Parents who choose to home school their teens must learn to utilize resources to obtain credits for graduation. With a wide variety of teaching methods, parents can offer opportunities for their homeschooling teens from home instruction, computer courses, dual enrollment at a local college and internships within the community.
Knowing what the specific graduation requirements are for home schooled students is vital. If a child is on the college track, the requirements include 24 credit hours. According to the Florida Statute 1003.436, "one full credit means a minimum of 135 hours of bona fide instruction in a designated course of study that contains student performance standards."
Get Free Credits Through Florida Virtual School
Students from K-12th grade can take courses online through Florida Virtual School, an extension of the Florida Public School system. All courses are fully accredited and can be taken at any time during the year, all year long. Whether a student is in home school, private school or public school, these courses can help a student graduate on time.
To learn more about Florida Virtual School (FLVS), the following article on the benefits of FLVS will explain how the online school works for students of every age in the state of Florida.
Dual Enrollment in the State of Florida
Dual Enrollment affords high school students a chance to earn both college and high school credits while still in high school. Contact the dual-enrollment counselor at a local college and ask for information at least one year prior to enrollment.
Each community college has its own enrollment prerequisites, including a minimum age, minimum entrance-test scores and minimum GPA. While these classes are free of charge, students must purchase their own books.
Internship for Home Schooled Students in High School
Interning while in high school is a great way for a student to find out if the area of interest is a good fit. A high school internship can be experienced during Easter break when students are not in classes.
A typical intern period should include a full forty hour week of work in the intended area. Students should intern at a different business each year of high school to prepare themselves for the real world of work. Whether a student interns at a photographer's business office or at the local radio station, students learn what working in the real world feels like.
What to Know About Graduation for Home Schoolers
Under Florida law parents are only obligated to enroll their students from ages 6-16. However, all records for home schooled students in grades 11 and 12 should be maintained and kept as per usual. Annual evaluations should be continued to preserve the student's right to participate in the following:
- dual enrollment (college courses that offer credit for both high school and college)
- extracurricular activities at local public and private high schools
- scholarships
- Good Student discounts on auto insurance (3.0 GPA requirement)
For more information on which credits are needed to graduate, visit My Florida Education. Every high school course that is offered in Florida can be found at the Florida Dept. of Education with course code numbers.
Parents are responsible for maintaining a portfolio of student's work, completing a transcript and issuing a diploma. The transcript should list all of the courses a student has completed along with the grade and credit earned for each class. The student's full name, date of birth and Social Security number should also be recorded on the final transcript.
Home schooled students are mostly very well-accepted in the academic world that awaits them. Florida home schoolers are encouraged to utilize the many opportunities that afford them an education that rivals both public and private schools. The choice is remarkably still up to each individual to make.
Vicki F. Chavis - Growing up in Asia, Europe and North America left Vicki with a love of cuisine, history, language, fashion and travel. Today she writes on ...
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