dual credit

[LLMom]

My daughter is signed up for 2 dual credit classes in the fall: Biology (with lab) and College Algebra.  Can I count these as full year high school courses? I received a chart from the community college that listed high school classes equivalent to their college course.  They have them listed as a semester of high school credit and 3 hours college credit.  Must I follow this?

[KarenNC]

In our area, all the public high schools are on block scheduling so they finish a full credit in a semester (so kids take some courses in the fall and some in the spring rather than year-long). Could it be that that is what's happening in your area? Do they say their courses are worth a half high school credit or is it that the equivalent courses are only a semester long but still a full credit?

 

As to "must," it would depend on how the homeschooling laws are written for your state.

[LLMom]

They list each semester as a half credit for high school and 3 hour college credit.  So for her fall semester of college algebra she will receive 3 hours of college algebra credit and .5 credit of high school math (pre-cal). I am in Texas. btw.

[Matryoshka]

Our local high school does DE at the same CC where my kids go.  I asked them, and they have a policy of one 3 or 4 credit semester class = one year of high school credit - no nuance, that's it.  So that's what I've been doing, and no guilt!

[Lori D.]

Not a TX resident, but from what I have read on these boards TX homeschoolers do not have any regulations they must follow as far as homeschooling high school, which suggests that as long as you are striving for a measure of consistency in how you count your credits (home-grown, outsourced, dual credit, etc.) you'll be fine.

 

...I received a chart from the community college that listed high school classes equivalent to their college course.  They have them listed as a semester of high school credit and 3 hours college credit...

 

However, I would find this worrisome, as some universities might question your homeschool transcript calling the community college's 1 semester course 1 credit, when the CC's stated equivalency policy is to award 0.5 credit…  I would definitely do some research on the community college dual credit classes before deciding how to handle this (also, you might contact your state homeschool organization to see if there is a suggested homeschool policy):

 

Are these high school level/"college-remedial" level, or full/transferrable college level courses?

Some dual credit courses are actually high school level courses being offered by the community college. What is the course number of each of these dual credit courses your student is taking? Usually if it is over 100 (i.e., BIO101, or, MATH150), then it is a full college course and not a high school course taught by the community college. Classes that have a course number that is 100 or below (i.e., BIO100, or MATH097) are usually high school level, or "college-remedial". If the courses are typical transferable college-level courses, then they most likely can be calculated at the rate of 1 semester college = 1 year high school. In contrast, if the classes are light/remedial or high school level, then no, go with the community college's equivalency of 1 semester college course = 1 semester high school.

 

Are these specific courses accepted by the local university as transfer credits?

Also something to check: do these courses transfer to the local university and fulfill degree program credits? If so, then these are most likely college level courses with the volume of work and rigor of work to usually be calculated at the rate of 1 semester college = 1 year high school.

 

What does the syllabus and required text reveal about the rigor/volume of coursework?

One last thing you can check is to compare the syllabus and required texts/materials used in the courses with identical university courses. Does the Biology and College Algebra cover similar amount and range of topics? Is the textbook/resources required for the class similar to those used for the same courses at the local university? Or are fewer topics covered in less dept and are the materials lighter, making the course more equivalent to a high school course (compare with some online high school syllabi)? If the material is less and lighter, then the course is probably only equivalent to 1 semester of honors high school. If the material is similar in rigor and volume to that of a typical university course, then the course is going to be calculated at the rate of 1 semester college = 1 year of high school.

Edited July 13, 2016 by Lori D.

[AngieW in Texas]

I am in Texas also. I counted all science and math classes at the cc as one full high school credit for each semester. The content covered in each semester was equivalent to what is covered in a full year of high school (which I definitely know as a public school high school math and science teacher). 

 

I didn't have any problems with the way I credited courses with any of the schools my kids applied to in-state or out-of-state.

 

English 1301 and 1302 - 1/2 credit each semester (my ISD requires a semester of literature also to count for a full credit, but I think that's ridiculous, so I counted parts 1 and 2 together as a full credit)

US Govt 2305 and Texas Govt 2306 - 1/2 credit each semester

Intro to Psychology - 1/2 credit

Drawing I and II - 1/2 credit each (my ISD actually gave a full credit for each of these, but I didn't think the workload justified that much credit)

every semester of foreign language - 1 full credit (my ISD does this also)

all math courses - 1 full credit for each semester (the ISD where I live only gives 1/2 credit for each semester, but the ISD where I teach gives a full credit for each semester)

all science courses - 1 full credit for each semester