Home School and Public School concurrently

[Guest LisaMcG]

Hi everyone - I'm new here. I'm not new to homeschooling though. Here's my question - does anyone else homeschool certain classes and send their child to the local public school for other classes? Any problems with transcripts for colleges? Any other issues I need to be aware of as we continue down this road? Tips to make this easier?

 

We are a military family living overseas and my DD was homeschooled for most of her elementary and all of her middle school years. We put her back into the local base schools last year (9th) and it has been a nightmare from a curriculum standpoint. Textbooks are scarce, no lesson plans, no writing skills being developed, poor math instruction etc.... Regardless my daughter has a 4.0 GPA but feels bullied by her math teacher (he is the only one who teaches certain higher maths that she will need). (yes we've spoken to the school principal, teacher, counselor - no change) Since there is no change we decided we have to change the situation for our daughter. On the positive side she is getting great instruction in French, Model United Nations, AP World Hx, Jazz choir and such... Loves it!

 

We are pulling her out today from the local base school for math, chemistry and English literature and to be honest I am terrified about the "what ifs" of this decision. I am concerned about the transcript from the school showing she took classes and then withdrew from them. Will it look bad to colleges - sort of like "well she couldn't hack the DoDD's schools so mommy took her out". Her grades in Chem and Lit are A's but math this quarter is a D (we stopped teaching her afterschool and that is what happened) Can I just "drop" the math grade from the school since she will be re-taking the class anyways with a different curriculum from the beginning?

 

 

Any help would be appreciated - many thanks!

Lisa

[swimmermom3]

Lisa,

 

Welcome to the board. There are a number of bright, experienced parents on this forum that should be able to help you out with your question. Sadly, I am not one of them. :tongue_smilie: By a very odd coincidence, I was logging on to ask about "Plan B" for my youngest, which would include part of his schooling at the local high school and part of it at home.

 

Best wishes to you in finding the answers you need.

[Sunshine State Sue]

My son has taken courses at home, online, and through the public HS and CC. I have prepared a transcript to send to colleges, but it is my understanding that the colleges will want to see the transcripts from the HS and CC as well. My advice would be to ask for a transcript from the school at the end of the year. It would be better if they showed her as withdrawn and you may be able to appeal that if they show a bad grade instead. But, I wouldn't worry too much about how it looks either way. Her ACT/SAT scores will provide "proof" that she is capable of college level work. Consider having her take the SAT Subject Tests in the areas she has studied at home as well. There is also something about a counselor's letter (which I have avoided thinking about) where you could explain that you wanted to give your student the best instruction available in some sort of diplomatic way (not my strength).

 

HTH!

[snowbeltmom]

We are pulling her out today from the local base school for math, chemistry and English literature and to be honest I am terrified about the "what ifs" of this decision. I am concerned about the transcript from the school showing she took classes and then withdrew from them. Will it look bad to colleges - sort of like "well she couldn't hack the DoDD's schools so mommy took her out". Her grades in Chem and Lit are A's but math this quarter is a D (we stopped teaching her afterschool and that is what happened) Can I just "drop" the math grade from the school since she will be re-taking the class anyways with a different curriculum from the beginning?

 

 

Any help would be appreciated - many thanks!

Lisa

 

My oldest has taken a class at our high school and homeschooled the remainder. He has not gone through the college application process yet, but I have been told that the colleges want to see all courses taken during high school on the high school transcript. The colleges will also want an official transcript from the high school included with your dd's application.

 

I would check with your high school and ask what classes will be listed on their transcript. Will they only list the classes that your dd has completed, or will they also include the classes that you are withdrawing your dd from? If they are listing the classes that are not yet complete along with a current grade, I would be concerned about the D. If that D was going to show up on the transcript, I would consider having your dd stay in the class to try to bring up the grade if she were able to tolerate the situation with the teacher.

 

If the classes your dd is withdrawing from are listed on the transcipt with a grade of W, I would not be concerned at all about withdrawing from those classes. You will have an opportunity in your homeschool profile to explain why your dd withdrew.

 

Good luck!

[Ellie]

This is how I would handle it: prepare a transcript with all grades on it, regardless of where the "classroom" might be. Indicate classes which were "transfer" credits, such as any high school or c.c. classes. Acquire transcripts from those outside sources, but only send them with your transcript if requested by a college.

 

On the transcripts for my umbrella school, I listed transfer courses like this (I gave semester grades; California awards 10 credits for a full-year course):

 

English....A....B....10T

 

And then there was this key at the bottom of the transcript:

 

Key: A=91–100; B=81–90; C=71–80; D=61–70; below 61= Fail; T=transferred credit H.S. level or above.

 

None of my students ever had problems with other campus-based high schools or colleges accepting those credits. .

[Barbara H]

I would meet with the school counselor and ask to see what her transcript will look like when she withdraws. Some schools will list the average at the time of the withdraw, some will just leave the grade area blank.

 

As she's already a 4.0 student personally I would not be too concerned that it would look bad if she shifts over to homeschooling and earns As at home. If she had two years of earning 2.0 at school and then came home and got As that would be more of a flag.

[In The Great White North]

Dc have done this and not all colleges cared to see the public school transcript. I merely put "at ...high school" in parentheses next to the course title on the transcript, where I put the text for my classes. On the course descriptions, which I sent everyone unsolicited, I stated that the course was taken at the local school and copied their course description verbatim.

 

It was not a problem.

[Guest LisaMcG]

Thanks everyone - you have all been so helpful! One more question: Do I transfer the information from the school's transcript to my own (donna young forms) or do I submit 2 transcripts - my own and the schools? I always thought everything should go on one page but I may be wrong. My son attended 3 schools in high school and the final school consolidated all his school grades into a 2 page sheet for colleges. Any opinions/advice out there for what to do with a public high school transcript and homeschool transcript?

 

Now I need a bit of courage....

 

At the school yesterday my hubby and I went in determined to pull her out. We met with a lot of resistance as we figured. I have her transcript and even with the D in the 2nd quarter of Alg. 2 she has a B+ as her semester grade right now. Everything else is A+ including her AP class. The principal and counselor are well aware of the teaching deficencies of her math instructor and have no power to fire him. (DoDD's rules). They have offered to move my DD to another teacher for Alg2. They have also stated that because she was on 2 school sponsored trips (MUN and French Club) that she should have had time to make up the work/tests. (hence the D). They want her to finish out the semester (Jan. 25) and hand in any late work. It will bring up her quarter grade to a C+ and put her semester grade for the class at an A for her transcript. We are very agreeable to this because it would look better to finish out the semester and have a full semester grade on the transcript. But then the hard sell came and I admit I am wavering because there is some truth to the school's arguments.

 

"Colleges need accredited transcripts, especially if she is applying to the top tier schools"

 

"SAT scores are only some of the equation for getting into the top tier schools and you don't know if you method will work"

 

"Scholarships are more accessible if you stay at the school"

 

Now I have done enough research to know that they are not entirely correct but they rattled me!

 

Unlike many other home schooled kids my daughter doesn't have the ability to boost her college portfolio and create a "hook" by volunteering, working etc.... We live in a small German town and she doesn't speak enough German to interact with the local senior home or tierheim. At the base the opportunities are very limited and it takes 1.5 hour bus ride to get in to it. We had considered doing dual enrollment at the base comm. college but you must be 18 to enroll. She is very involved at the school in their clubs and charities but is that enough?

 

I feel trapped and slightly scared. Am I really doing the best thing for her by pulling her out?

 

My heart says "pull her for the core classes because she will get a solid knowledge base in the core subjects and let the chips fall where they may" but my mind says "she is in the sophomore slump and needs to learn how to manage the difficult times/teachers because life is full of them".

 

Thank you all so much for the good advice on the transcripts and for being supportive on doing both homeschool and public high school. I am looking at umbrella schools and doing the subject matter tests for all the subjects. Any other suggestions are welcome too!

Lisa

[Sunshine State Sue]

Do I transfer the information from the school's transcript to my own (donna young forms) or do I submit 2 transcripts - my own and the schools? I always thought everything should go on one page but I may be wrong.

I have compiled everything on one (homeschool) transcript. It is my understanding that most colleges will want to have the other transcripts sent directly to them. But, I think it's important to compile all the information in one place.

 

Good luck with your decision. I know one thing. You have your dd's best interests in your heart. The school does not.

[Ellie]

Thanks everyone - you have all been so helpful! One more question: Do I transfer the information from the school's transcript to my own (donna young forms) or do I submit 2 transcripts - my own and the schools? I always thought everything should go on one page but I may be wrong. My son attended 3 schools in high school and the final school consolidated all his school grades into a 2 page sheet for colleges. Any opinions/advice out there for what to do with a public high school transcript and homeschool transcript?

 

Now I need a bit of courage....

 

At the school yesterday my hubby and I went in determined to pull her out. We met with a lot of resistance as we figured. I have her transcript and even with the D in the 2nd quarter of Alg. 2 she has a B+ as her semester grade right now. Everything else is A+ including her AP class. The principal and counselor are well aware of the teaching deficencies of her math instructor and have no power to fire him. (DoDD's rules). They have offered to move my DD to another teacher for Alg2. They have also stated that because she was on 2 school sponsored trips (MUN and French Club) that she should have had time to make up the work/tests. (hence the D). They want her to finish out the semester (Jan. 25) and hand in any late work. It will bring up her quarter grade to a C+ and put her semester grade for the class at an A for her transcript. We are very agreeable to this because it would look better to finish out the semester and have a full semester grade on the transcript. But then the hard sell came and I admit I am wavering because there is some truth to the school's arguments.

 

"Colleges need accredited transcripts, especially if she is applying to the top tier schools"

 

"SAT scores are only some of the equation for getting into the top tier schools and you don't know if you method will work"

 

"Scholarships are more accessible if you stay at the school"

 

Now I have done enough research to know that they are not entirely correct but they rattled me!

 

Unlike many other home schooled kids my daughter doesn't have the ability to boost her college portfolio and create a "hook" by volunteering, working etc.... We live in a small German town and she doesn't speak enough German to interact with the local senior home or tierheim. At the base the opportunities are very limited and it takes 1.5 hour bus ride to get in to it. We had considered doing dual enrollment at the base comm. college but you must be 18 to enroll. She is very involved at the school in their clubs and charities but is that enough?

 

I feel trapped and slightly scared. Am I really doing the best thing for her by pulling her out?

 

My heart says "pull her for the core classes because she will get a solid knowledge base in the core subjects and let the chips fall where they may" but my mind says "she is in the sophomore slump and needs to learn how to manage the difficult times/teachers because life is full of them".

 

Thank you all so much for the good advice on the transcripts and for being supportive on doing both homeschool and public high school. I am looking at umbrella schools and doing the subject matter tests for all the subjects. Any other suggestions are welcome too!

Lisa

 

 

:grouphug:

 

*I* would have no qualms about allowing her to finish the semester. That does make sense.

 

You know their reasons for her continuing at their school are full of hooey, but I'd have been rattled, too.

 

You should also know that dealing with difficult time/teachers as a 15yo minor is not the same thing as dealing with difficult times as an adult--no teachers in general as an adult.

 

How long will you be in Germany? Is it long enough for her to actively work on her German and become involved locally? Total immersion into a language/culture is supposed to be a sure-fire way to become fluent, and then she'd have all that experience...which would probably be better for her personal growth than dealing with issues at the school. :glare:

 

*I* would probably consolidate the schools grades into my own transcript, with a notation about their being transferred credits.

[snowbeltmom]

"Colleges need accredited transcripts, especially if she is applying to the top tier schools"

This is not a true statement.

 

"Scholarships are more accessible if you stay at the school"

I don't know what scholarships they are referring to, but many homeschoolers receive college scholarships.

 

 

Thank you all so much for the good advice on the transcripts and for being supportive on doing both homeschool and public high school. I am looking at umbrella schools and doing the subject matter tests for all the subjects. Any other suggestions are welcome to.

Many homeschoolers do not use an umbrella school, so don't feel like you have to use one. I don't think you need to have your dd take a subject test for every subject she studies. Fwiw, I have been advised that three subjects tests in the student's area of interest is more than enough for the vast majority of schools that request these tests. My kids will take three subject tests simply because I would like to provide more outside verification of our homeschooling program, but many homeschoolers do not even take subject tests; they simply submit ACT or SAT scores.

 

[Sunshine State Sue]

three subjects tests in the student's area of interest is more than enough for the vast majority of schools that request these tests

:iagree: This is what I have noticed from scouring college websites as well.