Keeping HS records.

[HSKLNG]

Ladies and gents....

 

Is there anything out there that you know is "better" than Edu-Track?

 

I know am asking for trouble because I already have two full years into but,............it has to be something else out there easier to use.

 

Can you help? Thanks in advance.

[mamaof2andtwins]

I have never used Edu-Track. When I was looking into software for HS record keeping I came across Homeschool Tracker. At first I used the free version, but then we bought Plus version because I can do so much more with it.

 

Jennie

[Christine]

I can't really *answer* your question, but something to think about.

 

I started with a program called Homeschool Easy Records (HER).

 

Then, my computer crashed.

 

And when we got our new computer, I couldn't remember the program I had been using / couldn't find the paperwork on it either.

 

So, someone recommend Homeschool Tracker, which I bought. . .

 

Since then, I've also looked at Edu-Track. . .

 

But, I've gone back to HER.

 

And here's the whole point of that: They all seem to work well, but I was familiar with HER, and the learning curve for the other programs made them "intolerable".

 

Now, I suspect a lot of it had to do with that particular time in our lives where we were moving ~ once a year in foreign countries and having 2 more babies. The idea of having to adjust to ANOTHER change was just more than I could take. But, before switching you may truly want to consider if you want to learn to use a different program.

 

All that said, I've gone back to good ole paper records. . .;) (We had another computer crash, and I just didn't feel like uploading the programs again.)

[BryRon]

Morning!

 

We use Home School, Inc.; they have a free web-based planner. I do not like it, so I am very glad this topic was posted! I am going to check out some of the suggested websites, also.

 

EDIT: I just ran across this website and it looks fabulous! http://www.homeschoolskedtrack.com I have entered our info and am going to start using this, I do believe....

Edited January 15, 2009 by BryRon
Found a better website

[Nan in Mass]

I leave space in the beginning for recording testing and shots and other misc things, then divide the rest into general subjects. Each time my children read something or do something, I record it in the notebook under a subject. I also have an unformatted word document that is their transcript. I leave it unformatted so that it is easy to alter. Right before they apply to college, I format it using the box feature in word, not the best thing probably, but it is what my husband is best at and could demonstrate for me. I xeroxed the whole notebook and made another copy of their transcript and their yearly homeschool applications and stashed it at my mother's house in case of fire. I could do the whole thing on computer, but it is easier to have it on paper in a notebook. This is a nice non-sequential way of keeping track of things so that we can do things in a mishmash and end up with a nice organized record. When it comes to making lesson plans, mine consist of a list of books we want to read and projects we want to do, so I don't really need lesson plans. At most, the lesson plan consists of dividing the number of pages to be covered by the number of days available and writing the daily-pages number on the inside cover of the book. Then we recalculate every month or so to take into account any variations.

-Nan

[Caryl]

I Love, love, love Homeschool Tracker. It was the best thing I have ever bought for our homeschool. The learning curve was not easy, but now that I know how to run it, the flexibility it offers is wonderful. I manage 6 kids (soon to be 7), and was going crazy. With HS, it is much easier to manage assignments and grading, and to actually see what we are doing. It generates very attractive transcripts, and can also print all kinds of other reports (resources used, objectives, course descriptions, etc). Of course, what comes out is what goes in, but once in, it is useful for all my kids if I stick with a similar plan from year to year.

 

The other cool thing is that there is a lesson plan sharing feature through several Yahoo groups (and a Google groups for Ambleside Online). So, for example, if you are using Saxon Algebra 1 there is a lesson plan posted that contains all the lessons, names of lessons, tests, and whatnot. You can import the lesson plan and edit it to your needs. To make an assignment, just click on the lesson plan item. The lesson plans are reusable.

 

While only more commonly used resources have posted lesson plans, creating them is fairly easy, with excel- like features.

 

Can you tell I really like the program?? The Gentiles, who created the program, provide excellent customer service - and are nice to boot.

[mamaof2andtwins]

I wanted to mention that I started with Homeschool Tracker when my oldest child was in 3rd grade. I simply wanted a way to create an assignment sheet for him each week. I think because I started simple and early the learning curve was not as steep.

 

There are many aspects of HST that I do not use. I just pick and chose what I want it to do for me and learn those parts. Perhaps that would help with the learning curve aspect.

 

Jennie

[laughing lioness]

Barb Shelton's Home School Design Formula has lots of forms- especially in regards to high school. I keep detailed lists of goals/ work completed in my day timer.

[Quiver0f10]

I use a simple excel sheet to keep records and then add the grades to their transcripts at the end of the year.

[hihoboneo]

I printed out from http://www.donnayoung.org/index.htm a separate page for each subject. I divided it into 9 week segments, and there I list the daily grades, tests, quizzes, etc. I enjoying having it all in a notebook versus on the computer.

Hope that helps,

Bonnie

[clarkacademy]

Morning!

 

We use Home School, Inc.; they have a free web-based planner. I do not like it, so I am very glad this topic was posted! I am going to check out some of the suggested websites, also.

 

EDIT: I just ran across this website and it looks fabulous! www.homeschoolskedtrack.com I have entered our info and am going to start using this, I do believe....

 

 

That does look really cool thanks for sharing

[BryRon]

:001_smile:

 

That does look really cool thanks for sharing

[Melora in NC]

Another vote for Homeschool Tracker! I used Edu-Track for a few years but switched to HST+ for the Lesson Planner feature. HST's online tutorials are excellent, and they answer all questions very promptly.

[Chris in VA]

Gosh, I'm really low-tech. I had ds put his finished work in a duotang folder. On the pockets, I wrote his grades, first determining at the beginning of the year what percentage of each part of the class (homework, discussion, quizzes and tests) would count as. At the end of each quarter, I'd make a report card of sorts for him and his dad to see.

I did his transcript using Covenant College's form.

[dymphna57]

When I started I used those old teacher planners and wrote in lesson plans from the boxed curriculum I used and attendance records. I also had manilla envelopes for each child , for each quarter with tests and reports. We had journals as well.

After I left boxed curriculum I kept the teacher planners but found it more difficult to keep track of the four children and we are vague anxiety would become panic around April or May when we would realize that we were only half way through.

We moved to a new country and I lost a whole quarters grades a work. I also had cartons of papers that I wasn't sure if I needed as I had lost some of my paperwork.I was now using Donna Young reprintables and used to keep a notebook with a page of for each week and a section for each child. I would try to write around eight weeks of lessons at a time so we would have less of a shock at half year. We would have to rewrite and move things around a lot and I would have to redo some weeks entirely as it was too confusing.

When I had to make up a transcript I really flipped. I doubted I could even find the work.

 

I bought Homeschool tracker plus and it made it easier to write out the weekly lesson plans. We would use the weekly planner and the function to increase daily like Saxon lesson 2, Saxon lesson 3 etc. I also used it to invent a transcsript from the scraps of high school work I found.

 

I was able to reschedule things more easily at the end of the two weeks and our weekly pages looked professional.

I use the yahoo groups now for new resources which helps make the beginning of the year planning easier.

 

I like the way I have two copies of records, one on the computer and one a notebook with the weekly plans on it. Mum's book is always on the table and everyone looks to their section, the current week to see what they s hould do. If you finish the week early uou get a day off, which can be done by only doubling one subject a day in the smaller grades.

 

I like the way it makes it easier to compute grades at the end of the semesters for the older children. I still have to enter them but I can fill in a group at a time easily.

[Gwen in VA]

Another low-tech person here.

 

I make a table for each class, adjusting size and columns etc. to reflect the assignments for the class. I fill it in by hand and figure out the grade by doing the math, counting each section total for the % grade (homework = 50% or whatever).

 

Then I pop the finished sheet into a notebook along with a course description. The summer before senior year I collect all the grades and enter them into a transcript, and then I collect all the course descriptions and write up the OFFICIAL course description sheets!

 

My method is horribly low-tech, but I bought, tried, and then gave away one of the computer program things. It wouldn't do what I wanted it to do in the way I wanted it to do it!

[LoriM]

I didn't keep any records, other than her transcript and ACT/SAT scores. It was more than sufficient for college admissions, and then she achieved her associate's degree while in high school, so her college record stood for itself in the transfer to the university. Easy, peesy.

[SonshineLearner]

http://academicrecords.net/crossware/transcript.nsf

 

This is from Classical Conversations and it's free except for $15, I think, when you print it off.

 

You don't have to be part of CC to use it, either.

 

Let me know what you think, since I just started to use it.

 

Carrie:D