Have you ever wondered how to apply the public school grading scale to your homeschool environment? I am sure those of you who have chosen to teach your children to the mastery level of subjects understand my dilemma. How do you grade spelling when you don’t let your child move on until they score 100%? How do you grade composition when you guide your child to write at their level whether it is below or above their grade level?
I have been homeschooling in two states that have required no registration, no testing, and no report cards. Even though I kept a grading scale on file and graded some of our tests, our homeschool elementary years consisted of literally one lonely report card. I think it was in the 5th grade when my son asked me if he could have one. So I made him one. He got good grades. He never asked for one again. We never worried too much whether all subjects provided tests so that a grade could be calculated, but rather whether our student understood what he was learning and could present his knowledge. We took a couple of California Achievement Tests during those years just to make sure that all was good even without report cards.
Reaching the high school level though, it is a different ball game. Not only are you required to keep various records of your student’s success, but also create a high school transcript which is based on grades. Nevertheless, I have found it much easier to determine a grade for a high school class. For the most part, high school level of learning is less based on mom’s creativity and more on proven curricula which include tests. These tests usually come with instructions how to calculate the final grade. For example, Abeka’s science curriculum provides the following key for calculation:
Nine-weeks grade:
Add 1/3 Quiz average + 1/3 Test average + Nine-Weeks, Semester, or Final Exam
Divide the sum by 3 and this is your nine-weeks grade.
Semester grade:
Add first nine-weeks average + second nine-weeks average
Divide the sum by 2 and this is the semester grade.
Year grade:
Add first-semester average + second-semester average
Divide the sum by 2 and this is your year grade.
Some homeschooling families, however, do not like to base their grading on testing only. If you are one of them, the following formula may be an option for you:
- 1/3 of the grade based on tests
- 1/3 of the grade based on labs/projects
- 1/3 of the grade based on participation in a class (attitude, diligence, etc.)
Basic Types of Grading Scales
Those of you, who have been diligent in keeping your children’s grades throughout their elementary years, are probably most familiar with the grading scales similar to the following:
Grading Scale 1
Grading Scale 2
Transitioning to high school, there are other options opening before you. Even though some high schools are still using the grading scale similar to our samples number 1 & 2, many high schools transitioned toward more of a college style grading. Let us look at the examples below:
Grading Scale 3
Grading Scale 4
Which Grading Scale Should I Use?
If you homeschool in a state where homeschooling is highly regulated, the grading scale will be provided for you. However, if your state’s regulations are low or non-existent, choosing the grading scale depends entirely on your preferences. If your child is college-bound and has certain colleges in mind, it is highly recommended that you follow the grading scale these colleges prefer. At the end of the day, no matter what your student’s transcript shows, each college is going to recalculate their GPA to their own standards for comparison. Many counsellors who help homeschooling students apply for college recommend keeping it simple and eliminate the weighted (i.e. 5.0 or 3.7) GPAs. However, whatever grading scale you decide to use, make sure you include it on your student’s transcript for clarity.
Notice that some schools use the five point GPA scale to show the rigor of classes their students take. If you would like to show the same on your student’s transcript without the weighted scale, you can accomplish it by writing the word “Honors” right after the course title. For example, History of the United States (Honors).
No matter how you decide to calculate your student’s grades in high school, make sure you keep your records throughout all four years, while the paperwork is still in your hands and the information fresh in your mind. It will be much easier for you to compile your student’s transcript this way.
Which grading scale are you using in your high school at home? Please leave us a comment below. We would love to hear from you!
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