She confessed her dire situation. “I just found out that I need to write course descriptions for his college application! I didn’t think I would have to do that, and now all of a sudden I find out they are due tomorrow morning!” She begged me to tell her story. “Please encourage moms to START EARLY!”

How can you write a transcript and twenty to thirty course descriptions?

You can’t – unless you have kept high school records! Record keeping is an important skill. It seems so unrelated to homeschooling, and unnatural for some of us. It has nothing to do with teaching or nurturing. After all, record keeping is the role of school administrator? Oh wait! That’s us!

A few months ago, I was working on a transcript for a high school junior. We went over every subject area, and discussed them in detail, from high school algebra to American Sign Language. Everything was complete. As I was leaving, I asked “What are you doing this weekend?” Mom didn’t hesitate for a moment, but explained that they were going to a Latin competition that weekend.

“Latin?” I said. “You never mentioned Latin!” That was how I discovered that her high school junior had already completed four years of high school Latin, and her mother had completely forgotten about it.

Now it’s not like the four years of Latin was a repressed memory of something horribly traumatic. It was obvious that the student enjoyed it – that’s why she was still competing. But this example illustrates why you want to keep high school records. It’s not just so you don’t forget that your child did a two-week unit study on economics. It’s so you don’t forget broad swaths of learning, like four years of Latin.

Keep high school records so that, when the time comes, you can make a transcript that actually reflects the courses that you taught. Keep records so that you don’t short-change your student. This mother is a very gifted home educator, and has done an exceptional job homeschooling her children, and even SHE forgot four years of Latin.

Never underestimate the human ability to forget! It can happen to anyone! Now let’s talk about record keeping, so you can make sure amnesia doesn’t happen to you.

Four Kinds of Homeschoolers

When it comes to record keeping, I have noticed that there are four kinds of homeschoolers. There are people who keep records in big plastic tubs – “tubbies” I call them. They keep all their records from all of their children in that tub, and it’s a perfectly acceptable method of record keeping.

There are parents who keep records in cupboards, cabinets or drawers. Slightly more organized than tubbies, “cubbies” will usually have one drawer for each child and for each year. This is also a fine method of record keeping, and it has the added benefit of organizing information by year.

Still other parents keep a notebook with their high school records, and it’s also a useful method of keeping records. I am one of these “binder queens,” and will go into depth about how to do this in the next section.

The final type of homeschool parents are the ones I affectionately refer to as “question marks.” When this type of parent hears about record keeping, a question mark will appear over their ever-so-slightly-cocked head as they think to themselves, “Records? Were we supposed to keep records?” This is a method that I do NOT recommend! That’s how you can lose things like four years of Latin, or being an Eagle Scout.

Each homeschool parent can decide which method is best for them. Tubbies keep lots of stuff but lack organization, cubbies keep lots of records with minimal organization, and binder queens have information on every class in an organized fashion. I usually recommend that parents try to get more organized each year. If the first year you are a tubby, try to graduate to a cubby the next year. Move up the food chain!

The Binder Method of Record Keeping

When we first started visiting colleges, I asked what records they wanted me to bring. They said, “Bring them all!” I was astonished, but I did what they wanted. I traipsed into the admission office with 6 binders full of homeschool records – one binder for each year of high school for each child. By the look on their faces, I quickly determined that perhaps they weren’t interested in necessarily SEEING my records; they more just wanted to know that I actually HAD records.

Using a binder system was convenient for me, because I had a convenient place to keep something from every class. If they every wanted to see something from Latin or from Macroeconomics, all I had to do was reach into a binder for a work sample.

What do you actually put IN the binder? My binders were 3 inch, 3 ring binders, each with a creative title like “Kevin 2005-2006.” Inside the binder, I had about twenty dividers that I labeled. In the front I had records that I needed to keep for colleges and for our Washington State laws.

The first section was for the transcript, which I actually made once the year was finished.

Then there were sections for the Declaration of Intent to Homeschool, immunization records, and annual testing records – because those things are required by our State Law. I had a section for their reading list and a list of my kids’ activities and awards. Finally, I had a section divider for each class that I intended to do that year: one for math, English, history, science, etc.

In the beginning of the year, that was all it said: “math.” Later in the year, usually in the spring, I would go back over what we had taught and develop a course description for each class.

I notice that by having a PLACE for records, I actually KEEP records.

Like my bank records, they didn’t often get filed like they were supposed to, but once every couple months, I would methodically take all the papers my children produced and gradually fill in that 3 ring binder. I was able to easily see which sections were filling up, and which sections were blank.

What to Keep

How do you know what records to keep? For some classes it’s relatively simple: keep any tests or papers that they have written, and you’re done! For some classes you may keep their lab reports, research papers, or work sheets.

But some classes don’t have paper assignments. Then what do you do? Last spring, a mother was talking to me about record keeping, and she asked what records she should keep for her child who was learning how to cook at home. The answer is BE CREATIVE! Think methodically about what they DO for the class.

In the cooking example, the mother mentioned that her daughter created a menu, did the shopping, and cooked with recipes. Why not use those for records? Save the menu, the shopping list, and photocopy the recipes that she uses – those are your records for “culinary arts.”

My sons play piano, and I was in a similar dilemma. We didn’t have any reports or homework, so we kept a list of songs they learned to play, the piano books they used, and we saved the programs from their recitals.

There are other ways to keep records. Keep a reading list of every book they buy, use, or read for pleasure. You can keep track of how many hours you spend on subjects that aren’t “bookish.” The credit value of courses like PE, fine arts, and electives may be hard to quantify unless you keep track of hours.

You can keep course descriptions from co-op classes. Some people will photocopy the cover and table of contents from textbooks. Both of those methods will really help if you want to make a course description for your classes. If you write assignments for your kids, or have a schedule for them, keep those things.

You can also do it the opposite way, and instead of writing down what you want them to do in the future, you can write down what they DID do after it’s been completed. This method will help parents who are conscientious, but not into planning ahead.

You can also have the student keep a journal of all their school work. That would have never worked with my kids, but I know it works for others. If they do that, make sure they include every book, assignment and experience. Most students will do some of their work on the computer. You can save all of it, either by printing or saving it to a file.

When to Keep Records

Homeschool records become critical once student begins high school, when they become part of a transcript that will be shown to colleges. How do you know when your child is in high school? In general, public school children are considered high school age at about the age of 14, or once they reach 9th grade.

One of the delightful “problems” with homeschooling is that it isn’t always easy to label your child as a particular grade level. I started keeping records in 7th grade, so that I would train myself to keep records and be competent by the time they were in high school. When my youngest son Alex was 14 years old, he took and passed some CLEP exams (which measure college level learning). This was a strong clue for us that it he was probably already through high school in many subjects!

Because I’d been keeping records to “train myself” we were able to collect enough information to make his transcript when we needed it. If your child is in 7th or 8th grade, consider keeping your homeschool records as if they were already in high school, so that you are prepared for anything as you move forward.

As you are training yourself to keep records, strive to keep SOMETHING to document every subject your kids learn. Keep records often! It’s a rare person who will update records every day, but everyone can put “record keeping” on their calendar every month or two.

Right now, why don’t you decide whether this year you will be a Tubby, Cubby or Binder Queen (or King!) Get prepared now, and then throughout your school year spend some concentrated time on collecting records for your homeschooled high schooler.

A little preparation now will help you avoid your own transcript or course description emergency.

Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, “Helping parents homeschool through high school.” She has a new free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”. You can sign up for her free email homeschool newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper.

…

This is an exciting time of year for those that are in the throes of college applications, acceptances, and (financial aid) agreements.  This latter portion—put quite simply, getting someone else to pay for your child’s education, always leads to discussion about having to meet someone else’s requirements to receive funding.

The discussion about having to meet others’ requirements leads to a number of questions, including:

1)      Should we take the SAT and/or the ACT?
2)      Should we plan on taking SAT II’s, and, if so, how many and in what subjects?
3)      How do we prepare for the interview/college trip?
4)      From whom do we seek letters of recommendation?

…and one that we’ve toyed with for a bit, should we take the GED (General Equivalency Diploma)?

My husband and I have discussed this and other college entrance hoops a lot.   In fact, Barb’s confession of her middle-of-the-night fears (see here) were hauntingly real for me, though I’ll admit that I’ve not had many awake nights of this sort.   Then again, the oldest is only a freshman (smile).   I’ve heard of all sorts of articles from HSLDA and other places about the pros and cons of having a homeschooled student take a GED.   The biggest advantage, from my perspective, is that there are a number of schools who require such a validation, both for entry and/or financial aid. If that school is your child’s heart’s desire, then you must act as the Romans when in Rome.   GEDs, and SATs and ACTs, for that matter, are considered objective, independent measures of knowledge; for a homeschooler, these assessments help get us out of the realm of what one homeschool loop calls “mommy grades.”  Though I have my doubts about the SAT, given all the data about cultural biases, I accept that these are the standards for how colleges try to compare one child’s abilities to another’s.

There are also a myriad of reasons not to take a GED.

With all due respect to those who have chosen to take it, the prevailing thought is that there is a stigma attached to this particular test. By design, its primary audience is high school dropouts who need to demonstrate that they have accumulated the equivalent of a high school diploma.   Is a homeschooled student who has worked hard for four years and graduated in the same category?    If you ask the military, the answer is yes.   If you ask certain schools, particularly those in homeschool-unfriendly states, the answer is yes.   If you ask most homeschooling parents, the answer is an adamant NO, with the appropriate amount of blood, sweat, and tears dripping from furrowed brows.

As for us, if the Lord continues to say the same, we will not go the GED route.    Homeschooling is a far more common practice than it was, say, even 20 years ago, and I like to think the days are gone when the term ‘homeschooling’ makes people look at you as if you have something hanging from your nose.

There are simply too many colleges out there that actively seek out homeschooled kids to deal with jumping with extra hoops.   And, admittedly, I’m one of those parents with a furrowed brow who feels as if I’ve worked too hard to lump my kid in with another who chose to quit early.

But there are also other, more paramount, reasons that we will seek a college that does not require a homeschooler to complete a GED.   When we began homeschooling, we (my husband and I) started this journey believing that we could do something better than the traditional school system.   We bought into the fact that homeschooling was a viable alternative to what we were being offered.   We still believe that, and we’ll stand proudly with the transcript that we’ve compiled over four tough years.    This has been no cake walk; there have been no free rides, and shame on those who think anything different might be the case.    I’m finding that some outside validation is a plus, so we’ll get it.   The oldest has taken at least one course outside of us to date, and she’ll probably enroll in the local community college to complete dual degree courses.    She will take the standard college prep/ entrance exams.

As for the GED, though, we say no, thank you; we will stay firmly on the path that we believe God paved for us, and we’ll walk in it to whatever doors He chooses to open.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding;

Acknowledge Him in all thy ways, and He shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Belinda Bullard is a wife and homeschooling mother of three, Belinda is an author and the owner of A Blessed Heritage Educational Resources, a literature-based history curriculum featuring African-American presence in history, as well as the contributions of other races to American history. A chemical engineer by formal education, she also serves as adjunct faculty for college distance learning programs.

Photo Credit: Dawn Camp, My Home Sweet Home

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A Few Words From Lee Binz

Homeschoolers are a forgetful bunch. Each new phase of homeschooling is often met with anxiety and uncertainty. “Can I really do this?” is a common question, especially when approaching the high school years. Yet, the Bible has a lot to say about remembering. In fact, the theme of Deuteronomy is “remember.” Don’t forget what the Lord has done.

Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. ~Deuteronomy 8:2

Don’t forget what He has done is YOUR life as well. Remember when you had babies, and they had trouble sleeping through the night. Remember when you had toddlers that physically stuck to you like glue. Remember first grade, when you were terrified that your child may not learn to read. Remember 3rd grade, when you began suggesting multiplication and cursive with fear and trepidation.

Remember when you taught your child to ride a bike without training wheels. They could have gotten seriously hurt – even WITH a helmet on! And yet you managed to teach them. They learned and they survived the learning. Remember all those things when you are thinking about starting to homeschool high school. High school isn’t any MORE difficult than homeschooling any other age. Toddler troubles aren’t harder than baby troubles – they are just DIFFERENT. Each stage in life is different, and high school is just another new and different stage. You’ll learn to cope with this stage as well as you have learned to cope with the other stages.

Remember. You survived. You can do this too!

In This Issue:

• Homeschooling’s Dirty Little Secret by Carol Barnier
• Following the Career Path Road, Oh My! by Leah Nieman
• God Was Homeschooling ME by Dr. Ruth Beechick and Debbie Strayer
• Why Homeschool Through High School? by Maggie Hogan
• What They DON’T Learn in School, But Can’t Live Without by Tyler Hogan
• Grading Without Tests by Lee Binz
• 10 Benefits of Homeschool Co-ops For High School Students by Carol Topp, CPA
• From Transcript to Transformation by Diane Lockman
• Why in the World Would You Homeschool High Schoolers? by Sarita Holzmann
• Words that Represent You and Yet Influence Others by Belinda Bullard
• Staying the Course: Homeschooling Through High School by Dawn Camp
• High School Step-by-Step by Lee Binz
• Expanding the Options for Home Schooled High School Students by Tim N. Scoggins
• What Teens Wish Their Parents Knew by Bethany LeBedz
• Homeschoolers. High School. by Cara Putnam
• Pursuing Their Dreams: Career Exploration for High School Students by Carol Topp, CPA
• Course Description Emergency! by Lee Binz
• The Tale of a Son by Tammy Dallmann
• To GED or Not to GED? by Belinda Bullard
• Through the Eyes of a High Schooler by Taylor Nieman

Consider the story in the Bible about Jesus changing water into wine. He didn’t tell the servants to “Change water into wine.” Instead, he gave them three easy steps. Each step was possible and manageable. Read his instructions in John 2:1-11. He gave his servants very small, manageable tasks.

A Step-by-Step Guide to Changing Water Into Wine:

• Step 1: fill jars with water
• Step 2: draw some out
• Step 3: take it to the master

Jesus did not even MENTION the end result. He just gave the steps. In fact it was Jesus who was in charge of the scary end result and final consequences. The servants (that’s us!) only had to handle the small, individual steps. If the servants had focused on changing water into wine, they would have become overwhelmed. Instead, they were simply asked to fill jars. God was in control of the quality of the wine. They just had to do one simple thing at a time. Jesus brought the joy to the event, and he brought the highest quality of wine. He can bring joy and quality to your homeschool as well when you focus on one step at a time.

You will succeed at homeschooling high school, because your child has been given to you – because God knew in advance this day would come. He knew what you needed for this day. Your job is to focus on raising your child today. Keep your eyes on the prize – producing a well-educated and happy grown adult.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
~ Philippians 4:13

Do not panic! You are completely capable of doing this! Your child has been given to you – it’s been planned this way forever! You have what it takes to do the work – God promises to strengthen you! This is a completely doable task.

The secret of your success will be the love you have for your child. The love for your child will teach you what they need to know, how they learn, what they are missing, and how to prepare them for the future. Love won’t teach you calculus, but you don’t need to know calculus in order to homeschool high school. Instead, the love for your child will motivate you to find a way for them to learn. Love will urge you to seek resources and curriculum choices that will fit your child.

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
~ 1 Peter 4:8

The love you have will cover the difficulties you face. You will fail at some small tasks, because we all fail at small tasks every day. Even high-powered professional executives will fail at small tasks regularly. But we will succeed at the big task: raising and educating our children. Your child has been given to you, so you know you can homeschool high school. You know you are capable, because you have the strength of the Lord behind you. And when small missteps occur, the love of your child will cover you.

You will be successful. Do not be afraid. Take it one step at a time.

Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, “Helping parents homeschool through high school.” She has a new free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”. You can sign up for her free email homeschool newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper.

Things had gotten bad in our support group.  The battle lines had been drawn. Two of our homeschooling membership had gotten into a competition of sorts. They came to each meeting with scripture on their lips and a quiet smile plastered on their faces, but there was a squint-eyed gleam in their eyes.  And it was getting worse with each meeting.

Barbara Ann arrived just a tad early to every meeting practically bursting to share her son’s latest feats.

“Why yes, this past month my son Reginald was accepted to the NASA Jr. Space internship program, <pause for effect>, his essay got 1^st place in the Patrick Henry Brains-of-America  contest, and with the sheer power of his mind he rid himself of the measles. Praise be to God.”

The room held its breath and waited, for they knew that now… it was Wilhelmina’s turn.

“We’ve got a praise report, too!” Wilhelmina popped up.  “Our little Desmond’s building design has been chosen for the new Presidential library, the book he wrote last year is in its third printing, and <tearful eyes…sniff, sniff> he touched us all with finding a little orphan boy in Croatia and giving him his spleen.”

Wilhelmina triumphantly sat down, but Barbara Ann now looked menacingly at her son Reginald’s abdomen, presumably searching for spare parts.

I will admit to you that this is a slight exaggeration. The Barbara Ann/Wilhelmina exchange is only an example of how some praise reports make me feel, not what they actually report. In fact, most of the time the comments are perfectly reasonable, and the women doing the reporting are actually…well, lovely. But there definitely are two camps in homeschooling circles.

Camp 1–those whose kids are on an upward spiral to be more and more impressive with each passing month and

Camp 2–those whose parents are working harder and harder to hide the fact that their kids’ best accomplishments include falling out of their chairs and burping through the names of the apostles.

Actually, there’s also a third group—and that is the vast majority of those who fall in between groups one and two. Most kids won’t be a starting forward for the NBA, or missionaries in Peru, or winners of the televised Spelling Bee. Most kids learn their times tables relatively “on time” and can generally read at grade level. And most kids will graduate with some sense that George Washington, George Gershwin, and George Clooney are not contemporaries.

So what’s the problem? Well, it’s that we all tend to judge our success by those who are achieving more than us. And of course the bad news is that there is always someone achieving more than us! Everywhere you turn there is someone doing something that you have yet to do.  You start homeschooling by creating a reasonable list of expectations for the school year, but that creeping virus of borrowing from everyone else’s plan begins to set in.

At first you decide to read Bible stories to your children. But then you learn that Julie’s child is studying the Greek and Hebrew roots of words in selected verses.

Scratching scribble sounds. It goes onto your list.

Then you planned on working through a sweet little science book. But you learn that Rebecca’s children are splicing their own DNA.

Scratch. Scratch. Scribble. Scribble.

Every monthly visit to your support group adds 3-4 items on your ever growing list. But even if you don’t go to support groups, you can do the same thing with homeschooling magazines. Pam, another homeschooling mom, shares “I quit reading home school magazines years ago when a mother wrote in about how her 18 month old had a heart for the unsaved Asian children of the world.  18 MONTHS old!  At the time, my 18 month old was sitting on the back porch picking the fuzz out from between her toes!”

There’s nothing wrong with being on the lookout for new ideas that might be well-suited to your children and your academic objectives.  The problem is when ALL the new ideas sound like they might suit. Even with good ideas, there can simply be too many of them on your list. You cannot do it all at once. You may be providing a huge variety of wonderful, enriching exposures for your children, but the downside can be a frenzied activity-filled day that leaves everyone exhausted.

So what’s a homeschooling parent to do? It’s really an issue of trusting yourself.

Make your plans. Determine your objectives for your child. Then, stick to your guns.

And when the Barbara Anns and Wilhelminas of the world amaze and astound with their superhuman achieving children, just smile, nod, rejoice with them in their good fortune…and then pray that Reginald gets to keep his spleen.

Carol Barnier is a fresh, fun and popular conference speaker unlike any you’ve heard before. Her objective is to have the wit of Erma Bombeck crossed with the depth of C.S. Lewis, but admits that most days, she only achieves a solid Lucy Ricardo with a bit of Bob the Tomato. She is a frequent guest commentator on Focus on the Family’s Weekend Magazine broadcast, has been a guest on many radio programs and is a speaker to conferences nationwide. She’s the author of three books about dealing with (or possessing) a non-linear mind in a linear world:  How to Get Your Child Off the Refrigerator and On To Learning, If I’m Diapering a Watermelon, Then Where’d I Leave the Baby?, and The Big WHAT NOW Book of Learning Styles. You can find Carol at her main website, CarolBarnier.com and SizzleBop.com.

Students can broaden their prospects of acceptance into college after graduation from high school through support available from the National College Counseling Center and earn their high school diploma from a regionally accredited college or university, while accelerating their progress to a degree.

Home schooling of children has occurred since this nation first began, yet has become a growing practice over the past few years to levels never before seen in America.  Societal acceptance of home schooling has also increased, as it has become more common for people with children in public or private school settings to have friends, co-workers, or others in their congregation in church that home school their children.

There are many reasons why parents choose to home school their children: For some, it is because of their remote location, especially in remote farm areas.  Others who live in heavily populated areas realize that their children are not getting the attention that they need in overcrowded classrooms where the student-to-teacher ratios essentially eliminate any possibility of individual support to students.  In other cases, it is to provide a safer environment for their children. Regardless of the reasons, students typically do quite well in academic achievement when taught in a home school environment.  Most states require that students take standardized academic achievement tests to ensure they are meeting or exceeding the expectations for the grade levels completed.

Research in the past[1] revealed that home school students scored exceptionally high (in the 70^th to 80^th percentile) on standardized academic achievement testing and that 25% of home school students were enrolled in courses one or more grades above their age-associated public and private school peers.

What an excellent testimony to the success of home schooling in this nation.  However, some high school graduates who were home schooled face obstacles in entering into the college or university of their choice – barriers that can be easily overcome, as will be described in this article.

Let’s face it … the entire nation is currently facing economically difficult times, which is impacting both large and small businesses, as well as government agencies.  Anyone who has watched the news this past year has seen the reverberations of the economic downturn; however, what many do not realize is how this is impacting higher education across this nation.  Education and employment are intrinsically related – the more education one has attained, the better the prospects of employment, retention, and promotion in the workplace.  Enrollment at degree-granting institutions has actually increased over the past few years, even in these tough times. For example, the State of Tennessee reports that they have experienced a 6 percent increase in enrollments at State Colleges and a 15 percent increase at Community Colleges for Fall Semester of 2009.

Although it may at first seem illogical, when the economy turns downward, enrollment in degree granting institutions turns upward. Similar results to this example evident across the nation.  When economic downturns occur, as we have experienced over the past year, many organizations downsize and those employees remaining may need to sharpen their skills academically to carry the additional workload.  Many are seeking to earn a degree when they are away from work in case they do later become a casualty of the downsizing and closures that have been all too common in America this past year or more.  Take a look at the nationwide results that are reflected on this graph:

Notice the sharp upward red line that presents the unprecedented growth in attendance at degree-granting institutions that has occurred over the past five years.  As you can see by the lower green line, when the Department of Education projected growth over a ten-year period from 2002-2012, they expected an additional 900,000 to 1 million students to be attending college at the half-way point.  When they received the statistics from the mid-point, the 2007-2008 academic year, they discovered a growth rate 5 times that which they had previously forecast.  We now have more than 18.2 million students pursuing degrees in America.

What does this have to do with high school students? It means that the competition is tougher than ever to get into the college or university of their choice, as institutions of higher learning are being stretched to the limits with the new students seeking enrollment.

How can high school students, particularly those that are home schooled, sharpen their competitive edge to help them get into the college or university of their choice after graduation?  By not getting a home school high school diploma.

Whoa, now!  Don’t stop reading.  We’re not saying high school students should stop being home schooled.  On the contrary, the superior academic achievement of home schooled students testifies to the effectiveness of the process, as we stated in the beginning of this article.  What we are saying is that high school students may be better served when they have their high school diploma conferred from a regionally accredited college or university, rather than through their home school program of study, if they intend to compete for acceptance in top ranked colleges and universities across the nation.  Read on to find out how easy this can be.

Although research has shown that home school students typically outperform students at public and private schools across the nation, many colleges and universities are hesitant to accept a home schooled high school graduate into their student body, even though academic achievement tests are required by most states throughout their secondary education.  Some institutions of higher learning even require home schooled high school graduates to pass a GED for admission into their college. This can be very discouraging to students and can place students at a competitive disadvantage when seeking admission into a very selective college or university.  There are numerous regionally accredited high school programs offered at a distance from higher education institutions across the nation.  These include the University of Nebraska, the University of Alabama, Indiana University at Bloomington, the University of Missouri, and many more.  Students are typically required to complete just a few courses from the institution online to meet their academic residency requirement.  The remaining credit may be completed through the student’s home school program of study, as long as it aligns with the curriculum requirements of their high school diploma program.

The National College Counseling Center has created the most technologically advanced degree exploration program in the nation, Degree Quest, which, in addition to thousands of degrees from hundreds of colleges, also includes the curricula of high school programs of study from regionally accredited institutions of higher learning.  They are able to empower students and their parents to compare where the student should stand toward these programs of study and provide them with a detailed plan to take them from where they currently are to the finish line – graduation and conferral of the high school diploma from one of the participating colleges or universities.

Take for example, Anna R. – a high school student in Central Georgia who aspired to attend the university in another state that her father graduated from many years ago:  After reviewing several high school plans created in Degree Quest by the National College Counseling Center, Anna selected the University of Oklahoma through which to earn her high school diploma.  The university required her to complete five courses through them online, allowing the rest to be completed through the home school program taught by her mother using A Beka courses that aligned with their curriculum requirements.  When she graduated from high school, she actually received her high school diploma from the University of Oklahoma, which helped fast-track her into the university she desired to enter to pursue her degree.

Parents of home schooled high school students are encouraged to check into these excellent opportunities for their children to earn a high school diploma from regionally accredited colleges and universities nationwide, especially with the support of the National College Counseling Center serving as advocates for their students.  These opportunities also can serve as a means of having experts provide instruction in those subjects in which the parent feels least prepared to teach their high school student, while allowing them the liberty of teaching the other subjects they enjoy sharing with their children as they follow their trek to high school completion.   In addition, the National College Counseling Center provides students with access to their student support website, HERC – the Higher Education Resource Connection.  On HERC, students will be able to access hundreds and hundreds of resources to help them succeed in their educational endeavors, including more than 320 semester hours of tuition-free college courses that may be used to prepare them for national college examinations.  These may not only be used to help students complete requirements for their high school diploma, but can also give them a jump-start on earning a college degree.

The national college examinations mentioned above are also an inexpensive way to help students earn college credit while completing their high school diploma requirements, as the cost of the exams is typically a fraction of the cost of a college course in the same subject.

The tuition-free college courses that are linked to the student support site of the National College Counseling Center address multiple methods of instructional delivery.  Many of the courses are online classes in which the students may download the syllabus, professor’s lectures, and student discussions on the subjects.  Others are virtual classroom session, in which cameras are positioned in the back of classes conducted at many of the nation’s best universities.  Others are Hollywood-style video courses which are as entertaining as they are educational.  In fact, more than $2 billion has been spent by PBS over recent years to create these incredible video courses, many of which have won national and international acclaim, including the Emmy.  What better way for a student who is a visual learner to acquire the knowledge they need in the subject to do well on a national college exam than to capture their interest in an awesome video series on the subject.

Not only do high school home school students do well with these courses, but many of their relatives often use these resources to help them earn a college degree.  It only makes sense for high school home schooled students to take advantage of these opportunities, especially with the support of the experts at the National College Counseling Center (NC3) guiding them — not only in the completion of their high school diploma but from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning.  When the student completes the requirements for high school diploma conferral, the NC3 counseling staff can then take them to the next level and show them how the college credit earned by challenging national college examinations can be applied to degrees at hundreds of colleges across the nation.   In fact, there are thousands of degrees available that can be completed at home, from Associate’s to Ph.D. from accredited colleges and universities nationwide.

Many home school graduates desire to transition to a campus to pursue a college degree.  The upward trend in college enrollments is not expected to subside, so the time to sharpen the competitive edge of your high school student is now. As we pointed out above, the surge in attendance that occurred between 2002 and 2008 is continuing, as evidenced in the 6 to 15 percent increase in enrollments that occurred in this 2009-2010 academic year.  The National College Counseling Center can provide assistance to home schooled high school students across the nation and offers a significant discount on their one-time administrative fee to home school families.  (Visit www.NC3degrees.info or call 850-819-3891 or 850-478-3662/3663.)

[1] Educational Policy Analysis Archives, ISSN 1068-2341, Volume 7, No. 8

Tim N. Scoggins is a retired Lieutenant Commander and former head of the US Coast Guard Voluntary Education Programs from 1994 to 1998, and the founder and CEO of the National College Counseling Center.

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On the lighter side of this concern is a post I saw on a Yahoo loop from an unschooler regarding putting together a course description based upon her kids’ “class.”

I’m almost finished with my daughter’s course descriptions, and am a little fried…Any ideas anyone? Basically, for the last six years (I’m giving one credit) we have raised goats for milk, bred and birthed kids (goats), been a part of a friend’s horse breeding program which was very specific and controlled, kept our own horses and are well versed in just about every health issue a horse can have. We’ve raised chickens and turkeys from eggs to slaughter and or/egg production, and are well versed in all poultry health care. We also know a lot about dogs and cats, if that helps.

My mother-in-law would have a field day with this one.    She once informed us, with great satisfaction mind you, that her friend, a fellow public school teacher, had been asked to lead the homeschool group at their church.   Both my mother-in-law and her friend are servants of God and very skilled at what they do, but I could not help but scratch my head on this one.   What drove a homeschool parent to seek guidance—no, leadership– from a classroom teacher in running a homeschool?

Though I could see some benefit, I kept going back to how can you articulate all of the non-academic transitions and accomplishments your children make just by being in this environment to someone who does not necessarily understand it (and perhaps does not even want to)?

Such was my thinking as I continued to read through the thread and think about how I might document our journey for someone who is just reading it to make enough to offset his student loans.

One person responded with a few college course descriptions as a suggestion for the appropriate wording:

I don’t know what high schools call stuff like this but at the university level, it’s animal science. If you want a more formal and comprehensive description, go to an Ag school/Vet School website and find the appropriate course descriptions.

310. Behavior and Management of Domestic Animals. Application of behavior of cattle, horses, sheep, goats and swine to their management; basic principles, physiology of behavior, perception,training, predators, use of dogs in livestock production, stress and animal welfare.

Growth and Development of Livestock.   Evaluation of slaughter livestock as related to growth and development, production efficiency, carcass value; selection of breeding animals based on performance, production records, visual appraisal; principles of growth biology; biotechnological tools used to manage growth and development.

The list of college courses goes on, but I will spare you.

This thread was quite extensive—I won’t share it all, but there was wonderful advice and rich dialogue about wording, passion, and how to convey both in the right way.   The parent was determined to not use ‘educationese,’ or ten-dollar words and passive voice, as she described it.    Her perspective was that this language was ‘designed to obscure rather than illuminate.’    There were a number of testimonies, but I was particularly struck by this response:

The course description is also a place to show how unique your child’s education has been. It’s a place where passions can shine though. There are probably any number of ways [a] course description can be approached successfully.    I have chosen to use college course descriptions as a guide because I think that will best present my son’s courses in a manner that demonstrates their rigor.

That was followed by this jewel from one mom back to the original writer:

They [college administrators] want to see what the student is interested in and how she will contribute to the college community. You have a great story to tell with your daughter.   I don’t think you should try to shoehorn her into the schooled box.    Let the colleges know how she is different and wonderful.

So, where the original writer will end up, who knows?   Yet, as for me, I am a believer that certain messages cross my path for a reason, so I left this exchange with a renewed commitment to honor our individuality and do our best to satisfy an administrator’s requirements, but not allow our school to be bound by them.

This whole discussion regarding “college speak,” versus being true to a child’s education got me thinking about how words influence others. I thought about the fact that it is okay to be genuine and authentic, but I also thought about how Paul ministered: he was true to who he was, but he also knew that he had to meet the Jewish people at a point where the Jewish people would listen and look for more.    So, I started putting together a course description of sorts for our Costume and Fashion in Ancient History course (do you like that name?), where, thus far, I will use the Biblical book of Esther, another short text that has a similar title as the “course name,” and a wonderful novel by Ginger Garrett, Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Esther:

A study of costume and fashion in ancient Egypt and its impact on women of royalty within the Persian Empire.

Well, it is a start.   I will put more meat on those bones as I flesh it out for myself and continue to dig through all the great resources out there.  Word crafting could be a course topic of its own.   In the meantime, I am convinced that these next few years should be loads of fun.

Belinda Bullard is a wife and homeschooling mother of three, Belinda is an author and the owner of A Blessed Heritage Educational Resources, a literature-based history curriculum featuring African-American presence in history, as well as the contributions of other races to American history. A chemical engineer by formal education, she also serves as adjunct faculty for college distance learning programs.

“What grade do you put on a transcript when you don’t use a test?”

My son Kevin thought my homeschool grades were stupid. “Who’s going to believe the grades my Mom gives me?” he would say. Then he took classes at community college! The professors gave credit for class attendance, participation, discussion, and homework. If the students scored poorly on a test, they were allowed to “drop” one test. A teacher declared that the highest grade on each test was the “100%” grade, and all the other students were graded on a sliding scale. I had won Kevin over! “You were right, Mom! Your grades were a lot tougher than college!”

But how do you give grades to your homeschool student? First of all, if you give a grade based on tests alone, then you are doing your student a disservice. In high schools, as well as in some colleges, students may never be judged based on test scores alone. After all, a test only measures what you DON’T know. We are trying to express what our children DO know. A grade is usually a mix of things, and if we don’t grade with a mix of things as well, we are putting our kids at a disadvantage.

As homeschoolers, we tend to move on after our kids have mastered the material. If you are a parent that sends math problems, English papers, or tests back to the student with “please correct this” messages, then you have high expectations. I recommend that when your student does “meet expectations” that you give them 100% for that test or assignment. If it means you’re giving them a 4.0 in every class, that’s fine – as long as they meet your high expectations.

Now you know that a grade on a test is not the same as a grade on a course. You know that “meets expectations” can mean 100% on evaluation. But how do you give a grade when you don’t give any tests? The key is to think about how you DO evaluate your children. Just between you and me (don’t tell!) the ways we evaluate are often the same things we nag about. Isn’t that a dirty little secret? Consider these phrases: “Are you done with your reading yet?” (Yes? Literature Reading, 100%.) Or “Have you finished your spelling words yet?” (Yes? Spelling Practice, 100%). Sometimes the things that we nag at them NOT to do are also ways that we evaluate. For example, “Kevin, will you PLEASE leave that chessboard alone!” (Daily Chess Practice, 100%) or “Alex, get away from the piano!” (Piano Practice, 100%).

When you think of how you evaluate, think about everything they do that you call “school.” In our homeschool, I only graded tests in math, foreign language, and science. That was mainly a matter of convenience for me – those were the curricula that came with tests! For all 28 of our other classes, I used other ways to evaluate my children. What did they do in their daily work? For English, I decided to evaluate their reading and writing. For reading, I further decided to grade on areas like: reading, discussion, analysis, and research. For writing, I evaluated them on every paper, so I listed each paper by the title or topic (Emancipation Proclamation, for example.)

I didn’t actually “grade” the paper. I just edited it after they wrote it, and sent it back to them for corrections. Once it was done to my satisfaction, then I gave them 100%. Other times, I didn’t list the actual titles of the papers they had written. Instead, I would list the KIND of papers they had written: essay, research report, short story, or poetry. Finally, I decided that the testing they did each year for their annual assessment was also an evaluation. The areas on those tests were “vocabulary, comprehension, spelling, mechanics, and expression.” For each of those items, they scored grade level or above, which met my expectations (yup, another 100%!) Our no-tests English 2 grade looked like this:

Notice that every way I evaluated them, which met my expectations, received 100%. If you have trouble viewing these charts, you can go to my website, www.TheHomeScholar.com.

What areas do you use when you evaluate your children? You can give a grade for each test, quiz, paper, or lab report. Consider also these general ideas: reading, reports, discussion, research, daily work, oral presentation, composition, practice, performance, note taking, attendance, and narration. You may want to give a grade for each activity they complete within a course. For example, you could give a grade for every activity you count as PE hours: swim team, skiing, soccer, free weights, health, and softball. For music, you might want to give a grade for lessons, practice, and performance. In history, you could give a separate grade for each report, paper, or essay they wrote on historical topics.

I did keep traditional grades in Biology – mostly because Apologia Curriculum provides tests. Even so, my students did more for that course than just take a test, and I wanted that reflected in their grade. I supplied a numerical percentage grade for each test, grading as suggested by the curriculum supplier. The other major activity in that course was their science lab. I decided to give them a grade for every science lab they completed. If they met expectations, their grade was 100%. They didn’t always meet my expectations, however. When my kids did a lab write-up, I expected them to give me a paragraph describing what they did, along with a diagram, chart, or sketch of the experiment. There were times that I felt they hadn’t done their best. At times, I would give them 80%, or 90%, depending on my mood. Yes, it was arbitrary! But they had NOT met my expectations, and I wanted their grade to reflect that. Our Biology grade looked like this:

“Mom knows best” sometimes means that a grade will be a “B” or lower. When you honestly know that your child has performed at a lower than “A” level, don’t be afraid of how it will look on a transcript. Honesty will always serve our children best, and a B can demonstrate thoughtful consideration of your grades. It says that all your grades are real, and you have considered each one carefully. There are times when your honest grade will include a B (or lower) on a test, or paper. Make sure that the total grade on the transcript will accurately reflect everything your student does, and every area that you evaluate their work. If they have an “A” for effort in a variety of ways (discussion, daily work, narration, research, lab work, etc.) be sure to include everything they do. In the end, if the transcript grade is still less than an “A” then go ahead and write it down. There is no permanent damage from that! If it’s honest, write it down.

I know that my grading system is one of many “right ways” to do things. As the parent, you can decide the “right way” to grade your homeschool. I’m giving you this glimpse into my homeschool evaluations, because I think it really helps to see what someone else has done. This is just a sample for you to look at and adapt for yourself. When I started thinking about transcripts, I loved seeing every sample I could find!

At times it’s appropriate to show the nuances of your grades to a college, and you want to demonstrate that your “homeschool 4.0″ is not a number pulled out of thin air. You want to demonstrate thoughtful consideration to the ways you evaluated your student. You want to show your standards and your method of grading. Then let the college decide how they will use the grades, knowing that you did your very best to provide them with the information they need. Homeschool grading is an art, not a science. Don’t feel like you have to do everything exactly the way I did. Remember! Mom and Dad know best – especially how to evaluate their own children. You can do this! And I’m here to help!

Lee Binz is a veteran homeschooling mom of two and the owner of The HomeScholar, “Helping parents homeschool through high school.” She has a new free minicourse called “The 5 Biggest Mistakes Parents Make When Homeschooling High School”. You can sign up for her free email homeschool newsletter, The HomeScholar Record and get your daily dose of wisdom via e-mail from her homeschool blog, The HomeScholar Helper.

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Students who home school through the teenage years tend to be more focused on what they want to accomplish with their lives. Those with artistic natures find they have ample time to immerse themselves more fully in their respective talents: writing, art, music, etc. Those who have an academic passion will find they have more time to read, work on the computer, study foreign languages, chart the stars, and follow their interests at a deeper level. Students who are planning a vocational or technical career can begin an apprenticeship or a work-study in their chosen field. Unlike public schools, there is no waiting on the rest of the class, unnecessary seat-work, study halls, disruptive behavior, or threats to their personal safety to take students’ minds off what they really want to learn and accomplish.

With the proper guidance from their parents, these young people will enter adulthood poised, confident, and with a solid academic and work ethic background. These responsible and independent problem-solvers will be gladly welcomed into colleges and the work place!

Choose Great Goals

• World Knowledge – history and geography are cornerstones to understanding current events, political and socio-economic information.

• Ability to Communicate Effectively – write, write, and write some more. A person who writes and communicates well is a valuable asset to any college or employer. (Being well read is part of the package. Develop and use a good book list.) Computer communication is becoming an absolute necessity.

• Problem Solving – raise independent learners who are able to organize, research, and solve problems.

• Time Management and Self-Discipline - these skills are invaluable for every adult.

• Self-Sufficiency – train your young adults in Biblical stewardship and other practical skills such as auto and household maintenance.

• Integrity - don’t leave home without it!

Help! Can I Really Do This!?

There are many “ideals” in planning for high school, just as there are for most facets of our lives. With high school, as with the rest of your homeschooling, do your very best and don’t get caught up in feelings of inadequacy just because Mrs. B is teaching her three teens Latin, Physics, and Trig! Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. If one year is less than banner, strive to do better the next.

The Key

Love your teens and give them as many opportunities to learn as you can. Help them to learn study skills, life skills, and give them the chance to stretch and grow, and even sometimes fail. Spend time in the Word and help them to see the practical applications of your faith so that they will want to emulate you. At no other age is the “Do as I say, not as I do” adage less likely to work. Remember, whether or not your student has a chemistry lab or AP level courses is not nearly as important as having their faith and beliefs firmly in place!

Now, having said all that, here are some of the “ideals” in preparing for high school and college.

How Do I Know Which Classes My Student Needs?

First, begin with your state requirements. Some states may have specific course work that is required of everyone, including homeschoolers. Other states allow flexibility and leave the final decision with the principal (or parent). Your homeschool organization may have its own set of requirements. Ask. Typically, graduation requirements range from 19 to 22 credits. Below is a list of generally required courses. Second, take your student’s interest into account. A student with strong aptitude and interest in one area should be encouraged to pursue that area of interest.

If a student is probably college bound, it is wise to structure their course work accordingly. Check with your state university’s requirements for entrance. This will give you a good idea of subjects your child should be taking. If you’re not sure about college, it’s better to prepare them should they decide to go, rather than have them attempt to go unprepared.

What Exactly is a High School Credit?

It’s useful to understand what a “credit” actually is. A credit is technically a “Carnegie Unit.” According to the Carnegie Foundation this unit was developed as a measure of the number of hours a student has studied discrete (separate/distinct) subjects. For example, a total of 120 hours in one subject earns the student one “unit” of high school credit.

A great guide to appropriate homeschool high school credits is the one below from www.pahomeschoolers.com. According to it, homeschoolers in Pennsylvania may receive credit if they do any ONE of the following, per course:

1. Complete two-thirds of a textbook
2. Have 120 daily logged entries
3. Have 120 hours of logged study
4. Complete a 10 page research paper
5. Complete a college course
6. Pass an AP exam

I would add to their list these possibilities:

1. Documented Work Study
2. Documented Apprenticeship
3. Community Service/Volunteer Work
4. Long-term participation on a sports team
5. Long-term participation in community arts programs
6. Other creative ways in which you can demonstrate that a reasonable amount of learning has taken place.

Strategy

Using your state’s guidelines, college admissions, and any other resources, make a list of the minimum required courses your student should complete. Then, with your student, discuss options for electives. Keep their interests and abilities in mind as you plan. Electives don’t have to be planned out all at once. Be flexible and allow room for your student to grow and mature.

Now make a plan of attack: which courses will be completed which year? Is your student capable of or interested in early graduation? Check to see if it’s legal and acceptable in your situation to accelerate and do high school in three years. For many homeschool students, this allows them to spend what would be their senior year pursuing community college courses and/or work options.

What Are Some Options for Teaching High School Courses?

This is a great time to be homeschooling! The options are many and diverse. Besides the traditional student book/teacher book method here are other ideas. (Of course, good record keeping is a must no matter which option(s) you pursue.)

• Barter - you teach my student spanish and I’ll teach yours algebra.

• Be a Student - learning right alongside your child can be a fantastic experience. Whether you sign up together for a local Spanish course or just dig into the books together, show your kids that learning is a lifelong process!

• Community Colleges – many homeschoolers take college level courses during high school. This serves two purposes: first, it is a practical way to take a class the parent prefers not to teach or for which the equipment may not be readily available, like Chemistry. Secondly, a job well done offers “proof” of the student’s ability.

• Computer Courses – there are many programs available now. Ask friends for recommendations.

• Co-ops and hybrid co-ops - We were involved in a wonderful co-op we started with two other families to teach our kids once a week in a classroom-like setting. For example, one year in high school we offered: Literature, AP U.S. History, Biology, and Spanish II. Each year we decided which classes we want based on our families’ needs. We opened this up to other students on a paying basis. Each teacher was paid, along with the co-op administrator. The kids loved it and so did the parents!

• Correspondence Courses – there are a number of different correspondence schools. Choose one course or take the whole program. Depending on the school, it may offer support, record keeping, testing, transcripts, report cards, and accountability. Many are accredited. There are both secular and Christian schools. This might be good for a course you don’t prefer to teach.

• Hire a Tutor – if you can afford it and your local homeschooling laws permit, this is a great way to cover that one class you’d just as soon not teach. We do it for piano lessons, why not Latin?

• Internet Classes – we’ve participated in Escondido Tutorial Services. Fritz Hinrichs (and others) teach a number of classical courses through live, interactive weekly meetings. We were very pleased with this service. There are other many others now doing similar things. The site we used is www.gbt.org.

• Video Courses – lacking in interactivity but excelling in material covered. Some of the courses we’ve used have been very well done.

Stay the Course!

As you can see, there are a plethora of possibilities available to you, including articles from homeschool magazines and many, many great homeschooling sites online. Be of good  cheer! These are your teens and with the help of our Lord, Jesus Christ, you can do this!

Maggie Hogan is an author, publisher and nationally–recognized speaker who is easily distracted by all things geography, history and science–related. She lives in Dover, DE with her husband, Bob and two spoiled cats. Maggie is the co-author of The Ultimate Geography and Timeline Guide, Gifted Children at Home, Young Scholar’s Guide to Classical Composers and other resource books. She has transformed the barn on her property into an office which houses Bright Ideas Press, publishers of the all new Illuminations curriculum as well as award winning: The Mystery of History series, Christian Kids Explore series and All American History series. When not reading, writing, or playing with her grandbaby, you can find her drooling over travel magazines. You can find her at www.BrightIdeasPress.com, or on Facebook.