can i count the class time in public school when i do course credit for homeschool

by Prof. Kristian Konopelski MD 3 min read

How you award credits in your homeschool is largely up to you, unless your state’s homeschool requirements include instruction time. For most states, one full year course (including two semesters worth of lessons) is worth one credit. Single semester courses are generally worth a half credit.

Full Answer

How many credits is a year long class for homeschoolers?

Most high schools calculate a year long class as 1.0 credit and a semester class as 0.5 credit. For homeschoolers, though, calculating a credit gets a little muddy. What if it’s a self-designed course?

How do I calculate college credits as a homeschooler?

As a homeschooler, you can stick to your state’s credit value or convert it to the more typical 1.0 credit value. Either way is fine; just be consistent. Remember to translate each course using the same credit value. Often a university recommends a particular high school schedule, listing credits and courses, for its applicants.

How is time in class used to calculate high school credits?

A Carnegie Unit uses time in class as the basis of calculating a high school credit. The figures used vary from 120 to 150 hours of “seat time.” Many states require 180 days of school.

Can a homeschooler get a credit card?

Homeschoolers have a great deal of flexibility in creating a credit system that works for their family. It is important to consider your family’s homeschooling objectives and philosophy as you make decisions about homeschooling high school.

How are grades calculated for homeschooling?

A simple way to calculate grades is to take all the assignments and tests, add them together and take the average score. You can modify that by counting some assignments or tests more important, by adding them in 2 or 3 times–then taking the average score of it all.

How many hours a day should a 1st grade homeschool?

two hours aSo how many hours do you homeschool a first grader? Typically, two hours a day is more than enough. Some homeschoolers find that their children learn more effectively when they break their lessons up into 15-20 minute increments since it keeps them engaged and better focused.

How are credits calculated?

Credits are awarded based on the credit hours you earn. The calculation of one credit is as follows: (1 hours classroom work + 2 hours homework) per week x (15 weeks/semester) = 1 credit for that semester. Most subjects/courses require 3 credits to be completed.

How much time should I spend on each subject homeschool?

Aim for an average (not an exact) time. We recommend an average of 45 minutes for each subject each day, but that might mean that on Mondays you do 30 mins of math and on Tuesdays you spend an hour. Be flexible and allow your child's pacing and rhythms to inform the lesson times.

How can I keep track of homeschool hours?

One of the best ways to track your homeschool hours is to use a time log. I like to keep things as simple as possible. Now that you know what counts as homeschooling and what homeschool log best suits you, you need to actually write it down. We are going to loop back to what is required of you by your homeschool law.

How many days a week should you homeschool?

How many hours a day do you have to homeschool? Most home school parents find that they can effectively homeschool their children in around 2-3 hours each day for 3-5 days each week.

How many hours is 4 credits?

One semester credit hour is defined as a weekly minimum of 1 hour in class (or other required educational meetings like labs, studios, etc.) plus 2 hours of out-of-class work. Formally, therefore, a 4-credit course should require 4 classroom hours and 8 hours of out-of-class hours each week in a fifteen week term.

How many hours is 1 credit hour?

Each credit hour corresponds to a minimum of 3 hours of student engagement per week for a traditional 14-week course or 6 hours per week for a 7-week course. This time may be spent on discussions, readings and lectures, study and research, and assignments. Most courses at AIC are three credit hours.

How do you convert hours to credit hours?

The formula provided that in order to determine a semester credit hour, the number of clock hours would need to be divided by 30 (30 clock hours = 1 semester credit hour). In order to determine quarter credit hours, the number of clock hours would be divided by 20 (20 clock hours = 1 quarter credit hour).

How long is a typical homeschool day?

between 1 and 8 hoursWhile the typical homeschool day can last anywhere between 1 and 8 hours, your school day will be what works for you. If you're worried that you're not doing enough, spend time snuggling and reading books, take a walk and look at the nature around you, jump up and put on Just Dance for a mood-boosting PE lesson.

Do homeschool students perform better?

78% of peer-reviewed studies on academic achievement show homeschool students perform statistically significantly better than those in institutional schools (Ray, 2017).

Which homeschool curriculum is best?

The 7 Best Online Homeschool Programs of 2022Best Overall: K12.com.Best Budget: ABCmouse.com.Best for Structure: Time4Learning.Best for Community: Connections Academy.Best Free: Khan Academy.Best for College Prep: edX.Best for Math and Science: CK-12 Foundation.

What is dual enrollment in college?

Dual enrollment is when your student takes classes at a community college and earns credits that count toward high-school and college completion. Similarly, CLEP (College-Level Examination Program) exams allow homeschool students to earn college credit for passing a college-level mastery test. Needless to say, college-level work definitely counts as high-school level mastery! Remember that a college-level course usually counts as three credit hours, but that translates into one credit hour for a high-school course.

Does 8th grade algebra count as high school?

If your student takes a high-school level Algebra course in 8th grade, it still counts for high-school credit. Many times, homeschool students will be more advanced in a particular subject—such as math or English—so don’t shy away from including those earned credits. To determine whether a course is high-school level, look at how the textbook identifies the material, check whether the course is considered high-school level by an accrediting agency, and use your own best judgement as a parent educator.

How many credits do you need to get into high school?

The average number of total high school credits for college prep students is generally between 21-28 credits. The more rigorous the prep, the more credits one tends to have. Think carefully before going above 35 credits for a 4 year high school.

How many hours does a 1.0 credit class take?

1.0 Credit = 150-180 hours or an hour long class 5x a week for 36 weeks. 0.5 Credit = 75-90 hours or an hour long class 5x a week for 18 weeks. AP Courses or Labs generally require a lot more hours than 150. Even so, students still earn 1.0 credit for that class.

What are the requirements for a 4 year homeschool?

When sitting down to create a 4 year homeschool high school plan, you need to consider these 3 things: 1. State Requirements. 2. College Requirements. 3. Your Own Requirements. State Requirements for Homeschoolers. Each state has a different set of graduation requirements for homeschoolers.

What to consider when thinking about credits?

When thinking about credits, there are 3 things to consider: 1. How many credits are needed to graduate. 2. What determines a credit and how to calculate them in the gpa. 3. Where in the transcript and school profile to mention credits.

What states use credit values higher than most?

And just a heads up. If you’re from the states of California, Nebraska, New Jersey, Idaho, or Indiana, your state uses a credit value higher than most. In California and Nebraska, for example, one year long class is worth 10.0 credits.

What is a credit in high school?

A credit is a unit used to measure the completion of a subject studied by a student. Most high schools calculate a year long class as 1.0 credit and a semester class as 0.5 credit. For homeschoolers, though, calculating a credit gets a little muddy.

How many hours does one credit equal?

The Carnegie Unit is the most common unit used by high schools. It’s based on the amount of instructional time spent on a subject. One credit equals around 150 hours a year or 36 weeks of 50 min sessions per day per subject.

What Is a Credit?

The concept of a credit is based on the Carnegie unit, which refers to one daily hour of instruction five days a week for 24 weeks. If you do the math, that’s 120 hours of instruction. This time-based standard helps states and schools determine whether students are present in class often enough to learn and understand the material.

How Do State Standards Affect Credits?

You probably know that most states require 180 days of instruction per school year, which means that most schools’ schedules include way more time than the minimum required for a Carnegie unit. Additionally, each state’s department of education may define the number of hours of instruction required for a credit differently.

What Does This Mean for Your Homeschool Credits?

At the end of the day, homeschool credits aren’t about meeting your state’s regulations for homeschool families. They’re about what you’re going to put on your child’s transcript.

How do high school credits work?

A credit is “a unit of study counting toward a degree or diploma,” according to Oxford Languages (as displayed by Google). For most states, in high school, a full-year course is given 1 credit, and a semester course is given .5 credit. So far, so good, right?

What activities belong on the transcript as high school credits?

And this is a GREAT question, especially because there are differing mindsets about this. But I am here to EASE your mind, not add to your stress. You can count on me to give advice you can live with.

Feeling better?

There! That is “credits” in a nutshell! Hopefully this has been helpful. If you have questions about any of the specifics, you can find a more detailed discussion of credits in my book Taming the Transcript: The Essential Guide to Creating Your Teen’s Homeschool Transcript from Scratch (without overwhelm).

How many credits do you need to graduate high school?

However, your state graduation standards can be a good guideline for planning your high schooler’s credits. It’s common for college classes to count for 3-4 credits, but high school is different. A two-semester high school class, ranging from 120-180 hours, is considered one credit.

How many hours of work do you need to count as a credit for a year of English?

For example, even if you have printed off free worksheets or used library books for a year of English, if your students logged 120-180 hours of work and have the portfolio and grades as progress evidence, you can count that year of English as a full credit on his or her transcript.

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Different Course Types

How Many Hours Count?

If It’S High-School Level Material, Always Count It!

Dual Enrollment and Clep Tests Always Count

Be Flexible About What Counts as Classroom Time

  • As a homeschool parent, don’t be afraid to get creative about what counts as classroom time. Home-school students often use their study time more efficiently than do public or private school students, so you might determine that 40 minutes of homeschool studying is equivalent to one hour of public school classroom time.
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Always Check Your State’S Regulations

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