What effective ways have you found to keep track of all the papers and activities of high school?

I have graduated two students, and have two more currently in highschool - I have used Barb Shelton's SeniorHigh: A Home Designed Form+U+La book. (see also www.homeschooloasis.com) I keep the skeleton of the four years of subjects in one notebook with dividers for each subject. Some subjects require a couple pages - some only one sheet.

I am very free with labeling each topic individually - after we get to year 4 (or 5) then I group them into blocks for credits based on how much work is recorded for each section.

For example - finishing an algebra book is one credit for us, no matter how long it takes to do - a short time period, or long. But some activities - like the recent manatee field trip could end up under biology - creation science - zoology - or environmental science - it just depends on where it is needed to fill in a credit (or if we really went crazy with just manatees, it could become its own subject).

The actual work involved for a particlar topic stays in its own folder or notebook - but I log the basics of what is done on the master sheet where I keep tally of hours (or content).

We have determined for our family that a half credit is 75 hours and a whole credit is 150 hours. Many families make alternate choices - that is ok as long as you are consistent. Many credits are also done by content only - this just depends on the type of course.

I've heard wonderful things about Barb Shelton. Does the book help you with ideas for course content and writing descriptions?

Christine

We keep school papers (for everyone, not just high school) in file folders. Each student has a hanging file for each grade level, and inside that is a file folder for each subject. I have kept papers (not everything, just a sample) from all four of my kids from preK on up. They are now in grades 6, 7, 9 & 12 so I have a LOT of file folders! But I have it all stored in 3 file drawers, which is a lot less space than it would take to keep binders with the same information in them.

I don't put their papers in the file folders until the school year is over. During the year they each have a binder with dividers for each subject. My high schoolers' binders get full, so they start a new binder with each semester. My younger kids can use the same binder all year. We just 3-hole punch everything and store it in their binders, so it's easy for me and easy for them.

I keep track of grades and lesson plans on a computer program called Homeschool PRO. It's easy to use and works great for us.

The hardest part for me with high school has been tracking and giving credit for non-traditional courses and electives that don't use textbooks or printed curriculum. It's hard for me to know what is "enough" for a credit, and also sometimes hard to know what to call it. I'm getting better, but that has probably been the hardest thing for me to learn how to handle.
Lori

I'm another huge fan of the High School Form+u+La. The best part is that my daughter can keep track herself of all her self-assigned work and is learning to be diligent and faithful.

High school is easier than I thought it would be!

OK, I'm clueless. Clue me in on what High School Form+U+La. What's the deal?

It's a book that gives very practical advice on how to keep track of credits through the high school years. Barb Shelton provides loads of forms and you can choose what works for you. It not only covers book learning, but she gives great suggestions for counting work study, apprenticeship, independent reading, etc. Everything is provided from assignment sheets and hour check off charts all the way to the final transcript. But not just the forms are included, she also tells exactly how they can be used and provides examples.

I think I heard somewhere she was coming out with a CD version as well.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by christinefield:
I've heard wonderful things about Barb Shelton. Does the book help you with ideas for course content and writing descriptions?

Christine[/QUOTE
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Sort of! Hi Christine. It isn't meant to be a curriculum guide - more a method of being set free from curriculum in order to hear God's plan for your child(ren). But there are a lot of suggestions and ideas to get you started.

The concept is more of how to take what *you are* doing as you live your life, and put it into a format that is readily understood by those working in the world's ideas of education.

But it is based on a philosophy of education very different from what we are used to seeing in schools - so there is a lot of re-educating of the parent as well as help for school record keeping.
Hope that helps some......
Blessings,
Patti

quote:

Originally posted by christinefield:
OK, I'm clueless. Clue me in on what High School Form+U+La. What's the deal?

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Hi Christine,
In the interest of full disclosure - I volunteer to help Barb on her support group list - but I used Form+U+La for many years with my children before I ever began helping in a more formalized way. Her web site is www.homeschooloasis.com and you can find a lot more information there.

What it did for me, and does for many other hoemschool moms, is take the burn-out out of trying to follow the world's system of education, with its secular goals, and bring the family back to the Deuteronomy 6 method of teaching that the Lord gave us to use in our families.

For example ---- My #3 son is now 16. This past year (and he will go on into the summer) he has been helping the Creation Expeditions ministry team (www.creationexpeditions.com) by working in their lab one day a week, as staff for some of their fossil floats, as staff for a manatee swim, and may go to their dig site in South Dakota this spring to work. This is definitely *science with a lab*, but quite nontraditional in its approach. So I just log his activities on a form sheet I copied from the book (usually done after the fact for us). I assign some supplemental reading on creationism and log that. During the course of his high school years he may do other creation science and archeological work. I will just add that to the list as he does them. In the end I decide how to assign credit (based on values I predetermined) as described how to do in the book. We aren't locked into a textbook, an artificial time frame, or another person's criteria of what the course should look like.

Sometimes I use a text, or an enrichment course - but I decide when and how so that it will fit with the needs of my child - and most importantly, fit God's plan for him - not the other way around of fitting my child to the course.
Hope tht helps.
Blessings,
Patti
fourkid@mindspring.com

Anyone here use one of those computer programs for tracking stuff - I think EduTrack is one?
Christine

I use Homeschool PRO and I really like it. The name "PRO" stands for Plan, Record & Organize. It isn't perfect, and does have a few glitches that are still being worked out, but overall it works well for me and is user-friendly. It costs about $40 but that is a one-time fee and it can be used every year for as long as you need it.
Lori

I use Homeschool Tracker Plus. I wish that I had had it from the beginning, with the first high schooler. But I will be better prepared for my dd as she starts in the late summer.

I also want to check out the book recommended here.

Hi ladies,
Is Homeschool PRO the same thing as Tracker Plus? How are they different? How much do they cost?
Blessings,
Christine

Christine,
No, they aren't the same thing. Homeschool PRO "was" put out by Vision Harvest. But when I went to their web site tonight it said they are no longer selling it or able to provide support. The note said "As of April 5, 2006, we will no longer be able to provide technical support for Homeschool PRO. Because of this, we are discontinuing the sale of the product until further notice. We are reviewing several options whereby we might reasonably be able to continue with the development, sale, and support of this popular program." Hopefully they'll get things up and running again. It is a good program, and was $40 (one-time purchase) with free upgrades.
Lori

I guess that narrows down the record keeping options, eh? How about good old pencil and paper?
Blessings,
Christine

Christine,
Homeschool Tracker Plus have great helps. They have a discussion group that answered most of my questions as I searched through the subject lists.
Also, the group is monitored by the owners and Katie usually replies to any technical question that you might have.
They are continually improving it and try to upgrade with input from users.

My daughter will be in high school next year. This past year I've had them keep a journal everyday. This is the first time I've really kept records (I'm in year 6 of hsing).

I'm nervous about records. I'll look into the Home school tracker, I'm a computer person, so that might really work for me.

I bought 2 books, haven't read them yet: And What About College and Homeschoolers' College Admissions Handbook by Cafi Cohen. I hope they will help with records or I may have to get the Shelton book. I've heard great things about her.

Thanks everyone for sharing.

~ Helen

I too use the Homeschool Tracker Plus, and I LOVE it! It keeps track of attendence, grades, and it will print out a transcript as well. Katie is wonderful and I always here back from her within 24 hours. The cost is about $40 and it's a one-time cost. The one obvious thing about it is, you really need to keep up with the inputting of the information. It's easy to fall behind if you don't stay on top of it. So, what I do is, I have an Excel spreadsheet that I temporarily write in grades and then I just input one day a week. This has helped me a lot!

Joan

Hi Joan,
Welcome! So, do you think I should be doing more than just stuffing their papers into a file? Tee hee.
Christine

Hi! I am new to this group but thought I'd put my 2 cents worth in! I am a junior in highschool and have been homeschooled my entire life as well as my brother (7th) and sister (freshman). On the topic of tracking highschool work, we use North Atlantic Regional Schools (NARS).
You pay this company to keep track of your credits and they help you along the way. I have a log book where every day I write the title of the book (Ex: if you use AlphaOmega curriculum you would give the LifePac number) and what pages you did. If your book does not have tests or quizzes that NARS accepts, you must keep track of how much time you spent on the subject and total the hours every week. You have to have 80 hrs. for 1 credit.
This program really is simple to follow and is for people of all ages...not just highschoolers. You can also earn PhysEd credits and credits for fine arts. I have earned several credits for both fine arts and P.E....I am a ballerina and (at one point violinist and pianist. The website for North Atlantic Regional Schools is www.NARHS.org
I hope this helped!