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Basic Homeschooling Information |
This is not legal advice. For legal advice, contact HSLDA. It
is recommended that the high school curriculum be such that kids have the
option of attending college in the future, even if they do not currently
think that will be their goal. High
School
Diploma or Not?
If an accredited
high school diploma is important to your child, then you will want to
investigate some of the correspondence-courses available to high school
students. This is can be similar to
high-school by mail. Another option: there is at least one private school that
allows homeschoolers to document their work, and (for a hefty fee) issues a
diploma from their accredited school at the end of four years of study. However, an accredited
diploma is not necessary. If your
student completes the high school course that you set for him, then you can award
him a diploma. Colleges, the military,
and employers are not obligated to accept that diploma, but you can award
one. It is sometimes possible to
request a diploma through one of the state homeschool groups (if that is
important to your student, your prospective college, grandparents, etc.). Colleges will accept students without an
accredited diploma. In fact, many
colleges actively recruit homeschoolers. HSLDA has a link on the Homeschooling Thru High
School website that contains good information about diplomas. GED
It is recommended that homeschoolers not take the GED, as that tends to
carry the stigma of “dropout.” If a
college or employer pushes for a GED, Homeschool Legal Defense Association
can help members get the policy changed to recognize your legally completed
education. For students who did not
drop out of school, a GED is inappropriate. High School Curriculum
These are minimums
in Here is one option:
Another option:
An option planning to pay for one quarter of
college the student’s junior year, then use Running Start: complete the
student’s Associate’s degree:
Your student can custom-design a schedule
EnglishEnglish for the college-bound
high schooler must include composition and college-prep literature for three
of the four years. The fourth year can
include public speaking, speech, debate, or business English. For freshman composition, one option is Jump In. If your student is already an excellent
writer, consider skipping freshman composition. Sonlight
has some excellent high school literature packages which also include
creative writing. SL’s 200 level
includes Depending on the child’s interests and future
plans, it would be possible to teach only two years of high school
literature, then use the Running Start
program to pay for one quarter of composition
and one quarter of speech at a
local community college. Math
Math for the college-bound
high school student must include algebra, geometry, and second-year
algebra. Not accepted are arithmetic, pre-algebra, business math, and
statistics. An
additional senior-year math-based quantitative course will be required
beginning in 2012. Statistics does not count toward the three
years of math that colleges require, but it does qualify for the senior year
math-based quantitative course required beginning in 2012. Other options include applied math,
chemistry, and physics. Therefore, students contemplating college should
study geometry and two years of algebra during high school, plus a class that
qualifies for the senior-math credit.
Curriculum recommendations are either Math-U-See or Life of Fred for the
algebra series and geometry. For the
senior-year math credit, consider Life
of Fred’s statistics, or Apologia’s
chemistry or physics. Social Science
Social
science
for the college-bound student includes history, anthropology, contemporary
world problems, economics, geography, government, political science,
psychology, and sociology. Not accepted are community service,
consumer economics, and religion courses. The curriculum that you use will depend largely
on what you have used in the past. It
would be appropriate for a transcript to include things such as United States
History, World History, Washington State History, Civics, and Geography. If you use the Sonlight literature courses,
you might want to use their corresponding history. Other good history options are Greenleaf and Beautiful Feet. For geography,
consider Mapping The World By Heart. For world
history and cultures, consider Around
the World In 180 Days. If your child enjoys these subjects, some of them
can be completed through the Running Start program. College economics
is required in many engineering programs.
Cultural anthropology and psychology are required in many nursing programs. Any of these would be excellent Running
Start classes. Science
Science for college-bound
students must be two years (or more, depending on probable major). Until 2011, this must include a full year
of either: biology, chemistry, or physics; that course
must include a lab. The second year of
science can be almost any other science, including astronomy, atmospheric
science, botany, environmental science, genetics, geology, oceanography,
physical anthropology, and zoology.
Beginning in 2012, two full years of lab science will be required. 4-H has a good Vet Science course. Apologia
carries excellent science curricula: Exploring
Creation With Biology would be appropriate for freshman. Cost depends on whether or not you purchase
a microscope (recommended but not required), and on whether or not you
purchase supplies to do the dissection labs. ($15 for MP3 audio cd would be
the budget version; $400 for the most expensive version with textbook, tests
& answers, microscope with slides, dissection kit & dissection
specimens, and multi-media companion cd) Exploring
Creation With Chemistry can be taken after the student has mastered one year of
algebra, so would be appropriate for most sophomores. Cost of the course depends on whether the
optional secondary lab set is purchased. $15-$213 Exploring
Creation With Physics can be taken after the student has mastered algebra and
geometry, and has a grasp of basic trig functions, so is usually recommended
for high school juniors. $15-$94 Advanced
Chemistry in Creation is an AP chemistry course.
Chemistry and Algebra II are prerequisites for this senior-level
course. $55-120 Advanced
Physics In Creation
is an AP physics course. Physics and
trigonometry are prerequisites for this senior-level course. $55-75 The Human
Body – Fearfully and Wonderfully Made is an AP biology course, recommended for
students interested in medical school or nursing. Since biology and chemistry are
prerequisites for this course, it is probably most appropriate for juniors or
seniors. $15-$207 Marine
Biology
is another science course offered by Apologia. See Apologia’s website for details. Fine,
Visual, or Performing Arts
Some sort of fine
arts is another requirement for college-bound students. It includes music such as band, orchestra,
music appreciation, music theory; art
such as art appreciation, ceramics,
fiber arts, graphic arts, metal design, painting, photography, print making,
and sculpture; and performance such
as dance and drama. My students are looking forward to taking music theory through Running Start as
an easy way for them to simultaneously fulfill the homeschool art/music
appreciate requirement and the college-entrance fine arts requirement. A basic art
appreciation course would also be appropriate. Foreign Language
Foreign
language
is required for admission to most universities. Some will not accept foreign language on a
homeschool transcript; they require the student to pass a competency test – fine
if the student takes the test immediately after completing the language
study, but difficult if foreign language was studied the freshman and
sophomore year but not tested until nearing college application time. A simple option is to take one year of foreign
language through Running Start. One
year of college-level foreign language at a community college can be
substituted for the required two years of high-school foreign language. Health
Health is not a requirement for
college-bound students, but is required under Washington state law. It could include homeschool PE through the
YMCA, golf lessons through The First Tee, or any number of other
options. I am designing a consumer
health course for my kids. Anyone who
uses Apologia’s AP biology could count it as a health course. Occupational
Education
Occupational
education is
not a requirement for college entrance, but is required under Washington
state law. It should include a basic
typing course. Other options are home
ec, accounting, auto shop, or any well-documented introduction to occupations
in which your child might be interested. College
There is more than one way to earn a college degree,
and the path you choose will depend on the type of life-work desired after
college. Regardless of which path your child chooses in
pursuing a college degree, you will need to keep good records during high
school. You should have a syllabus for
every high school course that your student completes. Some colleges want to see a portfolio. Many colleges have special tips for
homeschooled applicants. It would be
wise to look these over in advance: University
of Washington’s homeschool applicant tips Washington
State University‘s policy for home-based schooling Central
Washington University evaluates homeschooled students on an individual
basis Western Washington University
s website does not currently mention homeschoolers Northwest
University‘s admissions policies and procedures for home educated
students Colleges in other states have similar tips on
their websites. Google your
prospective college, then look for a homeschool link from the admissions
requirements page. Distance Learning
It is no longer necessary to spend four or five
years on a college campus earning a bachelor’s degree. Many colleges offer correspondence and
online courses. Read Brad Voeller’s Accelerated Distance Learning to learn how one young man served a
number of internships, then spent under $5000 to get his accredited
bachelor’s degree in less than six months.
His study methods would be good for anyone to learn. His actual method appears to be most
applicable to business-type degrees.
It probably would not work to accelerate a premed or engineering
degree, but the principles can help any student. www.GlobalLearningStrategies.org Running Start
Running Start is a program in Colleges & universities in Washington State
usually have Running Start information on their websites. For more information about Running Start: www.k12.wa.us/RunningStart/default.aspx www.zlo.org/hsplaninfo/Requirementsfiles/runningstart.html Testing For Credit
Some homeschoolers dedicate their high school
years to studying for and taking tests for college credit. For some degrees, this is an excellent
option. Know before you begin what
your ultimate goal is. Some colleges
do not accept credit by exam, so check before beginning. If considering a university that does accept these credits, it is an
excellent way to complete the freshman year of college. Following is a list of some of the more popular
credit-by-exam programs. There are
others. Credit earned by exam will
need to be transferred to (and accepted by) the four-year college from which
you ultimately earn your bachelor’s degree. Colleges that grant credit for these tests might
have a limit to the number of credits allowed. For instance, Central Washington University
limits all credit-by-test to 45
quarter credits (combined CLEP, AP, DANTES, etc.). Northwest University limits PLA (prior
learning assessment) to 30 semester credits. The advanced placement tests were designed for
honors high school students, and high schools offer classes specifically
designed to help students pass these tests.
However, anyone can take the tests.
Note that students considering medical school should investigate
whether the medical schools being considered accept AP credits. Generally, medical schools prefer that
students take science classes at college, not AP tests. Most universities appear to accept AP
credits. College
Level Examination Program (CLEP) Tests cost $70, and good scores can earn 3-12
college credits. This is a huge
savings in both time and money provided
that the school from which you want to graduate accepts CLEP scores. Some colleges accept CLEP tests ( DANTES Subject Standardized Tests (DSST) Cost varies by test. The fee is less than traditional college
classes. Good scores can earn 3
college credits. Again, verify that
the schools you are considering will give college credit for these tests.
(fwiw, DANTES is an acronym for Defense Activity for Non-Traditional
Education Support; these were originally developed for military personnel,
but are available to civilians, too) Traditional Four-Year
Degree
For some highly specialized fields, a traditional
four (or five) years of college after high school graduation is the only
option. At the time of this writing, minimum admission requirements to state universities in
Washington are:
These requirements will change. Students beginning college in 2012 (high
school freshmen in 2008) must also earn one credit of quantitative math
during their senior year. See the
Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board’s website for more information
about minimum College Academic
Distribution Requirements www.hecb.wa.gov/research/issues/admissions.asp Check the admissions requirements of the college
or university that your child wishes to attend, since the CADR’s are minimums and colleges are free to set
higher standards. One Ivy League
school we checked (obviously not in Washington) requires four years of
foreign language for admission. High
school graduation is often not a
college entrance requirement, and students can go straight to college without
completing high school. Another thing to consider is that many colleges
have specific admissions requirements for homeschoolers. Check the institution’s website for
details. To complicate matters – or simplify them,
depending on your point of view – one quarter of college (for instance, at a
community college, or at a four-year university through Running Start) can
substitute for one year of high school when applying to a four-year
university in this state. This means
that a student who does not have the required high-school classes can still get into a four-year university
by first attending a community college. Some students are able to schedule classes wisely
enough to earn their associates degree through the Running Start program,
then transfer to a four-year university as a junior at age 18. This significantly reduces the financial
cost of obtaining a four-year degree. Another option is to earn one year’s worth of
credits through a combination of credit-by-exam, earn two-year’s worth of
credits at a community college (preferably through Running Start so that the
state pays tuition), then complete the final year at a four-year university. Obviously, there are many options available. For students whose college major permits
distance learning, that is an excellent method of earning a degree. However your student earns college credit, it
will cost less money and take less time if you do some careful advance
planning.
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