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How To Create A Homeschool High School Transcript
You've been homeschooling a while or you just started, and you've discovered that you got this. Yes, you can really teach your kids. You are sailing along on your homeschool journey. It's not perfect, but it is good. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, your child hits 8th grade. The panic starts to slowly creep in. What are you going to do for high school? All of your homeschool comes down to this moment. Your validation as a teacher, and whether or not you messed up your kids for life. It all comes to a head during these years. Ok, not really, that was super dramatic, but you kind of feel that way. One of the important questions I needed answered was how to create a homeschool high school transcript.
Show notes and links: https://lifeunboxed.blog/homeschool-high-school-transcript
RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW:
Pick homeschool curriculum
Why you should join a mom book club
Divi Theme
Home Life Academy
Courses taken in Junior High be added to the transcript
Get your homeschool records, including the high school transcript
Correspondent Courses
Dot-Grid Journals and Notebooks for Mom
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You've been homeschooling a while or you just started, and you've discovered that you got this. Yes, you can really teach your kids. You are sailing along on your homeschool journey. It's not perfect, but it is good. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere, your child hits 8th grade. The panic starts to slowly creep in. What are you going to do for high school? All of your homeschool comes down to this moment. Your validation as a teacher, and whether or not you messed up your kids for life. It all comes to a head during these years. Ok, not really, that was super dramatic, but you kind of feel that way. One of the important questions I needed answered was how to create a homeschool high school transcript.
Just the exercise of setting up my oldest son's homeschool high school transcript and laying out his four years of high school, really helped me think through the curriculum [pick curriculum] that I wanted to use and what we wanted to accomplish for high school. It also started the conversation of what he wanted to do after high school (we've had the conversation in the past and continue to have).
Just a reminder, this post is intended for educational purposes. Always do your research to see what best fits your family.
Recently, I went to a book club [why you should join a book club] meet up. As happens with any gathering of homeschool moms, we started chatting about curriculum and what to do for high school. I was giving a mom the steps that I took with my first born. One of the other moms said, "Is this on your blog?" I was smacked in the face! Why wasn't this on my blog. I am all about giving practical help, and this is one of the biggest questions so many moms have. Now that I am adding another child to high school, I thought I would share my process. So you can start your homeschool high school journey with confidence.
Homeschooling High School Can Feel Daunting
How do you make sure your kids can get into college…if that's what they want to do. What classes should they even take? Then there are extracurricular activities. These always seem hard to fit in as a homeschooler.
As you are asking yourself all these questions, keep this in mind when it comes to creating a homeschool high school transcript. Homeschooling goes beyond the books. This is why many people choose to homeschool because it gives you so many opportunities beyond just a set curriculum. As you start to create a high school transcript, include learning that is done outside of the books. Does your child cook? Home economics. Are they interested in 3D printing and do they pursue this interest? Computer science. Do they create websites? Web design class.
You aren't limited to just the curriculum you buy, so think beyond the boxes you get at the beginning of the year.
Another thought to keep in mind. Once you have college credits, your high school transcript doesn't matter too much anymore. This is from my own experience and my sister's as well. Neither one of us have ever submitted a high school transcript for college. We both have "some college" so once we had the college credits that was all anyone ever cared about. This may not be the same for everyone, but it is my own personal experience.
Graduating from Homeschool High School
It can be done. I am a second generation homeschooler. Meaning, I was homeschooled and now I am homeschooling my kids. I went to public school through half of 5th grade, and then my mom pulled my sister and me out of school. We never went back.
For my high school, I actually did a correspondence school with a private school in Illinois. The school sent me the curriculum, I completed the work, and we mailed it back at the end of the year. This was before any one was really using email. You can check out the school here. There are other schools as well, if this is the route you want to go. For my kids, I chose not to go this route because I don't want to turn anything into a third party. It really is a lot of work.
My diploma and transcript came from this private school. I even have a class ring and tassel with the school colors. The option to participate in the school's graduation was also on the table. I didn't care to go.
On the other hand, my sister had a very different homeschool experience. She shares all her tips at myhomeschoolwithaview.com. She did graduate from high school went on to "some college" and never gave a transcript to anyone.
Do You Need to Take the ACT or SAT?
This may be a rabbit trail, but it is usually the next question when it comes to high school. The very short answer is no, you don't need to take the ACT or SAT. Are you feeling like a rebel mom yet? We are totally schooling outside of the box.
If you want to go from high school to a university, then you will need to take these tests. It is not a graduation requirement anywhere…that I know of. They are required by most universities, so if that is your path you will need to take them. Community colleges or technical schools, usually don't require them. So before you get stressed out about these tests, check first if the college requires it. If you are doing duel-enrollment during high school, then your child will have college credit and many times the ACT/SAT is not required once the college credit is obtained.
Again, from my own experience and my sister's we never took these examines. I've never encountered a need to have either.
My System for Creating a Homeschool High School Transcript
Even though I was homeschooled through high school, I still need to figure out how to create a homeschool high school transcript when my oldest started. Mainly, I need to figure out what classes he was "supposed" to take.
The first thing I did was find out how many credits he needed to take. I landed on the Home Life Academy website. This was kind of a lifesaver. I don't use this umbrella school, but the information provided was really helpful. Each state may have their own requirements for graduation.
They breakdown the 4 main tracks for high schoolers: going to a university, going to a community college, life choice, and special education (however, I heard that this information is not accurate for our state). I looked at the three tracks that could apply to us and built his high school plan based on these suggestions. Remember, these are just suggestions not rules.
If your child has a specific university or college they want to attend. Then find out what they require for entrance and build your curriculum around those specific requirements.
The first thing I did was create an excel spreadsheet. On one side, I set up the homeschool high school transcript by year. On the other side I listed the subject and grades. This allowed me to plan out what he was taking for all of his high school. I didn't want to sit down every year and try to figure out his curriculum. I just wanted to sit down once and know what we were going to do. Of course, this is always subject to change. But it gave me an idea of how many credits we had planned and when to do the half credit classes.
You can download the high school transcript. It is an excel file, the formulas are added, but be sure to double-check them.
Can Courses Taken in Junior High be Included on a High School Transcript
I ran into a dilemma though. What was I going to do with high school classes taken in middle school? Do I put an extra year on the transcript? Would colleges then dismiss these credits because they weren't taken in high school?
Here's what you need to keep in mind. When it comes to creating a homeschool high school transcript, it is the level of the course that matters, not the age of the student when the class was taken.
The solution was to create a category high school transcript. It looks like this. Basically, instead of listing courses taken in the freshman year, you list all the Language Arts in one section. All the Math taken in another section, etc.
Components in a Homeschool High School Transcript
You get to decide how you want to keep track of your high schoolers credits. Here's what to include in a transcript by category or by year. I've heard there is a specific format required for NCAA sports, so be sure to check that out if your child is going that route.
1. The basics
This includes name of school (yes, you just make it up). I've always toyed with the idea of using Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters, since my husband's name is Xavier. Student's name, date of birth, parents, phone number, and email address. A statement certifying that this is the official transcript and a signature line.
2. Courses of study and credits earned
List the course name. The letter grade the student received and the credits earned. Also, the GPA. The GPA is determined by your grade scale, multiplied by the credits. For example, if your student earned an A+ for a .5 credit class. You would multiply 4.0 by .5, the GPA for that class is 2.0.
Here's something to keep in mind: 150 hours (so a full year) is 1 credit. 75 hours (a half year) is .5 credit. For duel enrollment, 1 semester of college equals a full year of high school. Science with a lab is 1.5 credits.
To graduate high school most students will earn about 24 credits. Again, the best thing to do is to figure out what your child wants to do after high school and plan towards that goal.
3. Grading table
This lists the value of the letter grade given. For example, A+ is 97-100 the GPA is 4.0. A B+ is a 3.30, and so on. This will help to calculate GPA and cumulative GPA at the end.
4. Academic summary
This includes the cumulative GPA. This is the average GPA for the entire high school career. The credits earned. So the total number of high school and duel-enrollment credits earned. Diploma earned, this is a yes or no answer. Finally, graduation date.
5. Extracurricular activities
You also want to include sports played, volunteer experiences, and anything else that would go into this category. If you child is going to a university then you want to show the well-rounded education and experiences of your child.
Conclusion: Homeschool High School Transcript
When your child reaches high school, it really does feel like an accomplishment. It is also a shift from child to young man or woman. Creating a homeschool high school transcript doesn't need to be overwhelming. Download the category transcript, which includes an example of how I plan the high school years.
Remember, I am just a mom like you, sharing my personal experience. Each of us has a unique situation, so be sure to do the research for yourself as well. This is just intended for educational purposes.