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Homeschool Graduation Requirements
Maryland homeschoolers cannot legally receive a state-issued diploma. For this reason, homeschool families are not bound to meet state requirements for graduation. In other words, you are at liberty to define:
- What courses your child must take;
- How many credits they must complete;
- If they must perform service learning hours; and
- If you want them to participate in High School Assessment exams or some other form of standardized testing.
State regulations require homeschool parents to provide "regular and thorough" instruction in the courses normally taught to children in the same grade. High schoolers who function at a "normal" or higher level (not severely mentally retarded) generally complete some form of algebra 1 and geometry by the end of 4 years of high school.
While parents can define and issue their own homeschooling high school diploma, what appears on your child's high school transcript is what truly matters. Taking a look at entrance requirements for post-high school programs will help you understand what minimum requirements you should maintain for your child's homeschool experience.
For example, if your child wants to attend community college or a 4-year college, then Algebra 1 and 2 as well as geometry will be expected, at a minimum. In Maryland, many college admission requirements mirror state graduation requirements. More prestigious schools will expect more demanding high school course than the bare minimum. Your child's homeschool high school transcript will need to clearly identify the class, the specific material you used, and a description of how you assessed your child's performance in the class.
Seventy-five hours of community service learning is a Maryland graduation requirement for public school students. Many private school also have some type of volunteering requirement for their graduating seniors. While homeschoolers have no community service requirement, parents are encouraged to consider it. Many scholarship applications ask for a summary of a student's volunteer experience. In addition, becoming involved with a non-profit organization, doing something a student is passionate about, can only help a teenager to hone in on a future career. One last benefit to mention is that consistent volunteering will open up the opportunity to get a very important letter of
recommendation for college and job applications.
General course credit graduation requirements for a Maryland state diploma include:
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