hi i live in NJ and homeschool my kids. we use the unschool / noschool method and let the kids basically learn what they want, when they want and basically let everyday life experiences and our family businesses be their learning. we have never really followed any type of curriculum or structure and we do not have any records. so now my 16 year old son is moving to SC to live with his aunt and he is going to go to regular high school and he is trying to get into an art & science academy from there. so my question is his aunt is asking that he bring transcripts with him and i do not know how to make them? can you help me or lead me in the right direction. thank you very much.
The HSLDA site has a transcript blank you can use as a form. I would download it and then sit down with your child and the SC credit requirements and see what you both feel like he has honestly completed the equivalent of and record those "classes" on the transcript. Not sure if this link will work or not, but I'll try it and see. www.hslda.org/highschool/docs/PHCblank.doc
the link didnt work but i have looked at every blank form & sample transcript and all the "how to make transcripts" and they all ask for course titles, credits earned, final grades etc. i do not have any of this info so i do not know what to put on these forms. i guess what i would need to know is how to translate doing everyday things into course titles, credits earned & final grades.
You'd probably be better off submitting a portfolio that shows what he has accomplished on his own. If you just HAVE to have a transcript, you'll have to "grade" him based on how well he knows the minimum state standards for each subject/level based on your own observations. You might also consider having him take a standardized test to show what he does or doesn't know (using an achievement test that gives a grade level or percentile would be better than a pass/fail). Find out what the art/science academy will want, and use that as your guide.
You might want to check and see if your library has any of the following books. Loretta Heuer's book - Homeschooler's Guide to Transcripts and Portfolios Cafi Cohen's book - And What About College? Lee Binz's book - Setting the Records Straight.
I understand how daunting of a task it seems, but really it is not as difficult once you get started. Take a look at the classes he would have been taking if he was in public school and see if you have done the equivalent of those courses at home. If he has, then write in the title of that class (US History) and assign him a grade bases on his performance or knowledge. For language arts you can just figure on English I, II, etc. for each year of high school.
