6-year homeschool mom shares tips on high school

The thought of homeschooling through high school often intimidates parents – even those who successfully accomplish it, says one Florida mom who knows the feeling.

“The year before we started homeschooling, I was at dinner with a friend whose twin daughters were about to graduate as homeschooled high school seniors,” Terri Peters writes in an essay published by Business Insider.

“As she regaled me with tales of her girls being fluent in Mandarin and headed to college on full academic scholarships, I remember saying, “… I’d be too overwhelmed about where to get started.”

Six years later, Peters is about to graduate her oldest from high school and planning the last two years of homeschooling her youngest.

“Like anything, it isn’t overly complicated if you find out exactly what’s required in your state and county and work your way through it, checking the boxes as you go,” she advises.

Peters shares her best tips for homeschooling high school in the article – including popular themes of keeping records, creating transcripts and taking standardized tests.

“At the end of the day, homeschooling a high school student isn’t hard, necessarily, it just requires extra work beyond simply following a homeschool curriculum.”

Doing research specific to each state

Because homeschool graduation requirements vary by state, Peters’ top recommendation involves researching the laws specific to families’ residence.

“In Florida, where we live, homeschool students do not get a standard high school diploma from the state,” she writes.

“I keep detailed grade records and transcripts myself instead. When my son graduates at the end of this school year, I’ll issue him a diploma I create and keep on file, along with his high school transcript and a notarized affidavit saying he completed the necessary coursework.”

Such hands-on experience has provided significant freedom and flexibility as she customizes each child’s education, Peters argues.

“My favorite thing about homeschooling is that I have some say in what counts as school for my kids,” she explains. “Our high school curriculum primarily comes from online schooling programs, but we also use things like community theater and group fitness classes at our gym to fill elective credits like performing arts and physical education.”

Homeschool students can also take real-life experiences and count them toward high school credits, according to Peters.

“This year, my son fulfilled a language credit by studying Italian, and then we took a family vacation to Italy to further his knowledge. One year, when my kids studied marine biology, we took a whale-watching cruise in Baja California, Mexico, to make the experience feel more real to them.”

Even though homeschool graduates occasionally face workplace discrimination on account of their parent-issued diplomas, nonprofits such as the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) offer to handle any legal issues as they arise.

“Two generations of homeschoolers continue to demonstrate that they are bright, capable, hard-working individuals who can bring value to any workplace,” said HSLDA President Jim Mason. “Many employers welcome, and even prize homeschool graduates for the positives they offer.”

Standardized testing

One aspect of high school homeschooling may involve standardized testing in college admissions, which Peters acknowledges can require “more work than the middle and elementary years.”

“Without the support of a school system to successfully get my kids through high school and off to college, I’ve been learning right along with them,” she explains.

“During my son’s junior year, I learned a great deal about taking the SATs and tracking volunteer hours for college scholarships. My husband discovered through his employer that we had a college counseling benefit and an SAT tutoring benefit, so we utilized those to get a little outside help.”

Ironically, homeschoolers sometimes find themselves fighting for the “right to test” in situations where they are denied access to examinations such as the PSAT/NMSQT test (PSAT).

“Taking the test helps students prepare for the SAT, which many colleges use when evaluating applicants for admission,” HSLDA explained when reporting on Georgia homeschoolers who were told they couldn’t take the test. “The PSAT is also the only means by which students can compete for education funds through the National Merit Scholarship Program — which can total more than $50,000 for some students.”

After the nonprofit intervened on families’ behalf, the Georgia school district initially denying access to homeschoolers reversed the ban and even included a test day just for homeschoolers.

“As long as we have to rely on public or private schools, homeschoolers will be at a disadvantage when it comes to gaining access to the tests,” said Will Estrada, HSLDA senior counsel. “We are working with leadership at the College Board to find a long-term solution.”

‘I played a hand in shaping who they’re becoming’

Ultimately, homeschooling her two children has “paid dividends” she wouldn’t have received any other way, Peters argues.

“My son started his senior year of high school dual-enrolled with a local college because, on our own, we were able to work through his lessons more quickly,” she notes. “My daughter, now a sophomore, uses most of her free time to work with elementary-aged kids in local theater programs and hopes to become a teacher.

“I’ve watched my kids blossom into little versions of who their adult selves will be, and I feel a sense of pride knowing I played a hand in shaping who they’re becoming.”

In another essay for Business Insider, Peters reflects on her former fears about homeschooling.

“I worried that, especially in a post-pandemic world, teaching my kids at home would make them antisocial and cause them to have no friends,” she writes.

“This year, my high schoolers are in 10th and 12th grades, and I wish I could tell my 2020 self not to worry. As a public school graduate myself, my kids’ teenage years look very much like mine did: full of part-time jobs, nights out with friends, and extracurricular activities.

My kids are neither friendless nor antisocial, and if anything, homeschooling has only helped them develop deeper relationships with their peers.”

Other parents beginning their homeschool journey should explore local networking opportunities as a first step, according to Peters.

“If you’re concerned about the social impact being homeschooled will have on your kids, take a moment to scan Facebook for groups set up by parents in your area who also homeschool, or do an internet search of daytime programs (like art classes, sports, or theater troupes) in your community for homeschoolers,” she advises.

“Chances are, there’s a whole homeschool community going on around you and you don’t even know it.”