UNDERSTAND THE TASK
A transcript documents the courses a student has taken each year in high school. Creating a worthy transcript is one of the biggest worries homeschooling parents have about high school. It requires a parent to establish graduation requirements and achieve them through course selection and timing. Research and planning are a critical part of the process. In following, I have laid out a step-by-step plan to get the process started.
PREPARATION STRATEGY
Before the 9th grade, if possible, parents should 1) establish graduation requirements; 2) determine the number of desired credits; 3) choose a pathway of study; 4) determine the courses needed to complete the desired pathway; 5) find curricula to fulfill those requirements. After each school year, completed courses should be recorded on a transcript.
1) FIND A GRADUATION REQUIREMENT LIST
There are three places to get ideas on which courses a student should take in high school. First, we tend to look at our local schools for expertise on which courses to take. Our kids, after all, could be or actually were attending them. The challenge is finding a list of courses these schools use.
Second, a more forward place to find course information or graduation requirements is on your state’s public education website. The required courses for high school graduation should be posted.
Third, if your student plans to attend a four-year college, you can check admission requirements at a few target colleges. Those requirements are what they want to see on a high school transcript.
Once you’ve looked at a few high school requirement lists, you can draft a tentative plan for your student. The simplest approach is to match the courses on the list you feel most comfortable with. Sticking to lists is fine, but keep in mind, homeschoolers currently have the freedom to vary the selections and timing of the courses. We can view these “requirements” as recommendations or references.
As a private school, each homeschool determines the number of credits required for graduation. Following the requirements of the local school is not essential unless you intend to transfer into that school. Use your state’s requirements as a basic guide.
2) CONSIDER THE FINAL NUMBER OF CREDITS
North Carolina publishes graduation requirements for two different graduation pathways: those planning to take higher learning and those who are not. Both pathways have a minimum of 22 credits, but the course requirements are different. Twenty-two credits divide into 4-5 one-credit courses each year. Ideally, a college-bound student should have more than 22 credits, especially if that student plans to enter a four-year college as a freshman. Twenty-eight credits can be earned by taking seven one-credit courses a year. Determining a credit goal in advance can help you plan better and avoid a late “catch-up” frenzy. The Education Commission of the United States has a helpful 50-State Comparison of the minimum credits required to graduate.
To determine the amount of credit to assign a course read Transcripts: Determining Course Credits.
3) CHOOSE THE PATHWAY
Knowing whether your student is college bound or not requires a parent to get a feel for her child’s future. You may not know the answer to that in the 9th and 10th grades, but there’s time to make adjustments along the way. The safest approach is to have your student take 6-7 courses/credits each year in the 9th and 10th grades. To boost the 9th and 10th grade credits, plenty of homeschoolers pull credits from the 8th grade and shift the credits forward. This is possible because homeschoolers frequently take high school courses in the 8th grade. Read the arguments for and against placing 8th grade credits on the high school transcript: 8th Grade Credits on the High School Transcript.
THE FOUR-YEAR FRESHMAN PATHWAY
The student who wishes to enter a four-year college as a freshman needs to be competitive and should use the graduation requirements for college-bound students. These transcripts ideally should have more than 22 credits and have more advanced courses on them. College-bound students should be taking 6-7 courses a year. Rather than rely on what your state thinks is necessary on a transcript, it helps to check out freshman admission requirements at several target colleges. Once you’ve checked several references, draft a plan that approximates those courses. I have learned to pencil in my plans and allow room for unexpected opportunities and new understandings.
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE PATHWAY
If your student plans to attend a community college for any reason, a 22-hour transcript may be all that is needed. There are three community college situations to consider.
Situation 1. This student plans to earn 60+ credits at the community college and then transfer into a four-year school as a junior. Our big state school does not require high school transcripts for students transferring 30+ credits or who are 21 years of age or older. To find out if your target school requires a high school transcript for transfer students, search the college’s admission requirements for transfer students.
Situation 2. This student wants to transfer community college credits into a four-year school and enter as a freshman. A high school transcript would be necessary. If the student has taken college courses while in high school, the college credit can serve as high school credit too. Read how that can be done in Double-Dipping Credits. In the case of a student taking community college courses after graduation and wanting to enter a four-year school as a freshman, these courses can cover for a weak high school transcript if need be.
Read about the homeschooler’s privilege of double-dipping credits: Double-Dipping Credits.
Situation 3. This student wants an associate degree or trade certificate. Students in NC can begin these courses in the 11th grade tuition-free. They need to show a transcript for the 9th and 10th grade years. If a student is enrolling in a community college program after graduation, the admission requirement is generally a high school diploma or GED. A 22-hour transcript would suffice. I know students who use credits earned in the 8th grade to achieve a 22-hour high school transcript before the 12th grade in order to get a head start on a trade or an associate degree. Keep in mind though, that graduation will preclude a student from participating in any tuition-free programs designed for high school students.
THE CAREER PATHWAY
Higher learning is not for everyone. Some people wish to work in a family business, work as an apprentice, start a career, or enlist in the military. A 22-hour transcript is a perfect fit. To get an earlier start on the career pathway, credits from the 8th grade can pad the high school transcript for an early graduation. This would allow a 17-year-old to graduate after the 11th grade and enlist in the military.
4) DECIPHER THE COURSES
When schools and the state list the courses necessary for graduation, the titles can sound generic, like English I or Math I. If you are uncertain what topics are covered in a generic-sounding course, do an internet search for interpretations. English I for one school may be slightly different than English I at another, however. Just remember that homeschoolers have the freedom to decide which 9th grade English course their students will take. You may choose to list a 9th grade English course as “Literary Analysis” instead of “English I.” You may wish to begin American literature that year too. It’s up to you. Colleges may prefer a more descriptive title on the transcript like “Literary Analysis” or request a description of “English I” below the tile. Keep careful records if you are pulling from multiple resources to create a complex course like English. For example, document the sources used to learn reading, grammar, vocabulary, and writing that year. These records will make it easier to pull together an entry for the transcript later on. If you are using multiple resources to create a 1 credit course, you may want to read Transcripts: How to Calculate Course Credits.
5) CHOOSE CURRICULA
Once you’ve figured out which courses you want your student to take, find the curricula or pull together resources to fit your criteria. Consider if an honors level course or even a college level course would be a good fit.
6) COMPOSE A YEARLY TRANSCRIPT
I found it helpful to create a transcript each year starting in the 8th grade. This allowed me to document my children’s courses, keep me organized, and give me transcript writing practice. Having a current transcript on file helped me avoid the panic and stress of producing a last-minute document from scratch. Keep in mind if you dual-enroll your student in the 11th grade, a transcript will be necessary at that time. So, it’s never too early to create one!
Read Facts That Should Be on a High School Transcript and A Transcript Template.
My Go-To High School Transcript Template:
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Preparing for high school courses requires some research and planning. If possible, begin learning about high school level courses when your student is in the 7th grade. Homeschoolers often take high school level courses in the 8th grade. If your student is already in high school, you can use these steps to get up to speed quickly. If you are new to homeschool, familiarize yourself with the freedoms that homeschool grants when it comes to choosing courses. You do not have to follow what your school is doing unless you plan to return to it. Taking control of the transcript process is a huge step towards conquering high school on your own. You can do this!