When we started home educating our kids, we were often asked how long we would continue. It's a natural question. The next questions always had to do with the high school years. I always said by faith that I would, we would, figure it out. No, I didn't have a plan. I didn't have a clue. I knew God had a plan for my kids and for our family. A decade later we had heard about ACE Huskins - it had come and gone. So much for my excitement about "online high school" for my oldest! Then we heard about College and Career Promise or Dual Enrollment. I didn't know if it would be a good fit for us- but approaching his 16th birthday, it became clear to us that he was ready for a new challenge. Unsure still what it would mean and if it would be the transition he needed, we met with the CCP adviser, he took the Accuplacer and the past year has been not only the challenge he needed but a sensational rollercoaster that keeps pushing him higher into what God has for him next. That educational choice to add CCP to our homeschool has increased the abundance in our lives.
Education is a core part of our design. We are curious and question. We really want to know truth and find wisdom. We desire meaningful work and purpose. Our identity comes from our Father in Heaven and He is the great Teacher. The knowledge he gives us, it can be used to glorify Him, bring mercy to those among us, and build character within us. We are to grow in wisdom- knowledge is a step in that process. Finding the right path to education is important. As a parent, you are the child's first and best teacher. When a time comes to walk with them as a coach and encourager, know that you are still the one God chose to help them navigate the path of learning in life. When homeschooling younger children, it may be clear how they need you to pass information and knowledge. As they grow, it can be less clear but there is still a great need for a parent to guide and coach adolescent children through their changing learning methods and styles- no matter what choices you make for high school.
I'd like to share a few practical things I have discovered in my short path. Here are some steps I have realized we each must make- formally or informally- if we are to support our children in their educational choices as they transition from children to adults.
What is the goal? Dream.
As a homeschool parent in North Carolina, you are the administrator of your school. You decide what counts as credit, what is needed for graduation and when your student is ready to graduate. We are given very much freedom with this and must wisely use the freedom as it best serves our children. If the student is considering higher education, you must tailor the coursework to fit the requirements of the institution which they will be seeking enrollment. Many parents begin to model their homeschool in high school after the standard course credits issued by Department of Public Instruction and follow the "College Track" set forth by the University of North Carolina System. This choice gives parents a peace of mind that their children are getting a broad academic coverage in the high school years and are adequately prepared should they choose college education after graduation. This is the track and preparation that a student interested in Dual Enrollment or College and Career Promise for the last 2 years of high school may be following.
*Find the NC Department of Public Instruction High School guidelines here.
*Find the Homeschool High School Graduation Requirements from NCHE here and from NDNPE here.
If college is not the goal, and you are confident in that, take time to decide with your student what skills and courses are most logical over the next few years before you issue their diploma. Since this will be the end of their formal learning time, you will want to focus on good self learning skills and good communication skills, teamwork, as well as time management, home management, "life skills", interviews, business, etc- it will be as varied as the goal. Soft skills are essential for everyone! This is the time to start some general lists, write some methods of how to meet those goals and then define the curriculum, coursework, internships, etc. that the student will complete to meet the goals for each course.
*For more on trade school and apprenticeships from HSLDA, click here
What does my student need to meet this goal? Brainstorm and plan.
If your kid is like my oldest, a social learner who was eager to move on to college but not yet old enough to go out on his own, then something like College and Career Promise may be for your family! If not, there are many online services for courses as well as dual enrollment. There are also box sets, DVD curriculum and as homeschool grows, the choices grow. Freedom can be overwhelming in this area. It is often a good idea to think about how your child learns best and limit your choices at first by some guideline or another to filter the sheer volume of options. Develop a plan- even if in pencil. I used a print out of the UNC system guidelines and a pencil on notebook paper to make notes. I then used a word document template of a transcript that I could edit and penciled in ideas over the 4 years. Boy, has it changed! The structure helped us create a vision and helped my child not be overwhelmed by the whole picture. We could see one semester or year at a time while keeping an eye on the goal. We could also look back and celebrate how much was accomplished when the pencil turned to ink!
*For more on grade level curriculum choices, Cathy Duffy reviews can be found here
*HSLDA has created a well organized database of resources for homeschool parents of adolescents too! Click here.
Meet your team! Move forward
When you have a plan ready and the time is approaching, make contact with the person/persons you will need to begin a relationship with for the next phase. For us, that was the College and Career Adviser. We met with her in March before the Fall he would enroll. To our surprise, he was eligible to test immediately and enroll that month in a late start class. He chose to wait until June to enroll, and had 3 classes completed before my anticipated start date! You will need to think about this phase as 'sharing the reins' unless you are graduating your child or transferring them into a different school. Dual enrolled students are still enrolled in your homeschool. As the administrator, you are still responsible for some home coursework and progress, as well as record keeping, college success coaching, general encouragement and some overall (some days challenging) parenting roles. It is important to communicate professionally with the advisor and any instructors (only if necessary) and remember that your role is the administrator of the school, not their mom! A little something I learned about higher education is a privacy law called FERPA. Under this law, instructors at a college level do not speak to parents about students. They will however communicate to other schools for the sake of a student. It's helpful to keep this in mind.
Figuring out your team may not be as easy if you are pursuing a different path. It may involve multiple parents if you strictly homeschool high school but cooperatively share classes. It may involve professionals or organizations in the community if your child wants to learn through volunteering or assisting. It may involve online schools and people you never meet face to face if you choose distance learning programs, or companies with DVD programs. It could also include tutors for subjects which you do not want to be totally responsible.
Stay fluid.
The time goes quickly so even though it's an extremely busy season, enjoy the view. The men and women you see emerging before your eyes will make you proud so many days. They will not become adults overnight and many days will be a challenge for everyone. Don't be afraid to erase or rewrite a plan (preaching to myself). God has this under control. It helps to update the transcripts as you go and make notes in a file or document (Google Docs is lovely) of what book, co-op or online course your student used. You can learn more about transcripts and credits here.
I have not completed this journey and would love to hear more from the veteran homeschool parents who have walked further than I have down the path. I answer these questions and more regularly in discussions with other parents. If you have more, just leave a comment or message me. Over time, I am sure to edit and add to this entry. Until then....
God Bless you on your journey!
Crystal
Links for this article:
http://www.nccommunitycolleges.edu/academic-programs/career-college-promise
https://accuplacer.collegeboard.org/student/practice
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/docs/curriculum/home/graduationrequirements.pdf
http://www.nche.com/high-school/coursework
https://ncadmin.nc.gov/citizens/home-school/home-school-faqs#diplomas-&-graduation
https://www.thebalance.com/what-are-soft-skills-2060852
https://hslda.org/highschool/vocation.asp
https://cathyduffyreviews.com/homeschool-reviews-core-curricula/grade-level-packages-and-courses/high-school
https://hslda.org/highschool/resources.asp
https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html
https://hslda.org/highschool/Newsletters/2016/november.asp
