Quitting in High School

[Pronghorn]

I have heard that some people who quit homeschooling part-way through high school have trouble getting schools to accept their homeschool credits. Are there ways around this problem or ways to reduce the chance of it happening. I know that a lot of people use accredited programs, which probably would eliminate the problem. However, the programs we love and use are not accredited. I would hate to subject my child to four years of non-ideal learning programs just in case we have to quit homeschooling.

 

We do have a commitment to homeschooling. However, we are older parents, and I sometimes wonder how a major illness might impact our ability to homeschool.

[Ellie]

I have heard that some people who quit homeschooling part-way through high school have trouble getting schools to accept their homeschool credits. Are there ways around this problem or ways to reduce the chance of it happening. I know that a lot of people use accredited programs, which probably would eliminate the problem. However, the programs we love and use are not accredited. I would hate to subject my child to four years of non-ideal learning programs just in case we have to quit homeschooling.

 

We do have a commitment to homeschooling. However, we are older parents, and I sometimes wonder how a major illness might impact our ability to homeschool.

 

I don't think there's any way around the problems. Most of the time it's up to the individual school, and that makes it a crap shoot.

 

In most states where this is an issue, that the children earned their credits through an accredited school would be irrelevant.

 

If you were in California, I'd tell you not to worry about it, because a high school diploma is not a requirement for college (If that's your children's goal); they could take classes at a community college and earn transferrable college credit, and what was done in high school would be irrelevant.

[Pronghorn]

I initially heard about this on a state board (Indiana). I was just wondering how people around the country handled it. Seems to me you ought to be able to take a test and demonstrate that you mastered a particular subject.

[Mom22ns]

I think this is going to vary from state to state and maybe even district to district.  Maybe asking on a more local homeschooling board might help or call your local high school.  This might be mentioned in your state regulations as well.

 

Check with your local school district and find out if it is an issue in advance. Here, it isn't an issue at all. They will gladly accept homeschool credits, although they do require a transcript, course descriptions and possibly a portfolio review if they doubt the credits you have assigned. 

 

There is no reason to stress or change for some possible problem lurking out there. We can't answer this one for you. You're going to have to go get the information or yourself.

[kiana]

It is difficult. Many schools don't accept them.

 

If you have sufficient funds, though, you could consider signing them up for courses through an online-school-at-home program as a backup plan -- not now, but in case of emergency. So if you do become ill and unable to continue, you'd merely have to make sure your kid wasn't cheating on his online work. You'd still be able to transcript it by yourself because the program of study was supervised by you.

 

I'd also try to knock out anything that is absolutely essential for university admissions in your state ASAP -- leaving jr/sr year for electives in areas of interest. For example, one of my siblings did World History, American History -- then in the next two years did Military History I and Military History II -- so he had 4 years of history credits, but the last two were self-designed and completely independent.

[Pronghorn]

Right now we don't have a school district we are specifically looking at. So, my question isn't just what a specific school district does. I am trying to get a sense of how this works in different places. We will most likely be having to move to a cheaper place for retirement, and we are not sure when retirement will hit.

 

The idea about an online school sounds useful. That is what I am mostly looking for. IF this ends up being a problem, what would the options be? And has anyone lived in a place where this was a problem and managed to negotiate some sort of compromise.

[Pronghorn]

Just to clarify. We don't know where or when we will move. We are looking at possible places to live in a sort of theoretical way so that we have a plan B in case of job loss.

 

I wonder if schools have a written policy or if the principal would just make a choice. If he/she just makes a choice, then perhaps the policy would change if the principal changes. Or perhaps any problems could be taken to the school board level, with evidence of achievement in hand.

[kiana]

Some schools have a written policy and some do not. It's absolutely impossible to tell.

 

Given the further information, I would keep good records and a portfolio of his work for every class. It may help make up their mind in a borderline case.

 

Sometimes private high schools are more open to accepting external credits than public schools.

 

If he's old enough to dual enroll in CC's you can also make up credits there -- as long as he's mature enough to essentially *be* a university student. Again, these go on *your* transcript -- they were just externally taken courses.

[Crimson Wife]

Isn't there some district in Texas that does credit by exam? I'm blanking on the name but hopefully this will ring a bell for someone.

[Lanny]

Isn't there some district in Texas that does credit by exam? I'm blanking on the name but hopefully this will ring a bell for someone.

 

Possibly you refer to TTUISD? 

 

http://www.depts.ttu.edu/uc/cbereview/

 

However, I believe there is a limit, regarding the number of CBE's TTUISD will accept and then issue a TTUISD High School Diploma to a student. Someone here on WTM wrote that a friend of her's (a home schooler) had tried to get them to issue a diploma, but few, if any, TTUISD courses had been taken. I believe there were a lot of CBE's, but few, if any TTUISD courses taken by that student. IMHO, that person was trying to "game" the system.  I suggest that anyone contemplating doing this contact TTUISD and ask them about how many CBE's they will accept toward a TTUISD High School Diploma.

 

ETA to the OP: From reading posts on WTM, it is my impression that people here generally either plan to HS for 4 high school years or send their student to a PS or Private school for the 4 high school years. 

[Mom22ns]

ETA to the OP: From reading posts on WTM, it is my impression that people here generally either plan to HS for 4 high school years or send their student to a PS or Private school for the 4 high school years. 

 

While I think this is the best plan, you will also find plenty of parent here on the WTM (or that used to be here) whose kids started high school as homeschoolers and ended in a B&M school of some sort. Sometimes public, sometimes private. Kids change during high school. Goals change. Parents change. Continuing homeschooling isn't always an option and sometimes it just isn't the best option. It is a total guess, but I would estimate anywhere between 10-25% of WTM parents that start homeschooling high school don't finish, just from posts on these boards. Locally, In this area, I'd say that number is less than 25% finish, but I know of kids entering 4 districts without trouble and I don't think any others in a 100 mile radius would be a problem either, so that leads to the higher numbers.

 

Most states or districts have a policy. If there is a policy, you won't be able to fight it. There have been people on these boards who needed ps and couldn't go there because their very advanced high school Junior would have had to start over as a freshman. Online schools can be the option then... the kids can finish and get a diploma online, rather than starting that way. You can also look into what the policies are in places you might move to OP and take that into consideration. There are many places where it isn't a problem.

 

ETA: Good records are your friends. Book lists, curriculum, ISBNs, portfolios. All of these things will help a school that is willing to consider your credits make an informed decision.

[ThisIsTheDay]

Right now we don't have a school district we are specifically looking at. So, my question isn't just what a specific school district does. I am trying to get a sense of how this works in different places. We will most likely be having to move to a cheaper place for retirement, and we are not sure when retirement will hit.

 

The idea about an online school sounds useful. That is what I am mostly looking for. IF this ends up being a problem, what would the options be? And has anyone lived in a place where this was a problem and managed to negotiate some sort of compromise.

 

It really does vary, from district to district.  My state gives each district the option.  In my old school district, you were out of luck.  If you had homeschooled for two years and then went to the public high school, you would be considered a freshman.

 

We moved two school districts away.  The district is more accepting of homeschoolers, but I do not believe it is across the board.

 

Your idea to look at other options as backup is definitely the best way to go.  Perhaps another option would be community college, or a blending of community college, online courses, and independent work at home. (Many families on the Boards use a similar combination.)  At some point during high school (if not sooner), your student will become much more independent, and your role turns from teacher to more of a facilitator.

 

Looking at your profile, it appears you are Christian.  I would encourage you that if God has called you to homeschool, He will continue to see this through, no matter what health issues might arise.  Of course, that might include finding out what other options are available, but remembering that ***He has a plan*** might help ease some of your concerns.

 

:grouphug:

[KayT]

Our district here in TX has the same 9th or never rule also. If you did not use the book that they used you will have to take the class over as that is the only thing they will give credit for. 

[G5052]

I live in one of "those" districts.  They give some latitude on math and foreign languages because they have placement tests for those, and I've recently heard of someone who got English credit by submitting a portfolio.  Otherwise homeschool credits generally aren't accepted.  The head of the guidance department has a chip on his shoulder against homeschoolers and is hard enough to deal with on college testing and AP exams.  I've crossed him multiple times that way.

 

I know of several who just decided to graduate theirs early and send them to the community college after a protracted battle of trying to get their credits accepted at the high school.

 

One option if you have a difficult year is to outsource to DVD, local, or online classes.  My teens are largely self-teaching, but I outsource some of their schooling because they like group classes for history/lit and having foreign language teachers who truly know what they're doing  :huh: past the first few years.  Next year I'm also outsourcing art because of the same issue.

[elegantlion]

Another option could be moving to community college as a dual-enrolled student for junior and senior years. Again, details would vary by location. 

[Ellie]

 

 

I know of several who just decided to graduate theirs early and send them to the community college after a protracted battle of trying to get their credits accepted at the high school.

 

 

 

This would be my first choice.

[G5052]

More thoughts on this...

 

Locally they set limits on dual enrollment, so that is why I know of some who just graduate theirs early if they need a full-time load.  You can only take two classes and only from a set list of courses in your first two semesters.  After that you can take any number and any class that you qualify for.  If you've graduated from high school, there are no limitations.  

 

The community college also requires that you provide verification of homeschooling from the county (i.e. all paperwork properly filed with them) for dual enrollment, and I know of several who just decided to graduate theirs because they were unregistered homeschoolers.  The community college will not accept unregistered homeschoolers for dual enrollment.

 

I actually have a document that I update every year with our plans and options that I put with our will.  As they hit 15 (formal dual enrollment age, although they'll consider younger in certain cases for one class), the options do indeed increase.

[Erica in OR]

I initially heard about this on a state board (Indiana). I was just wondering how people around the country handled it. Seems to me you ought to be able to take a test and demonstrate that you mastered a particular subject.

 

This appears to be somewhat true in our district in Oregon. I spoke to a counselor this spring about planning for my rising 9th grader. There is an option for some classes to "challenge" the class. It's up to individual teachers, but you can take an assessment written by the teacher to determine if you mastered the material in that course.

 

Erica in OR

[Enjoyinglife365]

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[Michelle_NC]

We might be an odd case, but dd is switching to homeschooling for the last 2 years of high school.  This is the first year its been workable because she now has her license and can drive to classes while we're at work.

 

Between the local homeschooling co-ops, dual enrollment and online courses there are a lot of ways to take courses these days!  If its a big concern, maybe you could focus on getting most of the required courses out of the way in 9th and 10th, then you would have some flexibility in case something happened?

 

 

[Reefgazer]

This is going to make me sound like a loon, but here goes:  My DH has no interest in being the actual teacher/facilitator of classes for our kids, he hasn't the time with a demanding job, and he doesn't have the temperament, either.  So I've often wondered what would happen to the kids' schooling if I dropped dead tomorrow.  The question has come to the forefront of my thinking recently because one of DD's friends is in exactly this position as I am posting. 

 

So I decided that each year when I was planning homeschooling, I would also type out a plan for the following two years worth of schooling for each child.  DH knows where the plan is and can open the folder an implement it without thinking too much about it.  The children wouldn't be able to continue homeschooling as we are now, because that isn't DH's thing, but I have an online school/school in a box printed out for him, the cost, where to find it on the web, a general outline of how to get started, the organizations' phone contacts, and additional courses the kids should take in addition to the all-in-one  curriculum (i.e., MP online Latin, AP courses with PA Homeschoolers, etc).  So you could plan on something similar in that you research and choose something suitable now that can be done fairly independently without your super-active, hands-on involvement.  At high school age, this should be do-able with DE and online coursework.  I had to go to more extreme lengths of planning because my kids are not of high school age.  But, the short version is to plan for them to work nearly independently.

[Erin]

I know our local district (the one my daughter attends) will happily accept homeschool credits up to at least junior year.  The business teacher/FBLA advisor and I were just discussing this last week with regards to a different homeschooler.  And, as a teacher who is known within the district, I'd probably have an even easier enrollment than her folks did...

But, ours is a fairly small district (<400 kids, K-12, in the entire 1200sq mile district) and my kids have been in this district since they were in kindergarten.  Even since resuming homeschooling, our teachers and administrators still talk to Buck when they run into him at the grocery store, the county fair, etc. to see how he's doing and what he's in to.  I'm regularly asked if/when he's coming back to school and so on.  

For us it would be a pretty seamless transition back in…if he wanted to.  At the moment, he won't even consider it.

[Mom22ns]

This is going to make me sound like a loon, but here goes:  

 

I sure hope having an emergency backup plan doesn't make you a loon, because I've always had one. Ds is 2E. It has been clear for years, he would never return to public school. So, if something happened to me, we had to have a plan that dh could work though with very minimal time investment to help ds finish homeschooling. I planned courses that are easy for a student to follow independently and online courses for those I knew he could not do without a teacher. I have plan in a file on my computer and everyone knows it is there. It is complete for both my kids and I update it each summer to match the latest best ideas and knowledge I have. 

 

To me this was the only responsible way to homeschool ds. There was no option for him besides homeschooling and if something happened to me, I had to have things as ready as they could be to pass along. For dd, she could go back but doesn't want to. She and dh can work that out if the time should come. 

 

I don't see why the OP couldn't do the same. An emergency backup plan. In case of emergency - here is the plan to finish school. If public school is an option you can use, great. If not, pull out the emergency plan.

[wendybern]

I am in Florida, and this has become a tough issue lately. 2 years ago, middle dd wanted to go to public school for her senior year. The school tried to give me a hard time, but I knew the law: they had to accept my transcript as presented, subject to "verification" by her performance during her first semester at the school. As long as her grades backed up her transcript, all good. It worked out.

 

That's all changed now. While theoretically the above is still true, now there are end-of-course exams for algebra, geometry, US history, government, and biology. If your student has already taken any of those classes at home, they will have to take the end-of-course exams at the public school in order to get credit and be eligible to graduate. The math exams shouldn't be a problem, but what are the odds that you would have covered what they test on for subjects as broad as biology and history? At least in Florida, better commit one way or the other before starting high school. Thanks, common core.

 

Wendy

[Penguin]

What about an accredited, yet flexible, program? I am looking into Clonlara right now.

 

Kolbe is very flexible, but doesn't have regional accreditation. One Catholic school in NC said that they would accept Kolbe's type of accreditation.

[Reefgazer]

I think it depends on the state.  For example, NYS is very specific in which high school diplomas they will accept; they only accept diplomas accredited by certain organizations, most of which are not those that accredit homeschool high schools (although Clonlara is now on their list, lased on Clonlara getting a particular accreditation by someone NYS will accept). 

What about an accredited, yet flexible, program? I am looking into Clonlara right now.

Kolbe is very flexible, but doesn't have regional accreditation. One Catholic school in NC said that they would accept Kolbe's type of accreditation.

 

[brookspr]

Our local public high school will not accept homeschool credits. If I wanted my daughter to get a diploma and graduate from the HS, she would have to make up any missed required classes and credits during summer school.  We decided that she will go to the public school part time, this year she is taking choir, band and biology.  The rest she will do at home.  When she is ready to graduate, we will just make a transcript which includes the classes taken at the public school (with an official copy attached) and ones she completed at home.

 

[FaithManor]

Our local schools accept ZERO homeschool credits. Our plan if something were to happen to me is for the boys to take online classes from the really good cc that is an hour away, and then if there was something they needed that wasn't available online, dh would buy another car and hopefully with three vehicles, they would all find a way to juggle the commute.

 

I have all of their records and transcripts up to date so all he would need to do is add the cc transcripts to their portfolio and graduate them.

[MarkT]

I initially heard about this on a state board (Indiana). I was just wondering how people around the country handled it. Seems to me you ought to be able to take a test and demonstrate that you mastered a particular subject.

 

In New York, the home-schooler can take the state-wide Regents exam (for a limited number of subjects) which would show "mastery" for NYS public schools.  

 

Personally I prefer this to the Arizona AIMS (now PARCC) tests which are grade level so you could not accelerate in math, for example, and show mastery.

 

(I am from upstate NY)

 

[freesia]

I think it depends on the state.  For example, NYS is very specific in which high school diplomas they will accept; they only accept diplomas accredited by certain organizations, most of which are not those that accredit homeschool high schools (although Clonlara is now on their list, lased on Clonlara getting a particular accreditation by someone NYS will accept).

I'd be interested in seeing this list as we are in NY and using Clonlara.

 

Thanks

[Penguin]

freesia, I would love to know more about your experience so far with Clonlara.

[freesia]

freesia, I would love to know more about your experience so far with Clonlara.

pming you

[kiana]

I was thinking about this thread today while I was driving.

 

OP, another option (if your 8th grade is marginal for high school, such as algebra 1, physical science) is to write up course descriptions for this year as if it were high school. Don't change the grade registration, or anything like that, but have them in a box with an In Case of Emergency. This would allow your kid to graduate a year earlier if necessary, by using those transcripts -- with a somewhat weaker transcript, but they would have the piece of paper without having to go back and start in 9th grade.

[snowbeltmom]

I sure hope having an emergency backup plan doesn't make you a loon, because I've always had one.

 

:iagree: I also create a back-up plan that spells everything out for the high school years so my kids can continue homeschooling in case neither I nor my husband is able to homeschool them.