What kind of records do I need to keep?
In Texas, private schools, which includes homeschools, are not required to submit report cards, transcripts, standardized test scores, or other academic records to the state. So for Texas homeschoolers, the only reasons to maintain records are (1) preparing and possibly applying for the next thing after homeschooling and (2) your own well-being (at the end of the year, you can look back and see what your child has done in addition to his/her written work).
The records to maintain will depend on the need. Some needs may include planning to:
- enter or re-enter a public school
- apply to a private school
- take dual-credit courses at a community college
- apply to college/university
- enlist in the military
- apply to a trade school or other training program
Find out the requirements, if any, for any option the student is interested in, and prepare for all that your student may potentially do next. Most places will expect a simple transcript, perhaps with a brief description of each class; rarely will anyone ask to see report cards, tests, or completed worksheets.
A few recordkeeping ideas
On each worksheet, workbook page, or ruled paper (with the student’s written work), write the date in the corner as the student completes it. If the pages are loose-leaf, write the student’s name on it, too. In the unlikely event that it’s needed, you’ll be able to transfer the dates and work completed to a recordkeeping book.
In a recordkeeping book or a simple spiral notebook, record when textbooks and/or workbooks are completed, writing the title and date of completion. Students aren’t required to finish an entire textbook or program in the period from August to May. For example, during a school year, a student completes the last third of a grammar textbook (from the year before), and then moves on to the next level grammar textbook, completing about half of it by the end of the school year. Whatever grammar was done during the school year is what will count towards the student’s credit.
If you use a planner, save it as part of your records. Update it when actual work completed varies from the plan. Again, this won’t be turned in to any state agency, but is simply for your own records.
Maintain a book log, perhaps in a spiral notebook. Record the books read independently by your student and also record the books you’ve read aloud; include the date, title, and author.
Maintain an activities log. In addition to participation in sports, dance, music, drama, jobs, etc., record field trips, projects, volunteer work, and other learning activities, including the dates. Examples:
- travel, near and far
- grocery store trip with a list and a budget
- researching what kind of dog to get
- building a doghouse, including making a list of supplies needed and estimated cost
- pet-sitting
- growing flowers or vegetables in the yard
- working on the car
- starting a sneaker resale business
- playing an instrument on the church music team
- learning how to operate a sailboat
- planning a dish or meal (researching recipes, obtaining ingredients) and cooking it
Some activities will be used as part of a credit. For example, planning and preparing a meal will be part of home economics. Business-related financial activities can contribute to the math credit. Also, this information will be useful in preparing your student’s transcript and/or filling out applications.
Calculating grades
Most programs for math, writing, and reading have built-in assessments in the form of quizzes and/or tests. Use your discretion in assigning grades. Factors include: participation, effort, achievement, mastery. Schools around the country vary widely in how hard or how easy they grade. You have the right to decide how hard or how easy to grade. Later, when students leave homeschool for public or private schools or universities, their standardized test scores should approximately reflect their grades.
These are just a few ideas and considerations. When you come in, you can hear about even more ideas. We can also show you how to keep records for the specific curriculum you’ll be using, as recordkeeping may vary among programs.
The homeschool-mom-consultants have experience with the after-homeschool phase of our children. Our kids have attended public schools, private schools, dual-credit at the community college, 4-year public and private universities, Bible college, nursing school, graduate school, trade school, military, and fireman school.