Whats the most credits you can earn in a year for high school if you are homeschooled?

Question

we need 4 core classes to pass the 9th grade and hten the other half my daughter wants to do do as much of 10th as possible so she can reenter public school as a junior. im thinking its 8 credits for all year even if homeschooling so someone let me know what you think. we are new to homeschooling so look for more questions.

Answer 1

Well, as someone who has been home-educated all her life (I'm currently 15) albeit as an unschooler and outwith the US, I'd say there is absolutely no limit on the number of credits your daughter can earn/courses she can complete in a year as a homeschooler. The only limit to the number of courses and credits she's entitled to complete would be the one she imposes on herself; that and the fact there is only 24 hours in any one day!

The whole point of being home-educated is that you are free of all those petty rules and regulations that limit what kids are able to do whilst at school. If your state imposes any limit on the maximum number of credits that its high school students can earn per year, I'd say it has more to do with them being able to organise classes, school timetables, teachers schedules etc; all things that kids working towards a high school diploma at home have no need to concern themselves with.

Answer 2

You should probably ask this in a support group for your state. Each place has different requirements. Where I live, if you want to earn credits for the provincial high school diploma through homeschooling, there's no limit to how many you can earn.

There's one issue, however: are you doing basic homeschooling? If so, have you talked to the school about this plan? It sounds as though you are in the US and it's not uncommon for credits earned through homeschooling to NOT be recognized by the high school. There is nothing at all obliging them to accept her work and credits earned at home. They can do the same thing with students transferring from another state or from a private school.

If she's doing some sort of online public school or something, you need to contact them about how much she can do.

Answer 3

As the others have said, however many she is willing to work for. However, more may not be better if it means she is going to rush through everything and learn very little. I realise some people's idea of a good education is many credits to their name. I personally would prefer fewer credits if it meant my kids had time to actually learn the content. I think your daughter should work at as many credits as she is able to enjoy and absorb.

Answer 4

How many ever she's willing to do the work for.

With homeschooling, you don't need to take time out for the distractions and administrative tasks, so you can get done in less time.  A credit is generally equal to anywhere from 80-120 hours (depending on what system you use), so if she works 40-60 minutes per day, per subject, she could get done with it in around 6 months.  (That's a lot of work, so I wouldn't recommend it unless she absolutely has to.)

I know homeschooled high schoolers who graduate with over 30-35 credits; some moms even scale down the transcripts (don't show all the credits) because that number of credits might not be believed.  It's definitely possible to get whatever number of credits she's willing to work for.

You'll need to check with her school, however - will they accept her credits?  Not all schools do, and some will even make her start back at freshman year.  Also, does your state have an age limit to be enrolled in a certain grade?  (In our state, in all public and most private schools, you're assigned a grade automatically by your age on Sept. 1.)

Hope that helps!

Answer 5

If you are going to re-enter public school you need to go talk to the school to make sure they will honor your homeschool credits.

I work in public school and homeschool my son.  

In public high school, they do 4 credits a semester -2 semesters a year equals 8 credits.

In our homeschool, we are eclectic and it is not unusual at all for us to get half way through a text book and find something in audio/video that teaches the same thing in an easier to learn format.   We are relaxed in our style and as long as my son is learning,  it is no big deal to us on how much he learns.

For example-  We may do 3 chapters into an economics book and decide that the book is really not interesting enough or have enough information and just put the book down...only to renew his interest by something in current events and start it again a year or two later.   When  I feel he knows what he needs to know about economics, I put it in his transcripts that he has a passed an economics course.