Homeschooling high school
The teen years are a great time to homeschool your child. As your teen matures, they become more self-directed. This allows the parent to move into the role of facilitator and guide. With the plethora of wonderful homeschool materials available for high schoolers, this no longer needs to be a daunting task.
Transcripts & Diplomas:
Beginning in 9th grade, the homeschool parent will want to begin tracking credits for the student's transcript. (8th grade courses can be counted for high school credit if high school level work is being done). In North Dakota, the parent issues the Homeschool High School Diploma. This diploma is recognized and is as valid as a public or private school diploma. The parent determines the criteria for issuing a high school diploma, however, using the ND DPI Graduation Worksheet is a helpful tool to track credits. This does not have to be followed exactly, but can be a good guide to assist in determining a course of study.
Course of Study:
Colleges want to see a well-rounded student, so a typical high school curriculum will include courses such as these. Note: Always check with the colleges your child is considering to determine their specific admission requirements. The credits listed below are taken directly from the ND DPI Graduation Worksheet and reflect the minimum credit requirements for graduating from a public high school in North Dakota.
English Language Arts: 4 credits, including literature, composition, and speech
Mathematics: 3 credits, may include 1 credit of Computer Science (Integrated Math for Computer Science, AP Computer Science and Advanced Java Programming are the Computer Science credits that DPI counts to fulfill the Computer Science Credit as a Math credit)
Science: 3 credits, including 1 credit Physical Science, 1 credit Biology, and 1 credit of another science or 1 credit Computer Science/Cybersecurity
Social Studies: 3 credits, including 1 credit U.S. History, ½ credit U.S. Government, ½ credit Economics (or 1 unit of Problems of Democracy in place of the 1/2 credits), and 1 additional credit of social studies
Physical Education: 1 credit, or ½ credit Physical Education and ½ credit Health
Foreign Language: included within 3 credits of foreign language, Native American languages, fine arts, or career and technical education
Additional Credits: 5 credits: These can be electives or if each category above is fulfilled, move them to the electives section.
Computing Grade point Average (GPA):
A - 4 points
B - 3 points
C - 2 points
D - 1 point
F - 0 points
Add up the scores and divide by the number of classes. A one semester course would represent .5 of a class. This number is the GPA. Extend the decimal point two places.
There are several good transcript making websites and templates on the internet.
Fast Transcripts and HSLDA are two places for transcript making templates and services. You can also order a customized homeschool diploma from HSLDA or make your own!
