Paper Proof: Grades and Record Keeping

Summary

This chapter provides a comprehensive guide to record-keeping for homeschoolers, emphasizing the importance of translating nontraditional education into terms understood by traditional educational institutions. The process is divided into three main areas: notification, portfolio keeping for elementary and middle school students, and transcript preparation for high school students.

For elementary and middle school, portfolios are the primary means of documentation. These should include samples of work from each subject taught. Formal grading is generally unnecessary unless required by the school district or if the child might transfer to a traditional school.

High school record-keeping is more formal, requiring transcripts that list subjects studied, years of study, units of credit, and final grades. The chapter provides a detailed breakdown of how to calculate credits based on hours of study in various subjects. It emphasizes that the classical curriculum typically provides more than enough credits to meet and exceed standard graduation requirements.

The chapter also addresses the issue of diplomas, suggesting that while they can be obtained through state homeschool associations or created for private homeschools, transcripts and portfolios are generally more valuable for college admissions. It advises against taking the GED for classically educated students, as it only demonstrates mastery of tenth-grade material.

Throughout, the chapter stresses the importance of flexibility and common sense in record-keeping, while also ensuring that documentation meets or exceeds state requirements and effectively communicates the student's achievements to colleges and other institutions.