Homeschooling High School...
Are You Nervous?

Sometime in middle school parent start considering homeschooling high school. I chose to place my children in an alternative high school. The high school was through our local school district. It was geared for homeschoolers.

My children attended classes two days a week. They did assignments when they were not in class. If the school did not provide the subject that my children needed for graduation they took classes on line. One of my children received credit for attending a two year computer course. My children were required to finish so many credits a year so that they could graduate. They were also required to take the state's exit test.

Dual Enrollment

Another option for homeschooling high school is to have your child attend a community college. During your child's junior and senior year of high school he may attend college. In Washington State it is called running start in other states it may be called dual enrollment. The child would receive a high school diploma and two years of college credit.

Testing for Credit

Another way to receive dual credits in high school is to take college level tests. The CLEP test which stands for College Level Examination program provides 33 tests. The tests are for subjects that students would encounter in the first two years of college. There are tests in history, language arts, math, and business. Each test is worth 3 to 12 college credits.

There are several reasons that a high school student would want to take the tests.

• The tests are accepted at approximately 2,900 colleges.
• The tests show college administrators that the child can do college level work.
• The tests are cheaper than taking college classes
• The tests save time.

You can find lesson plans to help your child study for the CLEP. You can also find sample tests online.

There are other tests for college level courses such as the DANTE.

If you child is considering going to college and wants to test for college credit he needs to see if the college that he is considering will accept the test. Your child will also need to find out how many credits that the college will accept from testing.

After doing the research I plan to have my children study for and take CLEP tests. It would give them the confidence that they could do college level work.

At Home

Others will consider homeschooling high school with the curriculum that they have been using. I plan to use this approach with my younger children. I would really like to continue to teach them a Christian world view.

Online

Another way of homeschooling high school is online courses. I mentioned that my son took some through the public school. There are other online academies both secular and Christian.

Graduation Requirements

Look at your state's graduation requirements to see what classes to include in your high school. You can find the graduation requirements online.

The GED

Getting the General Education Development diploma is a way of finishing high school. The General Education Development diploma is better known as the GED test. Anyone 16 and older can take the test, but those under 19 must acquire a high school release form from a local high school. There is also a special release form for homeschoolers. Both forms must be signed by a parent. Take note that there some sigma associated with the GED. Some feel that the test is too easy and is only for drop outs. The military give a lower classification to those who have taken the GED.

Talk to Your Child

Probable the first step in homeschooling high school is to talk to your child. What does he want to do? What are his interests and strengths? What would he like to study? Does he want to go to college? Does he want to join the military?

If he wants to go to college find out the requirements. Most colleges require higher math and two years of a foreign language.

Keep Records

When homeschooling high school you will need to keep accurate records. Keep a record of classes taken and those that still need to be taken. Each year make a transcript.

Also keep a portfolio of your child's best work. Many colleges like to see what your child has done.

Teaching High School

Even though your child will be independent and do most of the work on his own. Keep in touch with him. Ask to see his work from time to time. Go on field trips with him. Do science experiments together. Read his essays. Do a Bible study together.

If you feel uncomfortable homeschooling high school get some help. There are several places were you can look for help.

• I first would go to my local homeschool support group and ask if anyone can help answer your questions.
• Your child can also take classes that you feel uncomfortable teaching from a local junior college.
• Another place to look for help is on the internet. Sensible-math-education.com is a website where you can get free high school math curricular guidance from a 17-year math educator.

Another helpful math site is algebra-by-example. The site makes basic algebra easy to understand.

Also make sure that your child is ready for life. Can he balance a check book? Help your child develop job skills. If your child is disabled develop an adult transition plan.

With proper planning homeschooling high school should not be a source of stress.