Benefits Of Effective Record Keeping For A Home-based Education
Regardless of the legal requirements of the state in which you live, there are many benefits to keeping effective records of your homeschooling activities. Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, you can always answer anyone who asks what class schedule or coursework your child has completed. The questioner may include a collegiate institution asking because your child is a non-traditional student and has applied to their institution.
Some states do not require any documentation at all, but laws may change, and your child may one day choose to enter into further education interstate or even internationally. If you have no records of your child’s education, this could be needlessly stressful. If you are providing a full and rich education for your children, it is a wise choice to ensure that record-keeping is included as part of the mix. Some guidelines:
State/Provincial Audits
While this is not true for every state or every situation, some states in their laws regarding homeschooling allow the state education agencies to audit homeschoolers. This is to ensure that homeschoolers are teaching their children and not just keeping them at home. It is best to look at your local state/province to see their specific requirements
The answer to the question “Do you have a high school diploma?” varies, and may be asked by potential employers. There are several ways to deal with the high school diploma situation, including the following suggestions:
1. Depending on where you live, you may be able to sign and issue one to your “graduating” children.
2. Private schools may issue your graduating child with a high school diploma if you provide them with the appropriate records and materials.
3. Your child can take the GED, or your country’s equivalent, and have that certification as their testament to their secondary education.
Ok, so now we know why we keep records, how exactly do we do this? My suggestions are as follows:
• Document everything every day. If you don’t let it pile it up it doesn’t become overwhelming. This way you will also always know where you stand if there are any requirements you have to consider or prove (hours in school, etc) to your local authority, potential employer, or the provider of further education.
• Compile a scrapbook and keep records of important events because, even though you’re not doing it through a school, your activities are still important in the life of your child! This helps you and your child create a record they can look back on with pride.
• Keep all the assignments and school stuff in notebooks at the end of year. Many parents will file everything away in books to keep a record of assignments, to be able to accurately assess their child’s skills in subjects, and to know what they need to work on a year to year basis.
Legal considerations
I handle the legal considerations in a later article but keeping complete and accurate records help if you are ever in court over your homeschooling decision. Using these records, you can prove that you have been teaching your child and that you are not abusing your child by depriving them of education. Also, if for some reason the court forces your child back into the school system, you can get them into the correct grade.
Record-keeping can be tedious, but I consider it to be necessary. If you systematically record your child’s progress on a daily basis, keeping records need not be a source of stress. The benefits by far outweig
Melissa Murdoch has a passion for life span development and education, and believes wholeheartedly that a healthy society begins at home.
For further information on how to get started in homeschooling, please visit www.YourHomeschoolCommunity.com.
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