The high school transcript is an official document detailing a student's academic record. The transcript includes a list of courses, grades, GPA, credits, and test scores, along with an overview of honors, awards, and extracurricular activities.
An Official Transcript Form
In order to prepare transcripts for our homeschool, the internet was searched extensively and all pertinent information was compiled and organized into a concise two-page document. This form was used successfully in the college admissions process. You are welcome to utilize these blank copies of the form that we used.
High School Transcript Form - pdf
High School Transcript Form - doc
The Transcript as a Planning Tool
A blank transcript form may be used as a handy high school planning tool. Pencil in your student's required and elective courses for each year. Be sure to check state homeschooling requirements and possible college admission requirements.
Maintaining a Transcript
- Maintaining a transcript can be accomplished easily by updating the document on a regular basis.
- At the end of each quarter or semester during high school, transfer grades from report cards to the transcript (or simply add the grades to the transcript if your homeschool does not use report cards) and assign credits earned.
- Several resume entries relating to a similar activity or topic may be condensed into a single line on the transcript. For example, if on the resume several entries relate to 4-H, they may be condensed into one line on the transcript, such as "2010-2014 4-H Club".
- Record the highest test score obtained for each type of test.
- A transcript should not exceed
two pages in length; therefore, adjust font sizes, page margins, and table settings as needed.
- Keep a transcript for each student with your homeschool's permanent records.
College and Scholarships
The student's high school transcript is typically required for college admissions and scholarship applications. When applying to some colleges and universities, the Common Application is used. Having an up-to-date transcript will make the task relatively easy to transfer the required information to the online forms.
You Can Do This!
Yes, you can compile an official high school transcript for your homeschooled student.
- Download and/or print out a blank transcript form.
- Begin editing text and filling it in.
- Update the transcript on a regular basis.
- Customize the transcript according to your needs and preferences.
Sample Transcripts
The Home Scholar
Mary Baldwin College
Home School Incorporated
Eclectic Homeschool Online
Related Links
HSLDA
Donna Young
Oklahoma Homeschool
7 Sisters
Examiner
Extra Tip
Compile an elementary and/or middle school transcript for a younger
student as a way to practice for preparing the high school transcript...
and to document your student's early academic years as well.
Report Cards and Progress Reports
Report cards, sometimes referred to as progress reports, function as tools to monitor student academic progress and to document the subjects and courses taken by each student each school year. Initially used by school teachers to communicate a student's progress with his/her parents, report cards may appear to be redundant for homeschool teachers/parents to use, but the maintaining of report cards and/or progress reports are nonetheless required of homeschoolers in many states. Progress reports written in paragraph or journal form are an ideal way to record observations, progress, strengths, weaknesses, and interests of your student, which may be extremely interesting to read later as your child grows and matures. Regardless of the format, continuous updating of report cards and/or progress reports can work as a valuable tool in helping you to identify trends in your child's work, indicate areas where more work may be needed, and give insight to future educational plans. Be sure to check if report cards or progress reports are required by law in your state, and act accordingly. Keep report cards and progress reports with your homeschool's permanent records.
Our Homeschool's Grading System
In our homeschool, we adopted a simple grading system based on 10. My husband, having grown up in Italy, suggested that we use this scale based on the grading scale that he was familiar with that his school used. This scale easily converted to 9.0-10.0=A, 8.0-8.9=B, and 7.0-7.9=C. A grade of 10 was only given in our homeschool for exceptionally good work, and our boys understood that it was generally difficult to earn a 10. While they did not work just to get a "10", they did realize that if they saw a 10 at the top of the page they had the satisfaction of knowing that they had made a remarkable accomplishment. Being both homeschool teacher and mom, I did not want to fall into the trap of giving 10's for everything the boys did. I wanted to be as objective as possible in documenting the boys' work and progress. When grading papers, I used the Original E-Z Grader which has been an extremely useful tool throughout the years. The boys realized that I was not simply giving them a grade; the grade was earned based on their actual performance.
Grading Scales
Some schools use 94-100 for an A, while others use 90-100 for an A. Since grading is very subjective, there is no standard grading method, curriculum varies from school to school and from class to class, I suggest not losing much sleep over which grading scale you use. Simply be consistent with the grading system you choose, allow your children to be aware of it, and be diligent about maintaining any required documentation.
Report Card Forms
Listed below are blank report card forms you may download, personalize, and print out. You are welcome to use these forms as they are or copy and modify them in order to customize for your particular needs. Print report cards on card stock for durability. Fold them in half to keep them conveniently in a small manila envelope with your homeschool's permanent records.
Elementary Report Card Forms
Middle School Report Card Forms
In Kentucky, parents may choose to educate their children at home. Homeschools are considered to be private schools. There are no qualifications for homeschool teachers in Kentucky. All children between the ages of 6 and 16 must be enrolled in school. For complete details, refer to the Kentucky Department of Education's Home School page and print out the Kentucky Home School Information Packet. Read the information carefully and keep it with your homeschool permanent records for reference.
Letter of Intent to Homeschool
Homeschool parents are to send a letter to the public school district at the beginning of each school year stating their intent to educate their children at home. The school calendar on your local public school district's website will indicate the first day of the school year. A sample letter may be found in the Kentucky Home School Information Packet. It is recommended that a copy of the letter be kept with the homeschool's permanent records, and that the letter be sent by certified mail with a return receipt. Attach the returned receipt to your homeschool's copy of the letter.
Progress Reports
Progress reports (report cards) are to be maintained to document the subjects taken and to monitor progress each year. Report cards are not required to be sent to the Kentucky Department of Education nor to the local school district. Maintaining a portfolio containing samples of the student's best work is recommended (not to mention that it becomes a precious keepsake of your child's work and progress through the years).
Links to printable report card forms are listed below for your convenience. Print report cards on card stock for durability. For the Elementary and Middle School report cards, print on both sides of one sheet, fold in half, and place in a 5x7 manila envelope. Keep report cards with your homeschool's permanent records.
Elementary Report Cards
Middle School Report Cards
High School Report Card
Attendance Records
Accurate attendance records are to be kept in a notebook, computer, calendar, etc. The minimum school term is 185 days, which includes the equivalent of 177 six-hour instructional days plus non-instructional days (recordkeeping days and/or holidays).
On this Attendance form, simply write the dates of instructional days on the numbered lines. Dates for non-instructional days may be written and highlighted for easy reference. Personally, for the "non-instructional" days, I enter and highlight dates for Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day, and New Years Day as holidays, and at the end of each quarter enter and highlight one or two recordkeeping days. Print the Attendance form on card stock for durability and keep it with your school's permanent records.
Subjects Taught
Kentucky law states that homeschooled students are to be taught subjects that will educate them to be intelligent citizens. Instruction is to be presented in the English language. Subjects taught are to include, but not be limited to, reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, mathematics, and civics.
High School Graduation Requirements
Minimum high school graduation requirements in Kentucky are listed below, for a total of 22 credits. It is the responsibility of the homeschool to issue the diploma.
Language Arts, 4 credits
Social Studies, 3 credits
Mathematics, 3 credits
Science, 3 credits
Health, 1/2 credit
Physical Education, 1/2 credit
Visual and Performing Arts, 1 credit
Electives, 7 credits
Pre-college curriculum requirements in Kentucky are the same as those listed above, except that two of the Elective credits are for two years of one Foreign Language. Please note that the minimum graduation requirements are listed; taking even more courses is preferred for college-bound students.
Homeschool Support Groups
Joining a local homeschool support group in Kentucky is a great way to connect with other homeschooling families and to find encouragement, support, activities, and up-to-date information. If a support group isn't listed for your area, ask about homeschool contacts at your local public library.
Be a Responsible Home Educator
Educate yourself concerning state homeschooling requirements and diligently work on a regular basis to maintain your homeschool's documentation in order to conduct your homeschool in Kentucky with confidence.
