How to Track High School Work

[susie in tx]

I will have a child in 9th grade next year. I have not been wonderful at tracking our homeschooling as we live in Texas and there are few requirements for tracking. Periodically, I make up elaborate spreadsheets and include our work on those, but they get rather tedious and I eventually quit doing them. I rarely grade things and we just go from one thing to the next until we finish the book, regardless of age or time of year.

 

High school is different, I understand, because I will need to have a transcript for my student. If she desires to go to a university, I would like to have something ready for her, so that she is not penalized for being a homeschooled student.

 

What do you all do for tracking your high school student? Do you keep track of hours in order to assign credits to specific classes? I have a Mac computer, so won't be able to use some of the more popular software programs to help me do this. I'll probably have to come up with some sort of spreadsheet.

 

TIA,

[AuntieM]

recommended the NARHS log book for my student to record hours of time spent per subject per lesson. It has been great! I find it especially helpful with co-op classes, I will know exactly how much to supplement two of his classes to feel comfortable awarding him a full credit (based on hours recommended for a Carnegie unit). I have made my son responsible for keeping track of his own log, and I check it often enough to be sure he's staying current with the record keeping.

 

As far as course material for building a transcript, this is just his first year. i have a huge 3 ring binder with a tab for each class, where I will keep track of his grades, course descriptions and other info pertinent to that credit being earned.

[Nan in Mass]

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=812430#poststop

[susie in tx]

http://www.welltrainedmind.com/forums/showthread.php?p=812430#poststop

 

 

Duh.

 

I guess it's obvious I haven't been spending so much time here. I'm sorry for replicating a post. I'll go read the other thread.

 

Thanks.

[Kareni]

Some other suggestions:

 

Keep copies of papers -- my teen used some as food for thought for her admissions essays. Some of her colleges also requested a portfolio of work and it was helpful to have those essays at hand.

 

Keep copies of lab reports (see above)

 

Keep a reading list starting in 9th grade of all books read for work and pleasure

 

Keep track of volunteer and work hours (college and scholarship applications ask for those details)

 

Regards,

Kareni

[Jean in Wisc]

I buy a file box (sometimes called a banker's box--one for each kid) and several folders--all red for English, green for science, etc. I mark the name of the class, child, and year in magic marker on the front of the folder.

 

Every test, test booklet, lab report, paper...etc.,etc. gets put into the correct folder after it is graded.

 

At the top of the box is a notebook. At the top of each page I write the name of a class. Then I record the grades for each paper, test....etc. that was handed in for that class. At the end of the class I average the grades and write the final grade at the bottom of the page. This is the grade that will show up on the transcript.

 

At the end of 4 years I have a folder for each class and a notebook filled with all the grades. It is very easy to make the transcript and if I ever need proof of what the child has done, it is all there.

 

Jean

 

P.S Adding a folder for extra curricular and other info you might want to keep is a good idea, too. If you have the newspaper clipping of their getting an award and note with the date and other important info, it helps when filling out forms for college applications and scholarships.

Edited March 10, 2009 by Jean in Wisc

[Nan in Mass]

Don't worry! People do this all the time. It was on a different board so different people responded. You will probably want to read the answers people give here, too. : )