Transcripts - What's the Buzz?

As I have talked with homeschoolers, it appears that one of the primary concerns of those considering the high school years is the issue of transcripts. The very term seems to strike fear into homeschoolers. Okay, I'll admit that as my oldest entered high school, I was not certain how I would create a transcript, but a friend walked me through the process, and perhaps now I can alleviate your fears by walking you through it as well.

First of all, there are two different aspects to preparing a transcript: 1) compiling the records, and 2) actually creating the document.

Compiling the records is best done yearly rather than in the final stages of the senior year. Think step by step, line by line, course by course. It is much easier to collect the information about the courses that your child completes when the material is fresh on your mind. For each of these courses, I recommend that you keep a list of what was studied, what materials were used, and how much time was devoted to the process. Your child's course may fall into a very common title such as Algebra 1, in which case you will likely have used a textbook and your child will have completed daily lessons. This is an easy course to record, since most textbook-based courses that are designed for two semesters of study would be considered 1 credit for a high school transcript. If you are recording a course of your own development, or one that is not designed in a traditional format, you will need to have your child maintain a log of the time spent on the coursework so that you can determine how much course credit to give - traditionally, 1 credit would represent 120-150 hours of work, but given the tutorial nature and efficiency of homeschooling, I lean toward the 120 hours for 1 credit. You should also create a brief description of each course and its goals as you compile your records.

The next step for transcripts is actually creating the form. This is easiest to do using the computer, but you still need to select the format you wish to use. Lest you be concerned that your transcript will not look like others, be assured that every school district produces a transcript that looks unique. Some transcripts show the coursework chronologically, and some group the coursework by general subject areas (such as English, Math, Science, and Electives). Either way is acceptable. Sonlight offers some helpful resources in Cafi Cohen's Homeschooler's College Admissions Handbook and Barb Shelton's Senior High: A Home-Designed Form+U+La. I have used Excel Spreadsheet software to format my transcripts and print them off. Barb Shelton offers a good suggestion ... when you print your transcript in black ink, have the principal (Dad?) sign it in blue ink so that it is clearly an original copy.

Now, when you are using a non-traditional program such as Sonlight Curriculum's literature-based Cores, you may wonder how it breaks down into courses. I'll post that in my next installment.