LEGAL INFORMATION:
The State of Illinois classifies homeschools as private schools. As such, we have the rights, privileges, and responsibilities as any other private school - including deciding what courses a student should take and where they should take them, developing a curriculum, high school graduation requirements, and presenting a diploma and transcript.(That said, many rules private schools have to deal with only apply to private schools with over 10-15 students - such as the rules about transportation expenses and about only being allowed to use "green" cleaning products or having guns X number of yards from their buildings. This allows us the best of both worlds!)
2) You don't want to put more than 29 high school credits or so on a transcript. Everything else is extracurricular and should be used for those all important scholarship applications.
3) While there a a great number of test option universities today, if you do choose to take the ACT or SAT then be aware you can take it multiple times.
Yes, one of the things I do in private (phone or in-real-life) consultations is sit down with the family and help them develop high school graduation requirements or guide them as needed along the road to graduation. I also frequently help families figure out how what they actually did do (which is usually far different from what was originally planned because teens can change a lot in 4 years!) can be written up to look official and proper on a transcript. Yes, I do charge $50 an hour for those services.
Nice article! Top Universities Want You to Homeschool
http://education.penelopetrunk.com/2012/04/27/top-universities-want-you-to-homeschool/
In Illinois, private schools establish their own graduation requirements and issue their own graduation diplomas. Hence, we do too. I highly recommend at the very least mirroring the State of Illinois' own graduation requirements - which are pretty minimal and can be found here: http://www.isbe.net/news/pdf/grad_require.pdf
Please note: the State Of Illinois requires 16.5 credits for graduation from a public high school, but your local public school probably requires 26-29. They developed the rest based on their goals for their students. You have the right and responsibility to do the same. Your (home)school can require what is appropriate for your unique student - and not one bit more or less. We can far more clearly see our students as individuals and can be as stringent or flexible as necessary with each individual student.
We also have can work with the student to help develop what the graduation requirements should be and have the ability to tailor their requirements to their abilities and their goals rather than to have them rubber stamped through the same cookie cutter program!
We also have can work with the student to help develop what the graduation requirements should be and have the ability to tailor their requirements to their abilities and their goals rather than to have them rubber stamped through the same cookie cutter program!
HIGH SCHOOL CREDITS:
Today, one high school credit is generally:120 hours of (on task, on level) time spent OR
one course book about 70-80% completed OR
one college class (worth 3 or 4 college credits).
If you are doing community college classes, an AP class, or similar you can call it an HONORS class.
Only YOU - the school - can grant credits to your student. No curriculum, coop, or public school can grant your student credits. You may choose to accept their credits or not (just as they can choose to accept your credits or not).
Only YOU - the school - can grant credits to your student. No curriculum, coop, or public school can grant your student credits. You may choose to accept their credits or not (just as they can choose to accept your credits or not).
ACCREDITED PROGRAMS?
There are only 2 reasons to use an accredited program:
1. You are court ordered to use an accredited program (truancy or family court)
OR
2. You want a public high school diploma when you return to public school next year.
Any other reason is a waste of money. Colleges don't care. Employers don't care. They accept private school students all the time! Only high schools care about high school accreditation and there are a bunch of accrediting agencies out there. (Heck, you could legally create an accreditation of your own and accredit yourself!)
IF you are choosing an accredited program so your local public school will accept the credits, please be sure to get them to accept them from whatever school you are choosing IN ADVANCE and get it in writing. Many public high schools will only accept credits from a few pre-selected programs and many families have spent thousands on a program only to find the school not accept the credits.
WHERE TO FIND CURRICULUM:
You can choose any materials you want!
Go to your library and check out free books and videos!
Go online and look at the huge number of free textbooks available!
Go to used curriculum sales!
Check out your options at cathyduffyreviews.com
Look at all the MOOC courses available through portals such as Coursersa.org
Discover a world of amazing programs on YouTube and Khan Academy
Remember, if your student doesn't like it and doesn't want to do it that it will probably fail. You don't want to get into a fight over 'Chapter 5' because, frankly, you can't make them learn it without a LOT of drama and that is not the calm atmosphere we want to have in our homes. It is far better to pick and choose materials with your student and create calm in your home and establish a true joy of learning in your student.
COMMUNITY COLLEGE DURING HIGH SCHOOL?
Many homeschoolers use community college classes during high school. Some just take classes they are interested in, some are working toward a certificate program (examples: Culinary Arts, Vet Tech, Automotive Technology, Fire Science, etc.) and some work toward a 2 year Associates Degree. Check with your community college to see the full list of programs they offer!If university bound, be sure to check with the four year college of your choice before you count community college classes for both high school credit and college credit (called concurrent credits). Some allow you to 'double dip' credits and use them toward both high school and college - and some do not.
Most four year universities don't much care what you did in high school once you have 24 college credits but they will require you to make up any classes that were missed by their standards.
Community colleges don't really have many admission requirements. You will need a high school transcript (a list) of what the student has done so far and they will probably need to take a math and English placement test before starting classes - but that is pretty much it. If you choose to attend the community college full time for two years and choose your classes carefully you can walk out with an Associates Degree for a fraction of the cost of two years at a 4 year college - and then enter a 4 year college as a Junior. Some students I know received their High School graduation diploma the same month they got their Associates Degree!
Community colleges don't really have many admission requirements. You will need a high school transcript (a list) of what the student has done so far and they will probably need to take a math and English placement test before starting classes - but that is pretty much it. If you choose to attend the community college full time for two years and choose your classes carefully you can walk out with an Associates Degree for a fraction of the cost of two years at a 4 year college - and then enter a 4 year college as a Junior. Some students I know received their High School graduation diploma the same month they got their Associates Degree!
And a few words to the wise:
1) Volunteer a lot. Almost every single scholarship my kids have seen / applied for / received requires volunteerism and extracurricular activities. They want to see evidence of leadership to get the $$$$$.2) You don't want to put more than 29 high school credits or so on a transcript. Everything else is extracurricular and should be used for those all important scholarship applications.
3) While there a a great number of test option universities today, if you do choose to take the ACT or SAT then be aware you can take it multiple times.
4) If you don't go the community college route and want to enter college as a freshman with no (or minimal) college credits.... then ask the college of your choice what classes she should have for the major she wants.
Does she really need Pre-Calc to be a Fine Arts student? Probably not.
Does she really need two years of a foreign language to be an Engineer? Probably not.
Does she really need classes in Consumer Education and American Government and a class that includes essay writing? Probably yes
Yes, one of the things I do in private (phone or in-real-life) consultations is sit down with the family and help them develop high school graduation requirements or guide them as needed along the road to graduation. I also frequently help families figure out how what they actually did do (which is usually far different from what was originally planned because teens can change a lot in 4 years!) can be written up to look official and proper on a transcript. Yes, I do charge $50 an hour for those services.
Nice article! Top Universities Want You to Homeschool
http://education.penelopetrunk.com/2012/04/27/top-universities-want-you-to-homeschool/
