Weird state high school rules!

[Pamela H in Texas]

I just found out that several counties in West Virginia require that if you decide to send your DC to public high school, they are required to start in 9th grade regardless of which grades they have completed. So, if your DC wanted to go to high school for his senior year, they would put him in 9th grade. I find this completely appalling. Has anyone heard of anything like this? To us, homeschooling is a year to year decision based on prayer and other considerations. We are a LONG way from high school, but I couldn't believe this!

 

That is the case here also. A student can have up to two correspondence classes. So doing American School doesn't help you much. They can also take the end of course exams the state has to make up credits (however, when *I* took one of these, the pass score was 90%!). Of course, most schools have credit recovery options as well as other pacing options which can help a student catch up.

[AFwife Claire]

In Loudoun County, VA, it is the same situation as the original poster was talking about--if you want to go back to high school after 9th grade, you are put in 9th grade. The powers that be do not allow you to test out of anything. We say, "Once you start homeschooling high school, you are in for the long haul!" But I don't believe Fairfax is the same way, so I think it is up to the district as to how they are going to enforce regulations. It's just a snooty statement that Loudoun Co. doesn't think homeschoolers are any good, and they are unwilling to work with us.

 

They are also a pain in other ways. We tried to do a homeschool science fair under ISEF rules so our kids could move on up and eventually go to the state level or international. The Loudoun Co. officials would not let our winners in their regional level fair, even though that is common in most other places (even most other counties in VA) because they don't allow homeschoolers ANY access to extra-curricular activities. Really--a science fair?! That's ridiculous.

[Parrothead]

In Loudoun County, VA, it is the same situation as the original poster was talking about--if you want to go back to high school after 9th grade, you are put in 9th grade. The powers that be do not allow you to test out of anything. We say, "Once you start homeschooling high school, you are in for the long haul!" But I don't believe Fairfax is the same way, so I think it is up to the district as to how they are going to enforce regulations. It's just a snooty statement that Loudoun Co. doesn't think homeschoolers are any good, and they are unwilling to work with us.

 

They are also a pain in other ways. We tried to do a homeschool science fair under ISEF rules so our kids could move on up and eventually go to the state level or international. The Loudoun Co. officials would not let our winners in their regional level fair, even though that is common in most other places (even most other counties in VA) because they don't allow homeschoolers ANY access to extra-curricular activities. Really--a science fair?! That's ridiculous.

Probably don't want to be shamed when the homeschoolers beat them out.:D

[Mosaicmind]

Indiana does the same thing. If we wanted to put dd back in public highschool she would have to start all over. I even had to sign a paper when we pulled her out that said that last year so I understood their rule.

 

Adding: A friend had her son in our local charter school that has classes where both 7 and 8th grades are participating and when she went to enroll her son in our local highschool they would not let him enroll because they said he had not completed 8th grade. Yes, our charter school is considered a public school but the classes he was taking were not considered 8th grade classes in the public high school's eyes so they would not let him enroll. I know they had started fighting this last year but didn't hear the outcome.

Edited August 19, 2011 by Mosaicmind

[EKS]

To us, homeschooling is a year to year decision based on prayer and other considerations.

 

This one reason why people freak out over the decision to homeschool high school because you really have to commit to it for the long haul.

[Old Dominion Heather]

According to the law, each VA school district has the option to accept whatever it wants. Or doesn't.

 

I see an easy way around this. If your child were homeschooled through 10th grade, you can still send them to public school. It appears that most schools are willing to let the student into the appropriate class (geometry, for example). They just wouldn't get credit for hsed classes (algebra). So your child attends public school for 11th and 12th grades, and YOU determine, as a homeschool parent, that they've completed your homeschool. YOU give the diploma from your homeschool.

 

It's no different than outsourcing other classes, right?

 

_____

It is of course entirely possible that you couldn't work this in other states because of the way the law is written, but I don't see a conflict in VA. I wouldn't TELL my district I was doing this, but I'd do it if the only other option were to start my child back with 0 credit.

 

Right, except that some counties in VA won't allow access, any access to ps classes etc... So yes, you "enroll" but not be considered a home schooled student by the school. You could still consider yourself a homeschool student and issue your own diploma for your kid. However, you would have to NOT register in your county as a homeschooled student. So legally, your kid would NOT be homeschooled. I'm not sure how that would work on a transcript, though.

 

It works much better if a county will let you have access to the classes. I think Bedford County will. I know our current school system won't.

Edited August 19, 2011 by Old Dominion Heather

[Old Dominion Heather]

I'm trying to imagine how a college admissions office would view a transcript that started at home, went to the local public high school and then failed to graduate with the rest of the high school class and received a home school diploma instead.

 

I think that would raise a lot of red flags. If it were a case of partial enrollment with the high school, I think it would be rather easy to explain. But if the student were taking a full load at the local school, but not getting their diploma, I think there would be a lot of questions about why.

 

For better or worse, I think you have to make the call before 9th grade for the most part.

 

Many VA counties won't allow partial enrollment. In fact, I only know of one that does.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Many VA counties won't allow partial enrollment. In fact, I only know of one that does.

 

I was thinking of places other than just VA. I have to think full time enrollment followed by home diploma would look like they were expelled or something.

 

I think many schools wouldn't follow why a student had been full time enrolled but not graduated.

[Jean in Newcastle]

To us, homeschooling is a year to year decision based on prayer and other considerations.

 

I'll respond to this part: We've had this approach too. But this year ds14 is starting 9th grade. We knew that our school district has had this policy. So our prayers were focused on whether this was what we should be committing to for 4 years. In one sense I see it no differently than praying over a commitment to a 4 year term in missions or a job with a set time commitment.

[runamuk]

Is is true in Virginia, I believe. If you wish to enroll in Virginia in high school, you must pass the VA SOL subject tests for eighth grade in order to have any classes that you take in high school count toward your diploma. Your HS diploma depends on your subject scores on the tests. If you can't pass the tests for the classes after attending all four years of high school, you are issued a certificate of attendance in lieu of a diploma. Many students end up getting extra tutoring in their senior year in order to pass enough of the tests to get the diploma. There are different levels of diplomas as well based on how well you score on the tests. Higher scores mean a better diploma.

 

However, since all this is based on the tests, the tests must be taken in order for credit to be given in a class. AND homeschooled students are not permitted to take the SOL tests in Virginia, so you don't know whether you will even get credit for any classes until you are already enrolled.

 

In Virginia, it does not pay to try to jump in at the end of high school.

 

To clarify, do you mean high school homeschoolers can't take the SOLs? I get a letter from the county superintendent every year letting me know my kids (elementary and middle schoolers) can take the SOLs in our school district. I haven't looked further into this because I'm not interested in having my kids sit for the tests when I have other options for the end of the year testing.

Edited August 19, 2011 by runamuk

[FO4UR]

There is always a way around these things. I rather like the idea of sending them to the ps and then issuing a homeschool diploma. It's a matter of communication to college admin. If you have evidence (transcipt, test scores, extra-currics and volunteer experiences, etc), then I would *think* that most college admissions would be smart enough to see that the child was not refused a diploma for bad behavior.

 

On a related note: The way the law reads in OH, my dd6 would have to go into Kindergarten if we were to put her into ps...even though she is averaging a 2nd grade level output in most things and her reading level is so far beyond Kindy it isn't funny. She wasn't compulsory age until this fall, and so I have not enrolled her as a HSer. Thus, she would have to start in Kindy.:glare: We came very close to needing to do that b/c of life-stuffs, and so I'll be signing a NOI for my ds5 this year. I think this is a way to bully parents into giving the district more info than legally required.

 

I am hoping to HS through 12th grade, but no one can know what life will bring. I think it's petty of public schools to make it so difficult to meet the child's needs where they *are.*

[KidsHappen]

My middle two considered going to high school for 9th and 10th grades. They accepted the 9th grader no problem but the one that was going into 10th had to test out of all of the mandatory 9th grade classes to receive credit for them. She did but at the last moment they both decided that they really didn't want to go to PS anyhow. I strongly recommend that a permanent decision be made by 9th grade beause in most districts it is simply too difficult to get credit for previous credit earned at home.

[Excelsior! Academy]

Wow. Here in OK it's not the case. I had a friend enroll her dd her senior year. I didn't realize some of the things other states require. So even testing wouldn't allow you to go in at grade level? I second the hslda. Surely, they would fight against this.

[WVNA]

I also live in WV, but have younger children so haven't really worried about what goes on at the high school yet. When we submitted our notice of intent, we received a letter back from the local school district and this is what they had to say about high school students:

 

***Attention Students Ages 14-18***

In order to receive credit for their high school courses, students must take and pass the mastery testing exams in those classes. Arrangements for exams may be made by calling....

 

Home school students must re-enroll in high school and meet the graduation requirements established for ______ County Schools in order to receive a _____ County high school diploma.

 

I don't know what the mastery exams are for subjects and am not sure what they mean by having to "re-enroll" in high school. My local school district doesn't have the brightest lawyers working for them(I sometimes wonder if they have any actually) so am not really sure if this is a state policy or not.

[AngieW in Texas]

In Texas you should pretty much count on high school being an all or nothing thing. The high schools here don't have to accept any of the credits you have from homeschool or even dual credit and they generally do NOT accept any credits.

[lakerks]

This is from the VA Dept of Educ. website, regarding substitute assessments for verified credits:

 

 

The Board of Education has approved a number of substitute tests that students may take to earn verified credits toward graduation. The Board also has approved a schedule of career and technical examinations for licensure or certification that may be substituted for SOL tests to earn student-selected verified units of credit. Tests for licensure or certification that require the demonstration of knowledge and skills beyond what is associated with a single course may result in the awarding of two units of verified credit.

 

SOL Substitute Tests for Verified Credit (PDF)

http://www.doe.virginia.gov/testing/substitute_tests/index.shtml

 

So maybe this would be a way around it?