Graduation season is here and often families with children approaching their teens wonder how homeschool families address homeschool graduation? They wonder if they will get a diploma and how important that piece of paper might be to their child’s future.

The last Closer Look: Diplomas offered many articles from Home Education Magazine on the subject. Below you will find more articles from Home Education Magazine and others on the subject. There are also a few more resources that may help you determine the best path for your family to take.

Articles

The Value of Uniqueness vs. Orthodoxy - Alison McKee

First and foremost was the decision about the diploma/GED issue. As an unschooler Christian had no “official” diploma. But wait? Hadn’t we educated our children in accordance with the laws set out by the state? Didn’t that qualify us to stipulate that Christian had truly graduated? We’d always advised both children to claim high school graduation status on job applications once they were beyond high school age. Was this situation much different? We eventually decided it wasn’t different. Not willing to jeopardize Christian’s future, though, we decided to do our own research. Through reading, letter writing and conversation, we uncovered lots of useful information about the “GED vs. the personalized diploma.”

The “S” Word – Cafi Cohen

During their high school years, both of our homeschooled teenagers had the opportunity to participate in all of the usual high school activities. Their friends (most of whom attended school) invited them to football and basketball games, school dances, and musical productions. One fall, Tamara attended homecoming dances at three different high schools (getting a lot of wear out of the single formal dress she made for all three events). Both kids were invited to proms and had the opportunity to participate in a formal graduation. One statewide support group offered one such ceremony, as did our local school.

Interview with Sandra Dodd - Emily Subler

I’m completely sure of unschooling because I believe in people’s desire and ability to learn wonderful things in quirky ways if they’re given the opportunity. Some people don’t believe in unschooling, and one reason, I think, is this: They have a mental vision of “high school graduation”-of a set of facts and skills. They see that as their goal and destination. They work backwards from that incrementally and they want to put their kids on the straight and narrow road to that goal. They look at unschoolers, and they don’t think unschoolers can get to their goal, so they reject any further thought of it.

If I wanted my children to reach cap’n'gown high school graduation, I’d put them in school. That model channels all of life toward one small set of information on one small day (May 22 of the year the child is closest to his 18th birthday), after which the project ends.

From Home to Higher Education - Sunshine Campbell

When I entered college in August, 1993, with a homeschool diploma and a stranger as a roommate, The first things my roommate asked me was, “Do you really think you are prepared for college?” I had heard that question many times before from skeptical friends and relatives who regarded my recent graduation with suspicion. Some wondered how I would adjust to sitting in a classroom all morning; others questioned whether I could cooperate with fellow students after being “deprived of socialization” for so long; and still others speculated that the structured work would be too difficult for me.

Ungraduation by Liz Shosie

In June, 1998, our son Cassidy took the GED (high school equivalency test) and scored 97%. He received (in the mail) his high school diploma “With Honors” from the State of Connecticut.

A common question from those new to homeschooling is “How will my child receive a high school diploma?” and the corresponding question is “How will he or she get along without one?” The answers are as varied as the homeschooling families themselves, because ultimately the question of whether or not to pursue getting a diploma of some kind becomes a family decision.

The articles featured here offer a information on credentials, and they offer many options, both for those who decide to attain them and for those who decide they aren’t needed.

Read through several of these articles and discuss them with your family, and perhaps with a few friends who may be facing the same questions about whether or not to pursue a diploma.

Articles

Credentials for Homeschoolers: Problem or Opportunity? by Larry and Susan Kaseman – “This column discusses what credentials really are, distinguishes between formal and informal credentials, explores what homeschoolers have learned about credentials, and suggests ways homeschoolers can get effective credentials that will serve them well.”

“How Do We Know When We’re Done?” by Cafi Cohen – “But how do homeschooling families decide when their teenagers have completed high school? What combination of academic work, accomplishment, and time is enough? How do families evaluate their teenager’s learning and decide What’s Enough?”

Homeschool Diplomas by Valerie Bonham Moon – “It’s getting to be that time of the year when homeschoolers’ fancies turn to thoughts of diplomas. In the case of homeschooling, the parents probably put more thought into the diplomas than the kids do. To help with what may be the final act of ‘official’ homeschooling, Judy Aron has blogged about documenting the home ed adventure.”

High School Graduation and Homeschoolers by Larry and Susan Kaseman – “Public school students in 25 states are now or will soon be required to pass a state-mandated graduation test to receive a high school diploma. This column will discuss ways these tests are likely to affect us as homeschoolers, provide relevant information about the tests, and suggest what ways we can minimize the damage such tests could do to homeschooling.”

The GED Option by Karen Kirkwood – “The General Education Development (GED) certificate serves as a valuable stepping-stone for some homeschoolers. Three of my nephews also have received GED diplomas. One recently started community college and another is working as a teller at a bank. The other one just finished his B.S. and is headed for a doctoral program. For homeschool students not planning to attend college, the GED diploma serves as a sign of accomplishment.”

No Diploma? No Problem. by Valerie Bonham Moon – “The article’s focus is on New York state, and California, but the trend could be spreading. For homeschoolers, the problem of the authenticity of parent-granted diplomas may slowly fade.”

User Friendly Homeschooling Records by Larry and Susan Kaseman – “This column will explore reasons for keeping personal homeschooling records and ways of doing this that support learning and do not interfere with it.”

Homeschoolers Also Earn Diplomas by Valerie Bonham Moon – “Home-granted diplomas can be issued by parents, this isn’t a new ‘wrinkle.’ I remember reading in an earlier edition of Donn Reed’s book The Home School Source Book, about the ceremony he and Jean had for their oldest daughter when she completed her course of study.”

Don’t Let Credentials Get You Down by Larry and Susan Kaseman – “Should we homeschoolers be worried about getting conventional credentials? Are homeschoolers’ futures jeopardized because the path to a conventional diploma is less clear-cut than it is for a student in a conventional school? Why and how is the process of getting a diploma becoming more complex? What choices do we have? This column will address these questions.”

Alternatives for 18-Year- Old Homeschoolers by Larry and Susan Kaseman “Increasing numbers of homeschoolers (and conventionally-schooled young people) are choosing alternative ways of living and learning after they reach age 18. They are moving beyond the widespread assumption that high school graduates should either go to college, get a full-time job and live on their own, or join the military. Instead, many homeschoolers choose to build on and expand what they have been doing: learning through life experience; pursuing their passions; interacting with people of many different ages; and doing real work that contributes to their own growth and development and strengthens them, their families, and their communities.”

Resources

Homeschool Diploma Photoshop TemplateFrom A to Z Home’s Cool “This is a Photoshop 7 template for a homeschool diploma from high school. Click on the graphic or the link to download the full-sized Photoshop file to your computer. You will need to have Photoshop installed on your computer, Mac or Windows, in order to make use of and edit this document.”

Best Homeschooling: Teen Years “Articles and links to information about high school years, colleges, getting into college, financial aid, CHSPE, GED, KLEP, and preparation for tests – as well as career information and opportunities other than college.”