Classes counting for more than one credit?

[goldberry]

How does this work? Ex: A history class also counting for a geography credit, or an english class as a literature credit.

 

I thought credits were based primarily on time spent, so how can it count twice?

 

Sorry if this is a stupid question, I am have a wealth of them lately!

[angela in ohio]

According to whom? A cover school, the local school district, another homeschool mom's advice...??? And counting for what? Graduation?

[SkateLeft]

My courses aren't that complicated. I require at least 4 credits of all the core academics (English, math, science and social science), and 2 credits of foreign language. World History was 1 social science credit, and Human Geography was another. There was a geography component to our world history class, but I wouldn't have awarded more than a single social science credit for the course. It's pretty straightforward. A single English class gets a single English credit. I have no use for a separate "literature" credit, as I don't separate literature or composition from English.

 

I've always assumed that people who are "double dipping" *are* doing more work. They might use a single curriculum as their spine, but they're covering multiple subjects with it, and their kids are doing the same amount of work as someone using separate curricula for each subject. So a parent who uses something like Tapestry of Grace might award their child 1 English credit and 1 history credit, but my understanding is that they're doing enough work in each of those subjects to qualify as a credit. Basically, they're doing all the hours, but are just using one curriculum resource to get it all done.

 

There are homeschoolers who pad their transcripts, but I don't think they're the norm.

[elegantlion]

Looking at my classes for fall, I have literature and history sort of combined. The literature is a major portion of our history program, but our English credit will include vocabulary, writing instruction, and grammar. I'm sure the English portion of our credit will exceed what I need one full credit. The literature will count mostly as a history credit.

 

Is that kind of what you mean?

[goldberry]

Thanks for the responses. It was a cover school that gave a public high school student an Algebra credit and a Geometry credit for one class that was really just algebra but also covered geometry.

 

I didn't know if that was a standard practice, but it didn't seem right to me. However, if it WAS right I didn't want to not take advantage of it. I think my original opinion was correct!

 

I have heard that also from another homeschool mom though.

[angela in ohio]

Thanks for the responses. It was a cover school that gave a public high school student an Algebra credit and a Geometry credit for one class that was really just algebra but also covered geometry.

 

I didn't know if that was a standard practice, but it didn't seem right to me. However, if it WAS right I didn't want to not take advantage of it. I think my original opinion was correct!

 

I have heard that also from another homeschool mom though.

 

This doesn't suprise me. I know homeschool moms who use particular cover schools *because* they "give them permission" to cut corners. It's a great selling point for your service! ;)

[regentrude]

Thanks for the responses. It was a cover school that gave a public high school student an Algebra credit and a Geometry credit for one class that was really just algebra but also covered geometry.

 

 

:confused:Now was it "just algebra" or "also geometry"?

 

In math it is rather easy because there is some standard "canon" of what is supposed to be covered. So, if the math class really DID cover the standard geometry content along with the algebra material, it does not matter what the course was called and how long it took - the student can get both credits if both sets of material were covered.

 

We cover history and English as one class; we just spend twice as much time as would be needed for one credit. The 300+ hours of work are split into one credit for history and one credit for English.

Edited July 16, 2012 by regentrude

[goldberry]

Regentrude, what you're saying makes sense. But in this case even if you cover algebra AND geometry, then wouldn't you divide that up as say 1/2 credit algebra and 1/2 credit geometry? This was a standard public school class. ONE class, not two.

[TammyS]

I wonder if they were using Saxon? In Saxon (I hear the newer version is different) it's standard to have the geometry mixed with the algebra. You do the Alg 1 book in 1 year, the Alg2 book the next year, and then the Adv. Math book the following year. For those three years, you award:

 

1 credit Alg 1

1 credit Alg 2

1 credit geometry

.5 credit precalculus

.5 credit trig

 

It's 4 credits in 3 years and it is an accepted practice from a very well respected and rigorous curriculum. If the school was using Saxon, or something that works in a similar way, they were entirely correct in what they did.

[regentrude]

But in this case even if you cover algebra AND geometry, then wouldn't you divide that up as say 1/2 credit algebra and 1/2 credit geometry? This was a standard public school class. ONE class, not two.

 

In math, I would go solely by content covered. Algebra through quadratic equations = 1 credit for algebra, whether that takes two years for a slow student or one semester for a strong student. Ditto for standard geometry content (where the consensus what constitutes the material for one credit is less clear)

 

Public schools vary. You might have a really good one that did indeed accomplish it. Or you might have a bad one that is cutting corners and did not really teach all material- in math, I would make the decision based on material covered, not time spent.

[Nan in Mass]

The school might be doing accelerated integrated math and just be listing the geometry in the year when the bulk of the geometry was accomplished. Next year, there might be more geometry mixed with more algebra and the whole thing might be listed just as algebra 2. Or something like that. Just another possibility. When you start combining things, the recording of them gets messy. Schools (and homeschoolers) usually send a school profile which explains how they translated the work accomplished into a list of credits on the transcript.

 

Nan

[kiana]

Thanks for the responses. It was a cover school that gave a public high school student an Algebra credit and a Geometry credit for one class that was really just algebra but also covered geometry.

 

I didn't know if that was a standard practice, but it didn't seem right to me. However, if it WAS right I didn't want to not take advantage of it. I think my original opinion was correct!

 

I have heard that also from another homeschool mom though.

 

As regentrude said, if it covered the full content of a high school algebra and geometry course it would be completely appropriate to include one credit in each course.

 

This is far more easily evaluated in science/math subjects.

 

It would also be reasonable if somewhat awkward to do a two-year integrated algebra/geometry course and award credits for both after the second year.