http://nche.com/high_school

 

Thank you soooo much for sharing this site it was outstanding and lots of information.;)

[Ellie]

Can Home schoolers get a diploma instead of a GED? I looked on the dnpe of nc and the way I read it there is no way to get this, but maybe I am wrong any help is appreciated. What is required for graduation?:confused:

Of course they can. It's just the DNPE doesn't issue diplomas to private school students; the private schools--that would be you--issue their own. :)

 

Also, since it is *your* private school, *you* get to decide what you will require of your dc to be graduated.

[EppieJ]

I think a PP already mentioned NARHS (North Atlantic Regional High School), which is used by many in our area. You could also check to see about a "Running Start" program in your area. In this program high school students earn high school and college credits simultaneously (by attending Community College) and can potentially graduate with both a state high school diploma and an AA.

[pamd]

I think a PP already mentioned NARHS (North Atlantic Regional High School), which is used by many in our area. You could also check to see about a "Running Start" program in your area. In this program high school students earn high school and college credits simultaneously (by attending Community College) and can potentially graduate with both a state high school diploma and an AA.

We do have one in our area and that is what we plan to try for but if not we might try some of the other ideas. Thanks for the imput.:001_smile:

[Milknhoney]

I have worked in admissions for a university for 10 years and I can tell you that for homeschoolers, we don't really care about the diploma. A parent-prepared transcript with straight A's isn't necessarily going to be taken very seriously; you have to have something else to validate the grades. Scoring high on the SAT or ACT is important and it is also really helpful to have some college credits with high grades. We have admitted and awarded scholarships to plenty of homeschoolers with those two things.

[Chris in VA]

Virginia Commonwealth U won't accept a homeschooler's "mom" diploma. They want a GED.

Ds took it, even after a fairly rigorous high school at home education. Sometimes you have to just do it because the college requires it. It wasn't a battle we wanted to fight.

[Mrs Mungo]

You NC homeschoolers have it good! In Hawaii, a high school diploma is only acknowledged if it is from a regionally accredited school, and no credits are given for homeschooling.

 

 

I'm not sure what you're saying here. The DoE does not issue a diploma for homeschooled students in *any* state. Also, many states won't give credit for homeschooling in that you can't enter in tenth grade and receive high school credit from the DoE for credits that you completed in a homeschool.

[Devotional Soul]

I'm not sure what you're saying here. The DoE does not issue a diploma for homeschooled students in *any* state. Also, many states won't give credit for homeschooling in that you can't enter in tenth grade and receive high school credit from the DoE for credits that you completed in a homeschool.

 

This thread is about NC allowing homeschools/private schools to issue diplomas. HI doesn't consider homeschool a private school, and the HI doe says that no credits are given for homeschool and it is required that you go to high school or community college + GED to get a diploma. If I make a diploma for my kid, it will have no value here, unlike NC where a homeschool diploma is allowed by the state laws, which is why I said they have it good.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Devotional Soul

[Mrs Mungo]

This thread is about NC allowing homeschools/private schools to issue diplomas.

 

Right, a homeschool parent can issue a diploma in *any* state. The DoE in any state cannot stop you from doing so.

 

HI doesn't consider homeschool a private school, and the HI doe says that no credits are given for homeschool and it is required that you go to high school or community college + GED to get a diploma.

That is not the case for all colleges and universities in Hawaii, only some of them. As stated before, it's true of other college and universities, including some in states (like California) in which homeschools are considered private schools. That doesn't have anything to do with the state, it has to do with requirements set by particular institutions.

 

If I make a diploma for my kid, it will have no value here, unlike NC where a homeschool diploma is allowed by the state laws, which is why I said they have it good.

I'm homeschooling a teen in Hawaii and have many friends who have graduated their homeschooled high school students and sent them off to college with mom-issued diplomas and not GEDs. Some colleges will accept them and some won't, but that doesn't have anything to do with the state of Hawaii.

 

eta: For example, U of H Manoa *does* admit homeschoolers without a GED or "accredited" diploma.

http://manoa.hawaii.edu/admissions/undergrad/apply/freshman.html#homeschool

 

Italics/bolding are mine.

Additional Requirements for Homeschooled Applicants

 

Homeschooled applicants are expected to meet the minimum admissions requirements indicated for freshman applicants. Please review the detailed requirements below for homeschooled applicants.

Required Documents:

Homeschooled applicants must submit a homeschool transcript that includes titles and descriptions of all coursework completed, textbooks used, methods of teaching, and methods of evaluation and the resulting grades or structured assessments.

Also, one of the following:

 

 

• GED scores

• SAT subject tests (minimum of three subjects) including math

• ACT subscores

 

 

 

A homeschool diploma isn't worth any more or less in Hawaii than it is in other states.

Edited April 24, 2010 by Mrs Mungo