Creating a Homeschool Transcript

A transcript is a record of the courses your child completed in high school.  Transcripts are important for your homeschool graduate whether or not they plan to continue their education.  Even the most meticulous recordkeeping does not take the place of a transcript, or carry the same weight that a transcript does.  In this article, we are going to look at the basics of creating an official homeschool transcript for your graduate.

Be Aware of State Graduation Requirements

You should begin by making sure you know the graduation requirements for the state your live in.  Ideally this should be done before your child enters high school, and should be reviewed annually to make sure your child is on track.  It also helps you to have a god idea of what colleges, universities, and trade schools will be expecting in a high school graduate.

Start Early and Keep On Hand

It is best to start the transcript as your child enters the ninth grade and update it regularly – at least at the end of every academic year.  You should always have both an electronic copy and a hard copy on hand, and have an official copy notarized each year.  Also, don’t forget to always have a backup copy!

Required Information

Here are items that all transcripts should include:

  • Student’s name
  • Graduation date
  • Homeschool name
  • Address
  • Telephone number

Courses should be listed by year.  Information for each course should include the following:  name (also indicate if it is a dual-enrollment, honors, or college credit class), semester grades and final grade (can be a letter or a number), and credits.  For each semester, summarize the total credits received and the GPA.  Also summarize the same information for each year.  When your child has completed high school, summarize their total number of credit and final GPA.  Make sure to clarify the grading scale used (e.g., A – 4.0, B – 3.0, etc.).

Note that for dual credit courses it is best to check with the state to see how they handle them.  A one-semester three-credit hour course taken as a dual enrollment course often counts as a one-year single-credit high school course.

Additional Information

There is additional information that is very wise to include.  This includes PSAT, SAT, ACT, and state proficiency exam scores.  Awards received, extracurricular activities, and leadership activities are excellent items to include.

Make It Official

Finally, the transcript should be signed by you, the parent, and notarized by a notary public.  This makes it an “official” transcript.

Wise Recordkeeping

In addition to your child’s transcript, here is some information that is good to record for each year:  course descriptions, textbooks used, and a concise summary of the content of the course.  Information about extracurricular activities and hobbies are also very useful to record.

Conclusion

Creating a solid transcript for your homeschooling graduate is not a mysterious or complex process.  It is simply a matter of keeping track of your child’s work during high school and recording it in a clear, systematic fashion.  Transcripts are key not only to continuing education, but also to entering the military and the workforce.

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