Homeschooling the Senior Year

HOMESCHOOL BENEFITS FOR THE SENIOR

If you and your rising senior don’t like what’s going on in school, switching to homeschool status can afford certain privileges along with a high school diploma. First, certain rising twelfth graders may already have enough credits to graduate. Second, exiting the traditional school system gives students more time to earn college credits than if they were in it. Third, a course at the community college earns credit and can substitute for a high school credit. The substitution is called double-dipping. Fourth, certain students who have lost interest in school can avoid receiving a failing grade that will permanently remain on record. Fifth, homeschools can grant a diploma based on their own requirements. Finally, a student has more time for employment which is an invaluable experience.

MINIMUM CREDITS TO GRADUATE

Graduation requirements are developed by each state for its public schools. Requirements vary from state to state. Course unit credits range from 13 to 24. The Education Commission of the States has posted on its website a table showing the minimum course units to graduate for each state. Whether you adhere to your state’s graduation requirements or not depends on your state’s homeschool requirements and your philosophy. In some states, homeschoolers can determine their own graduation requirements if they so choose.

STATES WITH COURSE REQUIREMENT FLEXIBILITY

While public schools in NC require four years of English and four years of math to graduate, homeschools have the liberty to graduate students with fewer credits in those subject areas if they choose. This means they can graduate early. Graduating your student on the lower end of the credit range won’t be an issue if he or she is applying to a community college, taking the trade or career pathway, or planning to enroll in an adult education program later on like Strayer University or an online adult education program.

A high school transcript may not be required for certain students transferring from a community college into certain four-year colleges. For example, North Carolina State University does not require a high school transcript for students transferring 31+ college credits or is 21+ years old. Check transcript requirements at your target school. It varies and requirements are subject to change.

Using different graduation requirements may not be ideal for seniors who wish to apply to a four-year college upon graduation, however. These students should follow state credit requirements and college admission requirements if they elect to homeschool their senior year. But consider that homeschooling allows students to double-dip their credits at a community college and collect credits more rapidly. See the 26+ hour transcript below.

A 22-HOUR HIGH SCHOOL TRANSCRIPT

In North Carolina the public school system recommends a minimum of 22 hours to graduate from a public high school. Your state may have different requirements. The community college in our county accepts a 22-hour transcript. If you have a rising senior who does not want to enter a four-year college upon graduation, a 22-hour transcript could work. I presume that most rising seniors already have at least 18 high school credits (6 per year) so that leaves 4 credits or less to gain at home. If your student is one credit shy of 22 credits, a paid job can complete the transcript. Search your state’s Department of Public Instruction website for high school graduation requirements for reference.

Ideas for 4+ credits on the career and community college bound transcript:

• life skills math curriculum
• prep for Accuplacer math or alternative (for math placement at community college)
• take College Algebra CLEP exam as a double-dip math credit
• take College Composition Modular CLEP exam as a double-dip English credit
• take Analyzing and Interpreting Literature CLEP exam as a double-dip English credit
• online Constitution and founding documents courses (free at www.online.hillsdale.edu)
• employment (157 hours = 1 credit during the pandemic in NC per www.dpi.nc.gov)
• personal finance (Dave Ramsey Financial Peace self-study)
• see below for homegrown elective options for more credits

A 26 + HOUR TRANSCRIPT

If your student needs 24+ plus credits to produce a more competitive transcript for college admission, changing to homeschool status can help a student achieve those credits more quickly. Taking courses at a community college is easier to orchestrate when your child is not in a traditional school setting. Scheduling is more flexible because your student is not occupied 6-8 hours at school and saddled with hours and hours of homework. And your student can reduce the credit load and focus on fewer, more valuable credits. Course duplicity is avoided too.

Homeschooled students can avoid duplicity by double-dipping credits. Double-dipping means a college course can substitute for a high school course. For example, homeschooled students taking English 111 at the community college do not have to take the English equivalent at their high school. Read my posts on Double-Dipping Credits.

The credits can rack up quickly too. For example, taking a one semester writing course at a community college can substitute for two semesters of high school English. A motivated student can take math and English for two semesters and earn the equivalent of two years of math and English for the high school transcript. A student who wants to take a less rigorous approach can take math one semester and English the next. This will fulfill one year of each for the high school transcript. Read more about the conversion of college credit to high school credit: Transcripts: How to Calculate Course Credits.

Quick college credit can also be earned at home through CLEP exams and the credit applied as double-dip credit. Some of the CLEP exams can be studied in a short amount of time. If your student changes to homeschool status, he will have more time to study for exams that offer college credit. To learn how to develop your own study plan for a CLEP exam read CLEP Quick Start: DIY.

Search your state’s Department of Public Instruction website for high school graduation requirements for reference. Also check the graduation requirements your state mandates for homeschooled students. Are homeschooled students held to the same graduation requirements? You may also want to check a target college’s admission requirements. For more ideas on where to find transcript requirements read my post Transcripts: A Targeted Approach.

Ideas for 6+ credits on the four-year college bound transcript:

• traditional courses at home, online, or with private teacher
• community college courses (math, English/Writing 111, American government)
• CLEP exams (Sociology, Psychology, Marketing, Management, Western Civilization I, US History I)
• Dave Ramsey Financial Peace self-study
• see below for homegrown elective options

CLEP CREDITS ARE A GREAT OPTION FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Over the school year, a motivated student could study on her own for four to five CLEP exams and earn college credit. These exams are pass/fail. A CLEP exam worth 3 college credits can also be counted as 1 high school credit in a double-dipping accounting process. Read my post CLEP on the High School Transcript for how these credits can boost the GPA. To learn about CLEP preparation and how they can replace or supplement high school material, read CLEP Quick Start: DIY. Another helpful post is CLEP Q & A. I have also posted the methods we used to pass each of 16 CLEP exams to help you develop an at-home study plan of your own.

HOMESCHOOLS CAN USE DIFFERENT RESOURCES FOR CREDIT

There are traditional educational resources like textbooks and homeschool curricula. Alternatively, activities can be combined with instruction. For example, private music lessons (1/2 credit) can be combined with weekly orchestra practice (1/2 credit). 3-D modeling tutorials can be combined with art instruction or coding instruction. Selling second-hand items on ebay can be combined with personal finance instruction or with preparation for the Marketing CLEP exam. Let your student’s passion become a high school credit. Generally, 1 high school credit is 120- 150 hours of work as referenced by Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). The work can be hands-on and/or studying. For a quick reference on determining high school credits read my post Transcripts: How to Calculate Credits.

Here is a list to help you generate credit ideas for a self-directed school year. This is not a comprehensive list in the least bit.

Self-directed, homegrown credits:

• music lessons (1/2 credit)
• perform in a music group (1/2 – 1 credit depending on hours)
• play a sport (1/2 – 1 credit depending on hours)
• sell stuff on eBay (1/2 – 1 business credit) (pairs well with Marketing CLEP)
• read classic novels + Cliff’s Notes + video summary project (1 credit)
• make every recipe in a cookbook (1-2 credits depending on hours)
• Do a major car repair (1 credit)
• develop a skill and blog about it (1 credit)
• learn coding via YouTube tutorials (1/2 – 1 credit depending on hours)
• learn 3-D modeling using YouTube tutorials, online forums, and courses (1/2 – 1 credit depending on hours)
• learn photography using YouTube tutorials, online forums, and books (1/2 – 1 credit depending on hours)

SUPER-SENIOR YEAR

The disruptive Covid-19 years interfered with education for many students. If your student’s education was derailed, it may benefit your senior to add an additional year before formally graduating. This year does not have to look like a traditional school year, so don’t panic! No one even has to know that you are not formally graduating your student. There are advantages especially if your student plans to take community college courses through a dual enrollment program. It can save money and convince homeschool skeptics in your life that your child is in college. Find out how to plan ahead for a super-senior year and align your student seamlessly for two years of free tuition at a community college: Why 13th Grade.

A 22-HOUR TRANSCRIPT STORY OF SUCCESS

Do you fear taking a different education pathway? Stories of the extreme can sometimes build confidence. Read on. I know a young man who was homeschooled very loosely through high school. For reasons outside of his control, he did not take complete courses in math, English, or science. He worked several jobs throughout his high school years and stayed involved in a strong Christian group. He was able to cobble together a 22-hour transcript and get his Accuplacer scores high enough to take courses at the community college. Attending the community college allowed him to earn an associate degree, work full time, and join the Air Force Reserves. He maintained an A average and has transferred into an online program at a reputable four-year university. This pathway has provided him the benefit of staying with the same employer for five years and earning a position in his area of interest: human resources. The full-time job and military reserves allowed him to live debt free.

His story can serve as a testimony to those who fear straying from the traditional school model which mandates 180 school year for four years as well as a rigid set of graduation requirements. With the right guidance and motivation, a student with scant high schooling, can earn a degree or two.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

If you and your student are frustrated and jaded by traditional schooling, jumping ship for the senior year can provide some excellent benefits. Alternatives can bolster early college credits, enrich passions, or help avoid permanent F’s on a transcript. For some students, homeschooling may be a way to avoid the title of “drop-out.” Don’t let the 180-day school year direct your choices or run your school year. The mandated 180-day school year works to keep society orderly and the economy running but it’s not necessarily required for students to be successful. It’s okay and legal in most states to find alternatives that better fit your child.

For ideas on how to plan for a transcript read: The High School Transcript: A Targeted Approach.

Musing: a period of reflection or thought. As such this post reflects my thoughts, opinions, and experiences on the topic. The choice to home school and the methods you choose are yours to determine.