The Homeschooler’s Guide to High School Credit
What counts as a high school credit? How many credits do I need to graduate high school? How do I create a homeschool high school transcript?
These are all excellent questions — some of which may not have crossed your mind when you first started to homeschool! Let’s break it down.
Credits, Explained
A high school credit is awarded when a student has completed two semesters or one year of high-school level study. A half-credit is awarded for one semester or one half-year of study. For classes such as physical education, students typically work three hours per week to fulfill one semester’s worth of work, or about 54 hours per semester. These classes are given a grade of P (pass.)
To graduate, some states require as little as 16 credits with the average requirement being 21 to 23 credits. For example, the number of high school credits needed to graduate in the state of Oregon is 24 credits. Our standard for graduation in the NCCA Diploma Program is 26 credits.
An elective is a course of high-school level study that does not fall into the categories needed to earn the minimum requirements, or an additional credit that is earned above and beyond those requirements.
About Accreditation
You can find many conflicting opinions on whether accreditation is necessary or not. Some schools that have invested heavily in the accreditation process will claim that a non-accredited diploma is useless. However, homeschooled students across the nation have been able to get into colleges without much difficulty. Some colleges are actively recruiting homeschooled students. If you know already what college your student wants to go to, it’s a good idea to know their requirements beforehand. If you aren’t sure yet, but know your student wants to go to college, scoring well on the SAT can be a good way to “prove” that your transcript is accurate.
Keeping Records for Transcripts
Start your record-keeping in 9th grade or earlier and keep a running transcript as your student wraps up each semester or year of study. Keep a cumulative total score for every lesson, and a score for every test taken per subject. Add and average each score to assign an overall grade at the end of each semester or half-year. If you’re in the Diploma Program, this grade will be verified by your advisor when he looks at the work completed. For online or on-campus classes (including dual enrollment), track the grades awarded per semester and add these to your transcript.
Conclusion
Transcripts and credits don’t need to be a mystery. Keep careful records, research your state’s credit requirements, and find out beforehand any acceptance policies at the college of your choice. This will ensure all your student’s hard work is properly documented. A great transcript can help your student succeed in whatever they choose to do after graduation!
— Lauren Shearer, registrar at Basic Skills, former curriculum consultant for Exodus Books.
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If you are interested in learning more about credits, transcripts, and all things related to homeschooling through high school, we encourage you to join our monthly high school email list.
Also, we specialize in resources that support homeschooled high-schoolers! We’ve included some links below so you can learn more.
- Our diploma program
- High School level courses we offer at our Oregon City campus
