Homeschooling: So What Are My Options?

Holy smoly!  This is a great time to homeschool and for a parent to take their child's education by the reins!  And there is no better place than Utah.  I have decided to put together a list of the options available that I am aware of to meet the needs of your student. Click on the links for more details.




Choice in Education provides a list of some of the possibilities.




HSLDA has a comprehensive list of curriculum. 

Beside the text book curriculum (reviews) available nationwide in Utah county you have:






• Cooperative groups, common wealth groups or various online groups

For example in Utah county:

WHEN

Homeschool Open Source

Homeschool ING  yahoo group- Provo

SUCH-Spanish Fork, Payson

UThsers- South Utah County

George Mueller facebook group


• Free curriculum and book lists

Easy Peasy

Ambleside

Homeschool Buyers Co op


• Options not aligned to common core




• Brick and mortar public schools

        Open enrollment -  "All public schools are open to any Utah student so long as they have capacity as defined by each school district’s average class size.  HB 348 also requires school districts to publish school capacity online and to grant requests without discrimination."

• Brick and mortar private schools




• Brick and mortar charter schools




• Dual enrollment

                  Section 53A-11-102.5 Allows for homeschooling child to enroll in a brick and mortar or online school while being homeschooled. This is called dual enrollment


• Online or Virtual options- 3 classes plus 1 credit seminary= 4 total credits

You can see a comparison here.

Elementary school

Utah Online (Washington Online)

Harmony

Utah Virtual Academy K12

Provo eschool

Alpine Online

Canyon Grove

Connections Academy

MyTechHigh

Middle School

Mountain Heights

MyTechHigh

Utah Online

Harmony

Utah Virtual Adademy

Provo eschool

Alpine Online

Canyon Grove Distance Learning

Electronic High School ( no Credit)

Liahona- Lds Based

Connections Academy

Williamsburg Intermediate

High School-(Most are familiar with the four year high school diploma, but since most Utah high schools are 10-12 grade thus three years, they are able to offer a three year diploma.  It is referred to as the "three year cohort rate" diploma. )

Mountain Heights

Harmony

Utah Virtual Academy

Provo eschool

Utah Online

StatewideOnline Education program

East Shore Online

Utah Students Connect

MyTechHigh

Liahona- (LDS based)

Connections Academy

Williamsburg Academy

Early College Online


Some of my favorites:
Variety of Online courses for 9-12th grade to mix with any school especially if you have a child pursuing both the Utah accredited diploma and his/her own interests:

Opportunities for those involved in the arts in Utah County: Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts 

Fantastic for blending both brick and mortar school, online and special individual interests in 9-12th grades: StatewideOnline Education program

Computer Programming/Premed training courses:
ALC- Springville

• Brigham Young University

                Independent Study

                Concurrent Enrollment

You can even go beyond high school.  How about an associates degree at the same time you get your high school diploma?  (New Century or Regents scholarship) This can be done through Concurrent Enrollment (CE) courses, Advance Placement exams, and online. To do this you can see my excel spread sheet.  To understand more about these options read through the slides Avoiding the Middle School Blues and Beyond.

To learn the difference between Distance Education, CE Live Interactive and Concurrent Enrollment go here.


• UVU Distance Education-  for a list classes that are taught online at the following locations:

Advanced Learning Center

American Fork High School

American Leadership Academy

Legacy Preparatory Academy

Lehi High School

Liberty Academy

Lonepeak High School

Merit Academy

Mountain View High School

North Summit

Orem High School

Pioneer High School for the Performing Arts

Pleasant Grove High School

Provo High School

Rockwell Charter High School

South Summit High School

Timpanogos High School

Timpview High School

Walden High School

Wasatch High School

West Lake High School


• Concurrent Enrollment/Distance Education locations besides your local high school

Mountain Heights (Open High School)

SLCC

Springville ALC

Canyons Technical Center

Jordan ATC

Cache Center

MATC locations

DATC- 

Early College Online

Charter schools offering full time enrollment for associates degree:

(You can enter in the below programs at age 16 usually. Also you can request the three year "cohort" diploma.) 

•  Academy for Math, Engineering and Science (AMES)

•  Intech Collegiate High School 

•  Itineris Early College High School

•  Northern Utah Academy for Math, Engineering and Science (NUAMES) 

•  Success Academy

•  Utah County Academy of Sciences (UCAS)   

UVU Concurrent Enrollment requirements

PDF of UVU CE credit and HS credit

Course offerings throughout state

Class listings by high school

Contact information to participate in CE or Distance ED through your local school

Contact information through Weber

Associates Requirements through UVU

If taking AP courses, to apply towards your associates degree, you will need to verify with the college to course equivalency.  AP Equivalencies for UVU




To verify a professor is who you want to take a class from you can go to Rate My Professor




Transcripts:

There are two types of transcripts. Accredited and non accredited. Accredited you get through an accredited institution.  Your public high schools have to be accredited.  Not all elementary, middles schools, charter or private schools are accredited.  As a homeschooler you can make a non accredited transcript. All concurrent enrollment and distance ed classes are considered accredited. 

• Keep track of everything high school student does (Home school classes, clubs, volunteering, lessons, reading, interests, sports, music, church activities, personal progress, scouts, mock trial, commonwealth/mom’s school, entrepreneurial projects, travel, home economics: cooking, sewing, nutrition, farm/animal/garden chores)

• Organize required classes by grade level or subject- give it an official class name meeting graduation requirements, and dates completed.
  

If using a non accredited transcript you determine the graduation requirements. For an Accredited Utah Diploma the Graduation Requirements for High School are determined by the USOE.  

• Include all necessary personal information: Child’s name, birthdate, SSN, address, etc.
• Have a cumulative GPA calculated on a 4 point scale.
• Include the graduation date only AFTER the student has graduated. Prior to graduation, an “anticipated graduation date” can be listed.
• Keep in a copy in a safe place available for the life of the student.
• Sign and date the finished transcript as the “School Principal.”
• Mail the college the transcript in a sealed envelope with the principal’s (parent’s) signature over seal.
• Have the home school name and address on the outside of the envelope.

*If you do not choose to assign grades to your child’s home school transcript, some universities and colleges will give you a default GPA. For instance, Weber State University assigns home schoolers with a 3.5 GPA.
It would be good to know what that default GPA is.

View copies below to get formatting ideas: There are many homeschool transcript templates available on-line as well as some very good record-keeping options that prepare transcripts for you for a small fee.

SAMPLE HOME SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS – FILLED OUT:

SAMPLE HOME SCHOOL TRANSCRIPTS – BLANK:



So with all these options it can seem paralyzing.  The questions to ask your student is: 
Do you want to graduate with a high school diploma? 
Do you want to graduate early?
Do you want to go to college? What type of college- closed enrollment, open enrollment or tech? (If you don't want to close any doors, you will aim for closed enrollment)
Do you want to an accredited or unaccredited transcript?
How do you plan on financing your education?  Would you like scholarships?
How do you want to learn?  Do you want to learn it through a brick and mortar school,  online with or without a mentor, or with a textbook on your own.