Need help assigning credits

[Changed]

I can't seem to find this info anywhere...

 

I'm trying to plan out DD's number of credits for her current year. It looks like most people award Government and Econ as each 0.5 credits, but what about if it's an AP Government class and AP Econ (both macro and micro)? Is it still just .5 credits?

[Luckymama]

How many hours has she spent on each subject? A general guide is 60-90 hours for .5 credit and 120-180 hours for 1 credit. However, I believe that the high end of that range is more appropriate.

[Changed]

How many hours has she spent on each subject? A general guide is 60-90 hours for .5 credit and 120-180 hours for 1 credit. However, I believe that the high end of that range is more appropriate.

 

Hmm...what if the student is able to fly through the material much faster than the average student and therefore doesn't need to spend the time on it that other students would? And can I count the time she spends studying the prep books as class time?

[Luckymama]

Then I'd say you need to increase the difficulty of the coursework!

[Sebastian (a lady)]

I can't seem to find this info anywhere...

 

I'm trying to plan out DD's number of credits for her current year. It looks like most people award Government and Econ as each 0.5 credits, but what about if it's an AP Government class and AP Econ (both macro and micro)? Is it still just .5 credits?

 

 

Do local high schools offer either course? Do they do one semester each with a total of 1 credit for both classes? Or do they do a full year?

 

In my area, American Government and Comparative Government are taught as one semester segments of a one year course in government.

Micro and Macro are also each taught as a one semester course.

 

Not that you are locked into what the local schools do. But it might be a good comparison.

[Candid]

How many hours has she spent on each subject? A general guide is 60-90 hours for .5 credit and 120-180 hours for 1 credit. However, I believe that the high end of that range is more appropriate.

 

 

This is for a traditional school classroom. I think it's not a wise way to calculate credit for home school students unless they are enrolled in a traditional classroom for a class.

 

However to answer the OP, I think both AP classes get a full credit.

[cbollin]

With AP classes, are you taking an outside AP course? What does the outside course provide suggest? is it a semester or year long course?

I can't seem to find that info quickly on PA Homeschoolers. but on something like PHC's AP classes, they make it clear which courses are "semester" only and which are year long

http://www.phcprep.org/phc-prep-ap-course-offerings

maybe that would be something to consider if it is an AP course... what does the approved syllabus get to call it? idk

[Melissa B]

I think the .5 credit per class is fairly standard - even for the AP level. I would be hesitant to award any more credit unless you see it done other places in your area. Otherwise, it looks like you're padding the transcript.

[bobbeym]

Here Gov and Eco are both a single semester for 0.5 credit each, even if they're AP courses. I think that's fairly standard so that's what mine will get, no matter how long it takes them to actually finish the courses.

[Lori D.]

For Gov't and Econ, I tend to agree with Sebastian; even if done at an AP level, these are 1 semester (0.5 credit) courses, unless you do the two types of courses (i.e., American Government (0.5 credit) AND Comparative Government (0.5 credit))

 

However, in addition to counting hours to calculate credit, you can look at the amount of work done for the course. For example:

 

- how many books were read, and what level of difficulty were they

- how many papers, what length, how many citations included, etc.

- any projects; if so, of what type, and what kind of work was required

 

So, if for Gov't your student:

- completed a typical textbook and the quizzes

- wrote 1-3 papers that were each 3-4 pages in length

- and did a project of researching/writing a bill

then the student has solidly earned 0.5 credit.

 

If, however, the student:

- covered the textbook PLUS several other books of high school/adult level and length on specific Government topics

- wrote 4-6 research papers and essays that were 3-5 pages in length AND wrote a 10-page research paper with multiple citations

- did a project of researching/writing a bill AND did another project for the second semester

- AND did volunteer hours at the polls on election day or volunteered for a political campaign or visited the Capitol for a day to see Government in action

then the student has likely earned 1.0 credit.

 

 

The key to counting credits is to not make the transcript look padded and unsupported so that colleges are suspicious of your student's real abilities. Your DD will have plenty of credits on her transcript. AP coursework and high AP test scores will definitely make her stand out. Unless she did 2 AP Gov't classes and tests (American and Comparative), colleges will expect to see 0.5 credit. And with it being an AP credit, colleges will see it as a "weightier" or "more valuable" 0.5 credit -- a student working at an advanced level.

 

BEST of luck as you wrestle through the administrative aspect of homeschooling! :) Warmest regards, Lori D.

[Kareni]

 

I'm trying to plan out DD's number of credits for her current year. It looks like most people award Government and Econ as each 0.5 credits, but what about if it's an AP Government class and AP Econ (both macro and micro)? Is it still just .5 credits?

 

I think you'll find cases where 0.5 credits are given and other cases where 1.0 credit is given. Ultimately, the decision is yours.

 

My daughter took an out of the home AP Comparative Government and Politics class that met four hours per week from September through early May. She had taken an AP US History class the previous year that met for that same amount of time. Both classes had assigned summer reading and copious outside of classtime work. I assigned each class 1.0 credit on my daughter's transcript.

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Changed]

DD will be self-studying for govt and econ. I don't know how you all afford those PA Homeschool classes!

 

It seems like the consensus is to give 0.5 credit for govt, especially since she won't be doing any extra books or projects. Just studying for the AP.

 

She is going to take both micro and micro APs (as of right now), and I honestly have no idea what the difference is. We haven't researched those classes yet, but it seems I should count each as 0.5 credit since they each require their own semester.

 

I definitely don't want to make the transcript look padded, I just didn't know what I was supposed to give for each. Thanks for all the input!