Some homeschooling parents, for whatever reason, can find themselves with a 17 or 18 year-old student old enough to graduate high school, but not finished with high school course requirements–maybe not even close.
If this is the case, parents should not panic and consider high school graduation a lost cause, nor should they commit to spending years trying to “catch up” on high school studies.
The problem can be solved much more intelligently.
First, remember that as a registered homeschool parent, you are your child’s school administrator. You have the authority to give your child a high school diploma and transcript from your homeschool. You have the same authority to do this as any public school principal has.
Second, as such, you can determine what the criteria will be for your child’s high school graduation. No, I’m not recommending that you give your child a diploma knowing he’s not ready. That would be fair, since millions of teens get high school diplomas who have not studied or mastered the high school curriculum, but that’s not the goal. We don’t want to do what the public schools do.
Third, have your child forget about high school studies and prepare for the GED tests. The GED, or “General Educational Development” tests are standardized tests that measure high school learning. Despite all the smoke and mirrors, modern high schools don’t accomplish very much over four years. An older student, in a relatively brief time, can prepare for the GED tests and prove high school level knowledge.
This, of course, is not ideal, nor is it easy. The child will need to study to prepare for the GED tests, but it will be a much better use of the available time than trying to go back and re-do years of high school work (much of which is busy work), and it will be much better than the worst option–giving up on high school. There’s no reason to panic.
Fourth, after preparing for the tests, have your child take the GED tests and earn passing scores. Everything you need to know is right here:
Fifth, once your child has earned passing scores, accept those test results as the criteria for your homeschool’s high school diploma and give your child a diploma in the name of your homeschool. Do not leave your child with the GED as his proof of high school completion, but provide him with a homeschool diploma–it’s better. Outside of your family, there is no need to discuss the GED tests again.
Again, while this is not the ideal way to wrap up homeschool studies, for many reasons, it may be necessary. If you find yourself in such a situation, don’t panic and don’t let your child get upset about it. Explain that there is a way to make everything right and it doesn’t require repeating years of high school study. Just make use of the GED tests to develop and demonstrate the knowledge of high school requirements and issue a homeschool diploma.
If know this can be stressful and embarrassing for parents and students, but I understand and am willing to help. If you have questions about this, please feel free to contact me.
Don’t give up.
God bless,
Mr. William C. Michael, O.P.
Headmaster
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
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