High school credits, time spent?

[busymama7]

How essential is it to document the hours spent in the course? If there is sufficient work completed, is that not enough? I am thinking things like english, math, science where there is an accounting of work, not just a self designed course so much.

 

Also, how to you count items(like historical fiction, or reports) that span more than one subject. If they write a report based on a history topic can it count for both english and history?

 

Do colleges tend to ask for more than a transcript, especially if backed up with AP and SAT II scores? I mean, do we need to keep a portfollio of work and documentation of everything that was done?

 

I am somewhat nervous as he is a cross country runner and may wish to run in college. I know the NCAA has some specific rules but am confused at what that means for us.

 

It seems it would be simpler to do an online high school of some kind, but we cant afford that right now and I dont want the free ones. I really prefer to do our own thing,but dont want to close any doors for him in the future.

 

Thanks for any help!

[Lori D.]

Welcome to home schooling high school! Yes, our job now shifts more and more toward administration duties rather than teaching duties! ;) Below are my attempts at answers to your questions. Warmest regards, Lori D.

 

 

How essential is it to document the hours spent in the course? ... I am thinking things like english, math, science where there is an accounting of work, not just a self designed course so much.

 

 

Typically, documenting hours is only needed for self-designed courses, as long as you complete a standard/typical science, math, etc. textbook program. However, if you're using software such as EduTracker, it's probably just as easy to track everything. And if you at all think it will be required later (for example, if your student decides to return to a conventional high school to play sports -- I know several home schoolers who did so), then go ahead and track your hours and document what you're doing as you do it -- it will save you much time and headache later on having to reconstruct what you did.

 

 

 

Also, how to you count items (like historical fiction, or reports) that span more than one subject. If they write a report based on a history topic can it count for both english and history?

 

 

Usually, you decide whether you "double-dip" or not. To me, the key is to keep consistent, so decide early on one way or the other and then stick with it. (Same with how you determine how much credit to award.) In case it is of help, here's what I decided early on for our home school: I "double-dipped" and counted multi-page research papers written for history (or science, gov't, etc.) also as credit towards English. However, science labs, essay exams or SAT practice essays, short (1 page or less) responses for topics other than English, etc., I did NOT count towards the English credit, but counted as "homework" type of work for the course for which they were completed.

 

 

 

Do colleges tend to ask for more than a transcript, especially if backed up with AP and SAT II scores? I mean, do we need to keep a portfollio of work and documentation of everything that was done?

 

 

Some colleges just want a transcript and supporting SAT scores. Some also want course descriptions. And a few want a portfolio. Easy solution: keep all your documents in a box, and if you need a portfolio, voila! you can pull one together at that time. Possible items to keep in a box to help towards creating a portfolio:

 

1. transcript of homeschool classes

2. national test scores (PSAT, ACT, SAT, SAT-Subject, etc.)

3. transcript of dual enrollment in community college courses

4. list of outside classes, extracurricular activities, with certificates of participation

5. certificates of achievements, honors, awards, etc.

6. AP (Advanced Placement) test scores

7. CLEP (College Level Examination Placement) test results

8. course descriptions, with book lists, list of resources/programs, etc. for each

9. representative samples of class work (tests, essays, research papers, lab reports)

10. photos of artwork, projects, participating in extracurricular activities, volunteer work

11. sports team season, with record of wins/losses

12. printed program from recital, play, etc. in which the student performed

13. brochures from field trips, concerts, educational programs attended, etc.

14. resume of work experience

15. cover letter from parent, explaining goals and methodology of schooling

16. letters of recommendation, commendation, etc. from outside-the-home instructors, coaches, overseer of volunteer work, etc.

 

 

 

NCAA

 

 

Here is a Home schooling and the NCAA FAQ (from April of this year).

 

 

And from this HSLDA article on home schooling and the NCAA, it appears that if you want to be able to participate in college sports, you must:

 

1. Register with the clearinghouse = http://www.ncaaclearinghouse.net. 


 

2. Take the ACT or SAT test.

When registering for either test, the student must select the clearinghouse as one of the recipients of the test score. The clearinghouse code is 9999. 


 

3. Upon graduation, provide the clearinghouse with the following materials:

- Transcript (included course titles, grades, units of credits for courses and grading scale)

- Proof of graduation in the form of a diploma, listing the graduation month and year

- A list of texts used in core courses throughout home instruction (including title and publisher, and

- Proof that the homeschool was conducted in accordance with state law using either a copy of the state form, or a statement from the homeschool teacher.

 

 

The article lists the following as contacts for more info:

 

National Christian Home School Athletic Association
P.O. Box 8060 
Wichita, KS 672208-8060 
Phone: 316-684-6953

 

Family Educators’ Alliance of South Texas (FEAST)
4719 Blanco Rd. 
San Antonio, TX 78212 
Phone: 210-342-4674

 

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)
Indianapolis, IN 
Phone: 317-917-6222 http://www.ncaa.org

 

National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The smaller NAIA is comprised of over 300 member universities and operates much like the NCAA.
Kansas City, MO
Phone: 816-595-8000
naia.cstv.com

Edited June 10, 2011 by Lori D.

[busymama7]

Thank you. I am so overwhelmed by all of this. It seems easier to just go textbook style, but we have never done that and I dont really want to change now. I really wasnt planning on using a published course for english. Can I list the resources used or number of reports/essays completed as well as literature studied? I really can imagine using a "canned" curriculum for english, it has not been our style at all(we use mostly Ambleside Online, with some other things added in) I really would have to track hours then? Seems so distruptive to the flow of our days, but I guess we would get used to it.

 

What do you do with a transcript if the student follows a non-traditional school year. Like schools straight through, no summers off for 3 calendar years, completing 4 school years worth of work? What about credits earned in 8th grade? here in PS they are allowed to earn computers/typing and math credits in 8th grade at least. What about summer classes? Do you list them for the next year?

 

My son is looking to graduate early(some of you may remember I was whining about his lack of motivation a few weeks ago, but he has perked back up and decided he wants to finish early) but we would keep him home doing distance college courses for 1 year untill he was ready to go away to college. So he wouldnt really be a freshman when getting there anyways. How does that factor in with NCAA?

 

This is frusterating. I really want to homeschool high school, but it seems as if it would be simpler to just send him to the B&M school and call it good.

[Lori D.]

Is there a local high school homeschooler -- esp. one who has had children admitted to college -- you could speak to? Sometimes we make some of these administrative aspects of homeschooling to be so complicated, when, if we can just see what someone else has successfully done, it's not so bad. :)

 

 

...I really wasnt planning on using a published course for english. Can I list the resources used or number of reports/essays completed as well as literature studied?

 

Sounds like you've got a good start on what to keep and to list for documentation! I would also suggest you keep a book list of all the works read each year (see Donna Young's website for helpful, downloadable/printable organizers, such as her reading list planner, course checklist, and other high school forms -- including a time sheet, which would be very simple to just check off a box a day).

 

Also, one friend of mine suggests photocopying the cover, copyright page and table of contents of all resources you use, from textbooks, to lit. guides. That's easy to do and then put into a 3-ring binder or a folder, and then you can use that as documentation AND to help you write up a course description later on (if needed).

 

 

 

What do you do with a transcript if the student follows a non-traditional school year.

 

 

We list our transcript by subject, not by year. That totally bypasses all the messiness of how to list courses that were broken up over two "school years", were done in the summer, etc. Such a transcript could look something like this:

 

ENGLISH CREDIT GRADE COMPLETION DATE

English I 1.0 A 06-06

English II 1.0 A 06-07

English III 1.0 A 06-08

English IV 1.0 A 06-09

TOTAL ENGLISH CREDITS = 4.0 TOTAL ENGLISH GPA = 4.0

 

SCIENCE CREDIT GRADE COMPLETION DATE

Biology 1.0 A 05-06

Anatomy 0.5 A 12-06

Geology 0.5 A 05-07

Chemistry 0.75 A 05-08

Physics 0.75 A 03-09

TOTAL SCIENCE CREDITS = 3.5 TOTAL SCIENCE GPA = 4.0

 

SOC. STUDIES CREDIT GRADE COMPLETION DATE

World Hist: Ancient 1.0 A 03-06

World Hist: Medieval 1.0 A 10-06

World Hist: Modern 1.0 A 07-07

American History 1.0 A 05-08

American Gov't 0.5 A 06-09

Economics 0.5 A 06-09

TOTAL SOC. STUDIES CREDITS = 5 TOTAL SOC. STUDIES GPA = 4.0

 

And so forth...

 

 

What about credits earned in 8th grade?

 

 

This really depends on both your state's education board AND what on what individual colleges want (or DON'T want) to see on the transcript. Many high schools allow 1 class to "carry up" to high school. If the student took Biology or Algebra 1 in 8th grade, usually you just start listing the science and math taken in high school and it's quickly apparent that one or both of those were taken in 8th grade if the high school credits look something like this -- you can optionally add a note of explanation:

 

MATH

Geometry

Algebra 2 *

Trigonometry

Calculus

(* = Algebra 1 successfully completed before high school)

 

SCIENCE

Chemistry

Advanced Chemistry

Advanced Biology *

Physics

(* = Introductory Biology successfully completed before high school)

 

 

Generally, colleges don't tend to want to see 8th grade classes on a high school transcript; if you MUST list it on the transcript for some reason, then make sure the coursework really was worthy of high school credit. Do NOT count the grade towards the GPA (just list as "completed"). And be sure to make a note on the transcript that the course was completed in 8th grade. For example:

 

ELECTIVES

Computer Programming *

(* = high school level course successfully completed before high school)

 

 

Really, the key is to gear your transcript to what the specific college/university wants to see. And for lots more specific -- and KNOWLEDGEABLE (lol) -- information, check out a resource such as Inge Cannon's "Transcript Bootcamp".

 

 

 

My son is looking to graduate early(some of you may remember I was whining about his lack of motivation a few weeks ago, but he has perked back up and decided he wants to finish early) but we would keep him home doing distance college courses for 1 year untill he was ready to go away to college. So he wouldnt really be a freshman when getting there anyways. How does that factor in with NCAA?

 

 

Don't know, but DO check this out in advance of going this route as you may mess up his eligibility for playing!

 

Instead of early graduation and then a year of distance college courses at home, look into the possibility of calling it ALL home school high school. OR, possibly seeing if the distance courses can count as dual enrollment. (In dual enrollment, if your state allows it, then your DS earns both high school credit AND college credit for those courses, AND saves his college eligibility for playing sports).

 

Again CHECK INTO THIS NOW, as every state and every college is different, and you DON'T want to make a mistake on this one and mess your son's sports up -- OR end up paying too much for dual enrollment that didn't work out that way -- OR lose incoming freshman status early and miss out on a lot of potential scholarships that are ONLY for graduating high school seniors. (For example: your current plan would make your son a "transfer student" from distance college to a campus college, and while there are still some scholarships available, there are far more 4-year scholarships available for incoming freshmen.)

 

 

 

This is frusterating. I really want to homeschool high school, but it seems as if it would be simpler to just send him to the B&M school and call it good.

 

 

Well, maybe. But I've also heard a number of people on this board speak about how their umbrella school or cover school lost their records, made mistakes, and generally how they had to keep track of their student's records and credits ANYWAYS... And would the B&M school care enough about your DS to do the work and research about the NCAA and balancing issues of 3-year high school and distance college vs. 4-year high school and dual enrollment the way YOU care? ;)

 

 

Yes, it's frustrating and an effort, and administrative and "red-tape" things are not what we really want to spend our time on as home schoolers... But, it comes with the territory if we want to do our best for our children. BEST of luck! I'm sure with a little research and looking into some resources, and talking to other local "BTDT" moms you'll do great! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

Edited June 10, 2011 by Lori D.