Homeschooling in Georgia

[Night Elf]

Can someone please point me to information regarding homeschooling high school in Georgia? I've homeschooled here for 10 years and the idea of high school has always daunted me. We chose to use Keystone National High School to go for the accredited diploma but I'm thinking about researching and talking with my DH about other options. Between my school and the kids classes, we'll be shelling out about $7000 in the fall and I'm really not happy with that.

 

I've met two homeschoolers who are homeschooling through high school. One just said it was no big deal (not a help at all), and one plans on using all the SAT II tests as a transcript for colleges.

[Mary in GA]

Hi Beth,

 

We've graduated one from high school so far. There are schools and home school groups that can accredit your dc's high school work. They vary in what they require from you for accountability. The places I've looked at charge between $200 and $400 a year for this service. You can still school your way. You may be required to list your curricula and test dc in each subject area at the accrediting location, or they may just accept the scores and transcripts you provide. They may tailor your course titles and descriptions to match with courses listed under the Hope system.

 

This is the route we took with ds now a jr at college. And actually we had to get him accredited retroactively so he could do JE before going to university. We were a bit clueless at the time. We looked into the SAT 2 requirements for the university he wanted to attend, and we decided that accreditation and JE was a much better option for ds. With dd going into 9th next school year, we'll begin accreditation so I'm not scrambling. I see you're in Forsyth county. Maybe GHEA has a list of someone near you who provides accreditation.

 

Another poster here got her own home school accredited. I have never looked into that.

 

Hope some of this helps. Feel free to pm me if you want to ask more questions.

 

Mary

[mom31257]

If you are willing to drive to Hollonville 4 times a year (I think), you can use all your own curricula and still get an accredited diploma. Here is a link to their transcript services. I've not used it but may for part of dd's high school. Here is a map.

 

There are probably services like this that are closer to you, though.

[Night Elf]

If you are willing to drive to Hollonville 4 times a year (I think), you can use all your own curricula and still get an accredited diploma.

 

There are probably services like this that are closer to you, though.

 

That is a 2 hour drive. Eeek! I appreciate the information though. At this point, I'm taking down everything to consider very carefully. 4 times a year doesn't sound too bad. I am curious, however, what type of curriculum they might approve. Honestly, I haven't look at many high school materials because I never thought I'd consider anything other than an accredited correspondence school. Also, it's a Christian school and if they required Bible, that could be a problem for us. But it's on my list. Thanks!

[Niffercoo]

Can someone please point me to information regarding homeschooling high school in Georgia? I've homeschooled here for 10 years and the idea of high school has always daunted me. We chose to use Keystone National High School to go for the accredited diploma but I'm thinking about researching and talking with my DH about other options. Between my school and the kids classes, we'll be shelling out about $7000 in the fall and I'm really not happy with that.

 

I've met two homeschoolers who are homeschooling through high school. One just said it was no big deal (not a help at all), and one plans on using all the SAT II tests as a transcript for colleges.

 

Last spring I attended a class given by Ruth Martin called "Homeschooling High School and Beyond". It was phenomenal! She's giving another one on January 29th. It's on the Grayson side of Lawrenceville (not too far from my house if you remember where I live from when you dropped off that curriculum that one time!). I highly recommend her workshop. If you're interested, send me a PM and I'll give you the details!

[TravelingChris]

I am confused, what do you need all these things for- state schools or plain homeschooling? Because my reading of the homeschool law doesn't say anything about this. We are military and I am only homeschooling high schoolers now and we will be moving this summer. So far, Georgia is not on the list, but a new place came up just this week so who knows?

[Mary in GA]

I am confused, what do you need all these things for- state schools or plain homeschooling? Because my reading of the homeschool law doesn't say anything about this. We are military and I am only homeschooling high schoolers now and we will be moving this summer. So far, Georgia is not on the list, but a new place came up just this week so who knows?

 

Homeschooling in GA is very easy from a legal standpoint. But it can be very difficult for homeschoolers to get into a GA public university w/o accreditation, and if students want to take advantage of the Hope scholarship as freshmen; it's absolutely necessary.

 

Mary

[Night Elf]

Homeschooling in GA is very easy from a legal standpoint. But it can be very difficult for homeschoolers to get into a GA public university w/o accreditation, and if students want to take advantage of the Hope scholarship as freshmen; it's absolutely necessary.

 

Mary

 

This is what I'm afraid of, which is why I'm seeking the information. There are no guidelines that I can find for homeschooling high schoolers. The only advice I've heard is to follow the homeschool info. requirements for whatever college we're interested in attending. Basically, we are supposed to follow the College Preparatory Curriculum, at least that is what I think CPC stands for. But I need more hand-holding, like how to plan and track the materials. This is another reason we originally decided on using an accredited correspondence program.

 

I've PM'd some of you. Thanks!

[mom31257]

This is what I'm afraid of, which is why I'm seeking the information. There are no guidelines that I can find for homeschooling high schoolers. The only advice I've heard is to follow the homeschool info. requirements for whatever college we're interested in attending. Basically, we are supposed to follow the College Preparatory Curriculum, at least that is what I think CPC stands for. But I need more hand-holding, like how to plan and track the materials. This is another reason we originally decided on using an accredited correspondence program.

 

I've PM'd some of you. Thanks!

 

I went to a college/career fair in my town a few weeks ago. The college admissions officers there all said pretty much the same thing. Do a college prep course of study (4 English, 4 Math, 4 Science, 3-4 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language and all the other requirements like Health/PE). They said to keep a record of any volunteer/communty service or leadership positions. They also said you don't have to do a fancy portfolio that is a "scrapbook" of their entire high school years. They did want a full description of all courses taken along with textbooks used. Teacher references from any outside courses taken are also a plus.

 

My understanding is that unless you have an accredated diploma, you aren't eligble for the Hope scholarship until you've completed your freshman year with a 3.0 average. Here is a link to GHEA's page about it. It says it is retroactive, which I assume means that you get that year's tuition paid back to you.

 

I don't know what the school's requirements are about subjects, but I can find out. I go to a church near there, and most of the kids in our church are there full-time or part-time.

[Niffercoo]

Homeschooling in GA is very easy from a legal standpoint. But it can be very difficult for homeschoolers to get into a GA public university w/o accreditation, and if students want to take advantage of the Hope scholarship as freshmen; it's absolutely necessary.

 

Mary

 

 

I really think HOPE is not going to be an issue in another couple of years, at least not for middle income kids. They are going to tighten the requirements and probably put an income limit on it.

[Niffercoo]

This is what I'm afraid of, which is why I'm seeking the information. There are no guidelines that I can find for homeschooling high schoolers. The only advice I've heard is to follow the homeschool info. requirements for whatever college we're interested in attending. Basically, we are supposed to follow the College Preparatory Curriculum, at least that is what I think CPC stands for. But I need more hand-holding, like how to plan and track the materials. This is another reason we originally decided on using an accredited correspondence program.

 

I've PM'd some of you. Thanks!

 

 

Ruth Martin spoke at length about these 'above the law' requirements of accreditation and how they came about. She graduated all 3 of her children and got them into college without accreditation, but that was a number of years ago. However, she does speak with passion about the slippery slope that led to GA colleges requiring the accreditation because it is easier for them. It was eye-opening, and frustrating to learn about.

[Mary in GA]

I went to a college/career fair in my town a few weeks ago. The college admissions officers there all said pretty much the same thing. Do a college prep course of study (4 English, 4 Math, 4 Science, 3-4 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language and all the other requirements like Health/PE). They said to keep a record of any volunteer/communty service or leadership positions. They also said you don't have to do a fancy portfolio that is a "scrapbook" of their entire high school years. They did want a full description of all courses taken along with textbooks used. Teacher references from any outside courses taken are also a plus.

 

My understanding is that unless you have an accredated diploma, you aren't eligble for the Hope scholarship until you've completed your freshman year with a 3.0 average. Here is a link to GHEA's page about it. It says it is retroactive, which I assume means that you get that year's tuition paid back to you.

 

I don't know what the school's requirements are about subjects, but I can find out. I go to a church near there, and most of the kids in our church are there full-time or part-time.

 

In our experience no large GA public university we looked at would consider admissions without either accreditation or a battery of SAT 2's. The admissions guidelines are pretty explicitly stated in each university's online admissions info. Some smaller universities may be more lenient; I don't know. Check with any university your dc might be interested in.

 

We initially looked at the SAT 2's, but decided after a few practice tests in a couple of subjects that option was not going to work for us! Some kids don't have a problem with the tests. In my opinion the SAT 2 requirement is punitive. We went the JE route and transferred to a larger university.

 

What you say about getting the Hope retroactively is true (though as another poster said it may soon become a non-issue!)

 

Just an FYI. There are no longer different diploma tracks in the ps http://www.gadoe.org/ci_services.aspx

I was really surprised when I began looking into this for dd a few months ago. A lot has changed since ds graduated. Good luck to us all!

 

Mary

[Rhondabee]

We went the JE route and transferred to a larger university.

 

Mary

 

What is the "JE" Route?

[FairProspects]

Those of you thinking of the Hope Scholarship might be interested in this article from today's NYT:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/07/us/07hope.html?hp

[distancia]

^^ Interesting article.

 

As your neighbor (here in Florida) our HOPE equivalent, the Bright Futures scholarship is being tweaked, also. Already it has been cut (while tuition has been raised 15% this year, alone) and for the next few years the eligibility requirements have become more restrictive, i.e. selectivity in terms of SAT/ACT test scores.

 

I just couldn't believe reading that 2/3 of students who obtain HOPE in Georgia end up losing the scholarship. Tells me that too many unqualified students are receiving aid.

[Bev in B'ville]

I went to a college/career fair in my town a few weeks ago. The college admissions officers there all said pretty much the same thing. Do a college prep course of study (4 English, 4 Math, 4 Science, 3-4 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language and all the other requirements like Health/PE). They said to keep a record of any volunteer/communty service or leadership positions. They also said you don't have to do a fancy portfolio that is a "scrapbook" of their entire high school years. They did want a full description of all courses taken along with textbooks used. Teacher references from any outside courses taken are also a plus.

 

My understanding is that unless you have an accredated diploma, you aren't eligble for the Hope scholarship until you've completed your freshman year with a 3.0 average. Here is a link to GHEA's page about it. It says it is retroactive, which I assume means that you get that year's tuition paid back to you.

 

I don't know what the school's requirements are about subjects, but I can find out. I go to a church near there, and most of the kids in our church are there full-time or part-time.

 

My dd is a senior this year and my son is a sophomore this year. A couple of years ago, when dd was getting ready to enter high school, I began looking into accredited schools. They are all over the map in prices and conformity. I was lamenting how I felt about the degree of conformity to one rep for an accredited school when she suggested I get accredited. I looked into it and found that is was pretty easy to get accredited as a "non-traditional school." That's what I did. To get accredited there's a list of 26 items that you have to prove you do (e.g. keep attendance, do fire drills, keep records, etc.) Most of the items I was already doing and documenting, so it wasn't a big deal. An inspector came to my home the first time for a "run-through" of the inspection process, made a few suggestions and left (and no, he did not inspect my whole house, just my school room). He came back a second time, and voila, now I'm accredited.

 

For the past two years my dd has been dual-enrolled at a cc and it's been paid for by ACCEL (related to HOPE). If she goes to a public school next year (she's been accepted to Tech, but she's still waiting to hear from other schools), she will be immediately eligible for HOPE, no waiting period.

 

Here's the website where you can get started with the accreditation process: http://www.coe.uga.edu/gac/

 

BTW, the whole process cost me about $200; that's TOTAL cost, not yearly.

 

The best part for me? When applying to schools this year (she applied to 8 schools) I only had to submit a one page transcript (no portfolios or other proof required). Yippee!

Edited January 7, 2011 by Bev in B'ville

[mom31257]

My dd is a senior this year and my son is a sophomore this year. A couple of years ago' date=' when dd was getting ready to enter high school, I began looking into accredited schools. They are all over the map in prices and conformity. I was lamenting how I felt about the degree of conformity to one rep for an accredited school when she suggested I get accredited. I looked into it and found that is was pretty easy to get accredited as a "non-traditional school." That's what I did. To get accredited there's a list of 26 items that you have to prove you do (e.g. keep attendance, do fire drills, keep records, etc.) Most of the items I was already doing and documenting, so it wasn't a big deal. An inspector came to my home the first time for a "run-through" of the inspection process, made a few suggestions and left (and no, he did not inspect my whole house, just my school room). He came back a second time, and voila, now I'm accredited.

 

For the past two years my dd has been dual-enrolled at a cc and it's been paid for by ACCEL (related to HOPE). If she goes to a public school next year (she's been accepted to Tech, but she's still waiting to hear from other schools), she will be immediately eligible for HOPE, no waiting period.

 

Here's the website where you can get started with the accreditation process: http://www.coe.uga.edu/gac/

 

BTW, the whole process cost me about $200; that's TOTAL cost, not yearly.

 

The best part for me? When applying to schools this year (she applied to 8 schools) I only had to submit a one page transcript (no portfolios or other proof required). Yippee![/quote']

 

Very interesting! Thanks so much for sharing this information. I will definitely be checking into this. $200 for the entire high school years sounds much better than $250 a year. I looked at the website. Would I begin with contacting a consultant in my area? There is one listed in a town just south of me.

[Mary in GA]

What is the "JE" Route?

 

 

Joint enrollment or dual enrollment like Bev described in her posts.

 

Mary

[Bev in B'ville]

Very interesting! Thanks so much for sharing this information. I will definitely be checking into this. $200 for the entire high school years sounds much better than $250 a year. I looked at the website. Would I begin with contacting a consultant in my area? There is one listed in a town just south of me.

 

I printed out the application and filled it out. Then I copied/pasted the twenty-six requirements into a word processing program. I answered each one of the requirements with what I was doing to comply (I bolded their requirements, and my answers were not bolded, to make it easier for the consultant to read). Don't assume that something doesn't apply to you. I did. I assumed the whole "emergency planning" requirement didn't apply to me (e.g. what I would do in case of terrorist attack or suicide on school grounds, etc.). I ended up surfing the web until I found one from a school (Montana maybe?), downloaded it, and changed it for my school.

 

Then I contacted a consultant. Local is good, because if they're not you pay their travel expenses. I had all twenty-six items out and available for inspection when he arrived. The first visit was a run-through and he made suggestions. The second visit was quick with him quickly checking the prior items and spending time on the suggestions he'd made. On the document I mentioned in the previous paragraph, I noted the suggestions he wanted in red (under the item it pertained to) and then what I did to comply under that. He said he liked that I did that as it kept it from having to spend a lot of time digging through things.

 

Like I said, it was all very easy to do. They DO NOT interfere in my school in any way (they don't tell me what materials to use and such), but your dc will have to at least meet the minimum requirements for graduation in Georgia. Otherwise, they leave me completely alone, no surprise inspections or other stuff. I've been accredited for four years now and it's been great. No problems.

[Niffercoo]

I assumed the whole "emergency planning" requirement didn't apply to me (e.g. what I would do in case of terrorist attack or suicide on school grounds' date=' etc.). I ended up surfing the web until I found one from a school (Montana maybe?), downloaded it, and changed it for my school.

 

They [b']DO NOT[/b] interfere in my school in any way (they don't tell me what materials to use and such).

 

These two points are what bothers me so much about the "accreditation" thing in GA. What on earth does having an "emergency plan" in place for a terrorist attack have to do with the quality of my child's high school education? It's absolutely absurd!!

 

And they don't even really monitor your curriculum and materials? But the colleges want to tell me that I have to jump through extra hoops because I haven't paid this money to some 'center'? It makes me mad!

 

I was just checking around online and even Gwinnett Tech even has the 'requires a diploma from an accredited' blah, blah, blah on there. If you don't, then you have to have a letter from the superintendent stating that you met all the state requirements (attendance and LOI, I guess??), a transcript, AND your child has to take both the SAT and the COMPASS! For technical school???

[Bev in B'ville]

These two points are what bothers me so much about the "accreditation" thing in GA. What on earth does having an "emergency plan" in place for a terrorist attack have to do with the quality of my child's high school education? It's absolutely absurd!!

 

QUOTE]

 

Actually, those accreditation requirements are the same for any school, even the public high school down the street from me. I didn't mind having a plan and my consultant didn't make an issue out of it either. He just saw that I had one and checked the box.

 

I, for one, am glad they don't evaluate my curriculum choices. My consultant did look at them (he has a ph.d. in education and was superintendent of our school system for a long time), but he didn't claim anything wasn't good enough. Of course, I hold my school up to tougher standards than Georgia would require anyway (even my graduation standards are much tougher - more in line with a national standard). Really, I left him no room for criticism of my curriculum.

 

He did ask to see my dc's test scores (standardized test). I showed him our ITBS results (which I did yearly vs. every three years as required by GA), ACT scores, PSAT scores, SAT-II scores, and AP test scores. I had examples of my dc's work in every subject set out for him to review if he chose to and he took a cursory look at it. You could say I went a little overboard, but like I said, it was more an issue for me of not giving him anything to complain about.

[kokotg]

 

We've graduated one from high school so far. There are schools and home school groups that can accredit your dc's high school work. They vary in what they require from you for accountability. The places I've looked at charge between $200 and $400 a year for this service. You can still school your way. You may be required to list your curricula and test dc in each subject area at the accrediting location, or they may just accept the scores and transcripts you provide. They may tailor your course titles and descriptions to match with courses listed under the Hope system.

 

 

 

Lurking on this thread even though my oldest is 9--I tend to panic early ;) Would you mind listing some of the places you've used/looked into or point me in the right direct direction for searching myself? I tried to do a search a couple of months ago, and apparently I have no idea what terms to use.

[Rhondabee]

Joint enrollment or dual enrollment like Bev described in her posts.

 

Mary

 

Thanks! I kept thinking "Junior" (as in Junior College) and couldn't figure out what in the world the E would stand for...

 

I am grateful for this thread, especially since we don't seem to have the same type of Community Colleges as other states. It has motivated me to call the very-close what-used-to-be-called "Junior College" next week. Their website was very homeschool-friendly, so I'm feeling much less anxious about the whole thing.

[abbeyej]

For HOPE eligibility, it's also possible *not* to be accredited, but to have an SAT or ACT score in the 85th+ percentile.

 

http://www.gacollege411.org/Financial_Aid_Planning/HOPE_Program/Georgia_s_HOPE_Scholarship_Program_Overview.aspx

 

Graduate from an ineligible high school, complete an ineligible home study program, or earn a GED, and score in the national composite 85th percentile or higher on the SAT or ACT tests. For more details, click here.

[mom31257]

For HOPE eligibility, it's also possible *not* to be accredited, but to have an SAT or ACT score in the 85th+ percentile.

 

http://www.gacollege411.org/Financial_Aid_Planning/HOPE_Program/Georgia_s_HOPE_Scholarship_Program_Overview.aspx

 

 

Thank you so much for posting this. If she continues to do so, she's scored in percentiles well above that on all her standardized tests to this point. I might not have to even bother with the outside accreditation.

[abbeyej]

Thank you so much for posting this. If she continues to do so, she's scored in percentiles well above that on all her standardized tests to this point. I might not have to even bother with the outside accreditation.

 

I should specify that I *don't* know how this impacts *admission* to state schools. Once in, yes, you would qualify for the Hope scholarship -- but getting in? Will they balk? I just don't know. (On the one hand, this concerns me because my oldest is in 7th grade and I need to have a handle on some of this before I need to do high school record-keeping, but on the other hand, I don't know that the odds are high of us using a state school anyway... Still, I don't want to shut doors unnecessarily.)

[plansrme]

Hope eligibility may be the least of your problems if you want to go to U.Ga.:

 

https://www.admissions.uga.edu/article/home_educated_or_non_accredited_high_school.html

 

 

 

1. 
   If a student cannot verify completion of the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) with an official transcript, he or she must demonstrate very high academic ability by having earned an SAT I or ACT score equal to or above the average scores of the first-year students admitted to UGA for the prior Fall term. The student must also be able to validate completion of all CPC subject areas through submission of the following:
   
   • Official scores from the SAT I or ACT (for math and English only—see below), SAT II, International Baccalaureate (IB) and/or Advanced Placement (AP) exams;
     
   • Coursework for credit that appears on an official college or an accredited high school transcript; and/or,
     
   • An SAT I or ACT score in the top five percent of college-bound seniors nationally to satisfy the English and mathematics portions of the CPC (in 2008, the requisite SAT was 1370 and ACT was 31).
     

 

 

The 5 CPC areas are English, Science, Social Science, Foreign Language and Math.

 

Ga. Tech's requirements, as I recall, are easier, but I have not confirmed that lately.

 

Terri