accredited curriculum and transcripts

[jacynamommy]

Hi ladies, I'm thinking ahead I suppose...my oldest will be in 7th grade this year and we'll be doing Revival to Revolution. I had a friend ask me recently if HOD was an accredited program for high school students. I realized I hadn't really thought about it yet (with younger kids) and wasn't really sure about the answer! I'm also not certain how important it is to have an accredited program? We've been doing HOD for 8 years and love it!! Also, at what point does it become important to keep information for or make a transcript...I'm guessing 9th grade? I'd appreciate any feedback! Thanks!!

[StephanieU]

There is no curriculum that is accredited. There are programs that are accredited, but it means there is a "teacher" other than you confirming the work. They are basically school at home (private or public) and not true homeschooling.
Most universities have no issue with homeschoolers. Many actually seek them out. There are a few exceptions where having an accredited diploma is helpful or necessary, but it isn't the norm. NCAA athletics is one example. The state of California also can be a little tricky with homeschoolers and science. But those are the only cases I have heard of, and i know many that have graduated as homeschoolers and gone on to college.

[my3sons]

You already received an excellent answer! StephanieU is exactly right! Schools are accredited, but actual curriculums are not. This means that the curriculum a school uses is a part of whether or not the school receives accreditation, but the curriculum by itself is not accredited. Charter schools, public schools, and private schools can all work to receive accreditation. The curricula they use is a part of that accreditation process. Homeschools are not accredited, nor are homeschool curriculums. Homeschool curriculum companies who have actual day schools can work toward accreditation with their curriculum as a part of the accreditation process. This would include companies like Veritas Press, BJU, Memoria Press, or Abeka (who all have day schools). Since we are not set up like a school, or an online or onsite class, we cannot issue grades or provide a transcript. This is why we give guidelines within our guides for you to prepare a transcript of your own, because you are doing all the teaching, interacting, and awarding of grades. Any curriculum that you use at home on your own is going to have this type of setup, unless you take an outside or online class where a third party is giving the grades and providing a transcript. However, HOD is written by Carrie Austin, who has her BA in Elementary Education with middle school endorsements, and her Masters of Education degree in administration. So, she writes with standards in mind, as they are very near and dear to her heart. We are required in our state to give standardized tests routinely, and our children have done very well having only used HOD. For special state considerations (i.e. especially for high school credits), consult HSLDA or your local high school for specific needs.

As far as transcripts, no worries! I've always used HOD, and I just used the HOD High School guide's Introduction to make my son's transcript recently, along with a website called Transcript Maker (formerly known as Teascripts). It took me about 20 minutes to complete, looks very professional, was inexpensive, and has been accepted by all we've needed to show it to. HTH!

In Christ,
Julie

[jacynamommy]

Thank you very much for your replies!! That helps me greatly! We are sold on HOD...love the curriculum and watching our kids grow in knowledge and their love for Christ! I'm thankful for having a better understanding of how all this works now, so thank you!!

[my3sons]

You are welcome - we are glad to have helped! You have some special memories with HOD already, and even more wonderful memories to make ahead of you! And be sure to smell the roses on the journey (as I can see you are by your message just posted here). Time flies by as the children get older!!!

In Christ,
Julie