Home schooling High School - The Differences Between Test Grades and Transcript Grades

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

You need to be 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 want a transcript. They really will want to know the names of the classes, what it was you taught, the credit value so they understand how much of it you taught, plus the grade so they know how effectively your child has learned. That's the information which is on the transcript. It is commonly one-page in length and it is simply that, a one page summary. A little snapshot of your child which is completely different than course descriptions.

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

One little word of advice, 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.