Homeschool High School - The Differences Between Test Grades and Transcript Grades

Many people think a grade is a grade, however there's a significant difference between the grade on your tests and the grade on a transcript. Several home schooling parents believe that when they are using a curriculum that offers tests, and give their child all those tests, that all they need to do is determine the average of all those tests.

This approach is not how it works. One of the things that you need to keep in mind is that when children are in a school setting they're assessed in a lot of various approaches apart from tests. They're graded on attendance, submiting of their homework, quizzes, and if they showed up for class. They are given extra credit on things. The truth is, it is not unusual for them to have the possibility of a 120% on their grades. So if you are assessing your children centered exclusively on tests, you're actually putting them at a disadvantage.

You need to make certain that when you make use of tests for something, you are also balancing that with other ways, non-tests options, that you have evaluated your children. You join those together and that's the grade you use on your transcript.

There are also differences between transcripts and course descriptions. Colleges will definitely require a transcript. They really will want to know the names of the classes, exactly what it was you taught, the credit value so they understand how much of it you taught, as well as the grade so they understand how effectively your child has learned. That's the data that should be on the transcript. It is typically one-page in length and it is simply that, a one page summary. A little snapshot of your child which is altogether different than course descriptions.

Course descriptions are a paragraph long explanation of what you did in your class. That is where you mention factors such as using WriteShop or supplementing with WordSmith or perhaps writing an essay using techniques from the Institute for Excellence in Writing. That's the place you fit in all those types of information.

One little suggestion, if course descriptions freak you out, I recommend that you create a list. Keep a good list, and you will be able to return to it down the road and turn it into a lovely prose of a course description. But if you simply begin by keeping the list, you are likely to be ahead of the game.