If you are planning to homeschool through high school, then creating an impressive transcript is most likely on your to-do list. Regardless if your high schooler plans to attend a community college, enroll into a university, or simply start working in their desired field post graduation – you will need a homeschool transcript. Although it may seem intimidating, there are easy ways to make sure you build a good transcript starting as early as middle school. Keep reading to learn about how to create an impressive transcript for your homeschooler the easy way.
What is a High School Transcript?
A high school homeschool transcript is a piece of paper used to document your child’s academic achievements throughout their high school years. Some parents begin putting a transcript together in 8th grade, depending on the style of courses their child is taking. It is most typical to start creating a transcript the first term of a student’s 9th grade year. It is then updated each term until your child graduates.
Why Does a Homeschooler Need a Transcript?
Homeschoolers need transcripts for a variety of reasons:
- Required when applying for college admission.
- Used for getting scholarships.
- Necessary for pursuing any higher level of education.
- Some employers request to see it.
- To gain entry into the military.
- Receive student discounts on a variety of insurances.
- For trade school or internship programs.
Overall, the information on the transcript can provide a variety of answers for the person requesting it. From the types of classes taken to the grades received, colleges and employers use a transcript to decide if your child will be accepted into college and/or receive a position in the workplace.
Difference Between a Transcript and a Diploma
A diploma is the certificate your child will receive showing completion of an overall course of study. In this case, their high school diploma will show they have successfully completed all necessary courses and received all required credits to obtain a finished result, or in this case – a diploma.
The transcript shows a breakdown of what your child completed during their high school years. It goes into detail about the types of classes taken, amount of credits received per class, and any extra information pertinent to their course of study. In a nutshell, transcripts are the breakdown of a high school diploma.
When to start a Homeschool Transcript
Although the official transcript will document courses completed from 9th-12th grades, you can begin recordkeeping in the 8th grade. This is also something you can do with your child, which will come in handy in the coming years. The type of recordkeeping you choose to do at this point can make it easier as you begin to update the transcript with each passing semester.
Beginning in 8th grade, you’re basically looking for an overview of materials covered and any activities completed. Determine which assignments, quizzes, tests, and/or projects you’d like to begin storing. These can also be digitally documented by taking a picture and storing it on a jump drive. I recommend getting one of these specifically for this kind of tracking.
Free Printable Transcript form
How to Keep Track of Courses and Grades for High School
Piggybacking on the previous tip, keeping track of courses and grades for high school can be done in a number of ways. It is always wise to create a system early on that will make the overall process easy and less overwhelming. Of course it’s okay to switch up how you keep records; however, the point is for it to be a stress-free journey for you and your child both.
Beyond deciding on what to keep for filing purposes, there are several ideas to consider depending on your homeschooling style. If you are the pencil and paper kind of homeschool mom, you may find it more feasible to use a printed homeschool planner that has a recordkeeping/transcript style section.
If you’re more of a digital person, you may want to consider using a digital planner such as an online service, software or spreadsheet. Microsoft Office has Excel whereas Google has Sheets. Each one works similarly and can be used for keeping up with courses, grades, and any other important transcript-related information.
Recordkeeping for the Interest-Led Homeschool
For the interest-led homeschooled high schoolers, transcripts can seem difficult, especially when deciding what to put on it and how. The “sticky note” method, created by Lee Binz is the perfect way to know exactly what to keep up with and put on your transcript for your less than traditional high schooler. According to her method you’ll only need sticky notes and information for 5 specific areas:
- Year completed.
- Grade for experience.
- Experience or course title ideas.
- Credits or hours spent.
- Possible subject areas.
Once you’ve answered those five areas, store the sticky notes with your homeschool records. At the end of the year, group the sticky notes together and determine high school courses. Once you’ve added the hours spent together, you can then turn those into credits. (More about calculating hours into credit later.)
Recordkeeping for the Unschooler
Unschoolers typically benefit from their own unique way of recordkeeping as well. With this particular method, it is easier to jot down work, classes, and courses completed in areas labeled as:
- Reading: books, articles, newspapers, etc.
- Watching: movies, videos, online programs, etc.
- Listening: audiobooks, music, podcasts, etc.
- Classes: online, CO-OP, in person, etc.
- Projects (can be listed by subject)
- Field trips
- Discussions
- Skills practiced
- Physical activity
- Other notes
Here is a good (and free) recordkeeping template for the unschooling homeschooling family.
How to Calculate Grades by Subject
Before diving into calculating grades by subject, let’s first talk about what grades measure in the first place. You may remember your experience with grades from your own time spent in public or private schooling. Perhaps you were homeschooled as a child, but you probably heard some form of grade talk. Overall, it’s a good idea to understand what grades mean.
Contrary to popular belief, a grade is not the only way to determine that something was taught or learned. At the same time, grades are not the same as mastery. You could give your child an “A” for the sake of wanting their homeschool transcript to look nice; however, if they truly haven’t mastered a skill, it will show.
A simple way to calculate grades by subject is through taking an average. For example, you can combine several geography tests and get an average grade for that subject. Keep in mind that you’re working towards mastery, not just a grade. It’s okay for your child to not have an A reflected in every class and it will not be the sole determining factor whether they get into a college, get the scholarship, or the job.
How to Calculate GPA
In order to properly calculate your child’s GPA, you’ll first need to assign grades to each subject (or course). In some cases, you’ll have elective courses – like choir – that may simply receive a pass or fail. These courses will not count toward your child’s grade point average. For courses that do have (letter) grades, make sure they properly reflect your child’s academic level and overall mastery of the subject.
If you are not using a template that automatically calculates the grade point average, doing so yourself is super easy. A good rule of thumb is to keep the most common grading scale in mind:
- A = 4
- B = 3
- C = 2
- D = 1
- F = 0
With this grading scale in mind, do the following:
- Write down the course name.
- Assign it a grade.
- Write down how many credits the course is worth.
- Multiple the grade by the credits received to get the grade points.
- Divide the total grade points by the total of credits to receive a grade point average.
Here is what that looks like on a sample transcript:
- Algebra – A (4.0) – 1 Credit – 4 Grade Points
- English – C (2.0) – 1 Credit – 2 Grade Points
- Biology – B+ (3.3) – 1 Credit – 3.3 Grade Points
- P.E. – B (3.0) – 1 Credit – 3 Grade Points
These courses total a 3.1 GPA.
How to Calculate Credits
Homeschooling looks different than public and private schooled education so calculating credits can seem confusing. It is highly recommended that you use your local high school’s graduation requirements as a guide. Your local board of education should be able to provide a sample of required credits. Aim to match the amount of credits they suggest is necessary for graduation since that is legally the jurisdiction you fall under.
Become familiar with how your state calculates credits Most states consider a year-long course to be one credit, unless otherwise specifically noted.
How to Earn High School Credit
There are are five primary ways that high schoolers can earn 1 high school credit:
- Completing a high school level textbook.
- Completing semester long course at a local college.
- Finishing a standard year long course at a local high school.
- Taking an online course at a high school or college level.
- Completing a year long unit study.
Remember that one of the biggest perks of homeschooling is being able to educate outside the box. This means that some courses (and their titles) may not reflect the typical English, Math, Biology, etc. Document the time spent on completing the course and give it an honest credit. Some courses may only yield a ½ of a credit hour and will need additional class (or course) to receive the full credit for that year.
This is also where electives come into play. Courses like yoga or taekwondo can count as physical education, whereas foraging and a unit study on bugs can count for biology. If your child seems to be missing credits, don’t hesitate to look for those unique ways something they’ve done could be counted. For example, studying poetry, completing a writing workshop, and doing additional readings can count towards a credit.
Going back to using your state’s requirements to calculate credits, keep in mind that the actual requirements of how your student reaches the desired credits are up to you. Beyond the core subjects, your child can use a variety of classes or courses that can be documented on their transcript.
How Many Credits are Needed to Graduate
This is something you’ll need to verify with your state’s requirements. Here is a reliable source to start with; however, you’ll still want to check with your local board of education if applicable. Most states require an average of 20-22 hours for graduation with English needing 4.0 hours, Math 3-4 credit hours, Science 2 hours, Social Studies 2-3 hours, and Art needing 1 credit hour.
Steps to Creating a Homeschool Transcript
Creating a transcript is as simple as knowing what to put on it. With a few key sections documented, followed by the information provided above, you’ll be ready to put together your homeschooled high schooler’s transcript with ease.
Need a Free Homeschool Transcript Template? Grab this handy homeschool Transcript Template.
Transcript Requirements
Personal information is required on the transcript.
Your child’s name, address, birth date, your phone number and email address, and your homeschool name are the least amount of personal information required. Depending on who you are sending a formal copy to, you may want to include their social security number.
Include courses taken, grade received, and credit earned.
Whatever recordkeeping format chosen, information must be documented in clear and concise way. The individual lessons, course titles, unit studies, etc. that were taken to receive the overall credit are not as important as the subject to which they fall under.
Clearly show the grading scale used and the cumulative GPA.
Since grading scales can vary, it’s important to include yours on the transcript along with the grade point average your child received.
Validate the transcript with your signature and date, as well as the graduation date.
In order for the transcript to be official, it will need to have your signature and date. And the graduation date. Other valid signatures can be that of a portfolio advisor, umbrella school director, or some other authority who is authorized to sign it. Notarizing your transcript will make it the most official, especially if you plan to send it to colleges. You’ll have to send one sealed and notarized transcript to each college your child applies for so plan accordingly.
Tips to Formating a Transcript for College Application
Everything mentioned above is all you’ll need for a transcript, even if your child plans on attending college. Things like extracurricular activities, awards, SAT/ACT scores are typically documented on the actual college application so there isn’t a need to put this information on the transcript. That information can also be collected on a high school academic resume if you’d absolutely like it documented.
Keeping your transcript easy to read and clutter-free will be more appealing versus trying to include every single thing your child has done since 9th grade.
Should I Include Course Descriptions?
Short answer, YES! I say this because most colleges and employers can tell what a public (or private) schooled student took and completed. For homeschoolers, courses can be a bit more eclectic. In this case, it is a great idea to create a course descriptions page to attach to your child’s transcript. Use this page to clarify:
- All courses taken, especially the nontraditional ones.
- Curriculum used for each course.
- Any courses taken through a high school, local college, CO-OP, or private tutor.
When should a Homeschooled Student make their own transcript?
Under unique circumstances, a student may have to complete their own transcript if the parent is unwilling or simply does not know how to fill out one. A student can solicit help from a high school or college guidance counselor, or someone from a local umbrella school to help complete one. To make it official, it will need a signature from an authorized personnel.
Conclusion
Creating an impressive transcript for your homeschooler doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow the steps laid out above and you’ll have one completed in no time!
Need a Free Homeschool Transcript Template? Grab this handy homeschool Transcript Template.
Tiffany
Latest posts by Tiffany (see all)
- The Best Inexpensive Air Dry Clay Recipe For Kids - June 18, 2023
- Canceled at What Cost - March 5, 2021
- How to Start Homeschooling - February 8, 2021
You must be logged in to post a comment.