Here it is! Hot off the press Homeschooling for College Credit’s Out of State Dual Enrollment List for 2021. Colleges on this list allow students from any state to participate (via distance learning) in a reduced tuition program and accumulate college credit. These credits can then be rolled into a degree at that college (after high school) or transferred to the target college of your choice.
For future reference, a current list of dual enrollment colleges will be neatly tucked inside the top tab ^ Earn College Credit.
I just listened to Sasha Raiyn of wdnt 101.9 on NPR about how COVID 19 has helped black families discover homeschooling. I’ve linked to the story below, but don’t overlook the “play” button on top of the story – you can listen to the interview. The pilot program Sasha talks about in Detroit and features 14 families. It is called Engaged Detroit. Read/listen here
I have a guiding principle- never “just” look something up for myself. When Valerie, a HS4CC parent in New Jersey, asked for help finding a Turkish language program for her teen, I exhausted my normal “go to” resources. At that point, I knew I’d have to share my work with you. Zevk almak!
LOVE that we are looking at our first ASU Earned Admission copycat! In fact, I hope 2021 brings us a dozen more copycats because I love the ASU EA program! The Earned Admissions educational model: enroll in a course, complete a course, pay tuition after you finish (optional) if you want college credit. The ASU EA program has taken our HS4CC community by storm this past year and I was ecstatic to learn of this program from HS4CC parent Barbara G. The program at Olivet differs from ASU in 2 big ways.
Degree planning, in contrast to high school planning, is when your teen’s courses are selected to meet the requirements for a college degree. Resourceful high school planning, something we’re especially focused on here, is considering those requirements while your teen is still in high school and thoughtfully injecting college credit into your homeschool program where it makes sense. Since planning a high school diploma is already a big job for most of us, degree planning can feel unachievable. In this 4-part series, I’d like to talk more with you about degree planning. Continue reading “Degree Planning 101 (part 4)”→
Join Jennifer Cook-DeRosa, the author of Homeschooling for College Credit, tonight from 6pm EST – 7pm EST. TOPIC: 4 reasons your teen should earn college credit this year and how to get started with your first credit. This is a free event!
Last year, the company CogniTutor asked if any of the HS4CC leadership would like to receive free tutoring in exchange for writing a review. CogniTutor offers live Zoom tutoring for subjects as well as exams. Two of our moderators participated in a session. This post shares their experiences with the product.
Special thanks to HS4CC parent Rob B for this lead! Husson University in Maine (yes, regionally accredited) allows high school students to take 2 free online courses per semester. ANY STATE except California. Details below.
Degree planning, in contrast to high school planning, is when your teen’s courses are selected to meet the requirements for a specific college degree. In this 4-part series, I’d like to talk more about degree planning, especially the pros and cons. Continue reading “Degree Planning 101 (part 3)”→
The Biology examination covers material that is usually taught in a one-year college general biology course (2 semesters) covers 3 areas of general biology:
molecular and cellular biology (33% / about 38 questions)
organismal biology (33% / about 38 questions)
population biology (33% / about 38 questions)
Skipping “curriculum” and just starting with “test prep” is a mistake. This is a very large exam covering an enormous scope of content. The trick to success is allowing sufficient learning time using high school (or college) curriculum as your foundation and following up with test prep. You should choose the foundation (curriculum) that aligns well with your student’s ability. Students working well above grade level may enjoy the challenge of using college level content, but students working on grade level can still be successful with the CLEP exam by learning with high school curriculum! Learning for this exam could easily take 2 high school semesters.
If you’d rather have your teen take biology directly for college credit, you can can explore the many options here: 30 Ways to Earn College Credit in High School. Using CLEP means you’ll award high school credit for the curriculum work your teen does at home, and they’ll earn potential college credit by taking the CLEP exam later. Acceptance of CLEP varies by college.
Should you add a lab? High School Biology often includes a lab, though it isn’t required as preparation for this exam. It may, however, be required by your state’s graduation requirements or your target college’s admissions requirements, so I like the idea of adding a lab unless you’re sure you don’t need one.
Thanks to our HS4CC Florida moderator Frances for sharing this deal with our group!! Barron’s Advanced Placement prep books are free on Kindle right now. Frances confirmed that she was able to get all 9 books today. (Yes, you can use AP books & practice tests to help you prepare for CLEP!) You can read a Kindle on any device. Links below.
Homeschooling for College Creditwill challenge you to reconsider the wisdom of popular college propaganda and how to make better choices for your family. Even if you’ve never been to college, this book will turn you into a well-informed homeschool guidance counselor ready to proceed with confidence.
A Texas parent asks: “Hello. I am new here and to full homeschool in general… In a nut shell, my daughter is THRIVING in her online high school curriculum… We want to allow her full homeschool to give her control over her pace as she would like to graduate earlier and have control over her personal schedule. She is very disciplined and we know it’s the right move for her.”
Degree planning, in contrast to high school planning, is when your teen’s courses are selected to meet the requirements for a specific college degree. In this 4-part series, I’d like to talk more about degree planning, especially the pros and cons. Continue reading “Degree Planning 101 (part 2)”→
I am thrilled to share with you this homeschooling success story of how Sara used CLEP in her homeschool with her son Sean during 11th (and now 12th) grade. She posted her celebration inside our Illinois HS4CC Facebook group and gave me permission to share it with you here. I know you’ll find it as inspirational as I did!
I first published this story in February 2017, though some of the point distributions have changed since then, the strategy is still going strong! Since you can see every Straighterline syllabus by entering their website and clicking on the course you’re interested in, you can adopt these ideas for any class you choose!
Not all Straighterline courses follow the same format. In this document, we’ll explore the structure of each Straighterline course, and I’ll help you break down the differences between them. This will help you choose courses that meet your specific need.
Courses are generally considered “easy” and/or “fast” to complete when they:
Consist only of only exams, a midterm, and a final. Those three exam types are multiple choice format, open book, and instantly graded by computer.
The course point distribution allows you to accumulate enough points to pass the course before taking the final.
The course textbook is available digitally, which allows you to search out answers quickly during exams. Tip: hold the Ctrl button and press the F key. A “find” box will open, and you can search the text for any word or phrase.
Courses are generally considered “hard” and/or “slow” to complete when they:
Have assignments that must be uploaded to Straighterline. The assignment will be graded by a human, and can take 3-5 days.
Are subject to a human’s interpretation of the course instructions, which can result in a low grade. The nature of the grading system means your grader is anonymous and you can not ask follow up questions or make revisions. You will likely have a different person grading each of your assignments.
Require labs. Science labs can stretch several days each, especially if you’re waiting for a reaction or culture to grow. Labs also require uploading photos in every lab report.
Courses are generally “more expensive” when:
You take a science lab. Science labs all require lab kits purchased through the link in the course syllabus. Lab kits can cost as much as $200.
You don’t use a discount code. There are usually at least 2 codes at any time. I keep a log of current codes on this website. Discount Codes
A passing score for every Straighterline course is 70% unless your college says differently.
Straighterline credit comes into every college as PASS/FAIL credit unless your college says differently.
Charter Oak State College (CT) is the only college I know of that awards letter grades for Straighterline courses. They use a standard 90=A, 80=B, 70=C grade scale.
When the “pre-proctor” column is 700 or more, you can pass the course before taking the final exam. Note, they still require you to take it, but there’s no pressure.
I pulled all of the following MASTER TABLE information from the Straighterline website on 2/25/2017. I’ve kept the table for reference, but be sure to use a current syllabus when doing the math for yourself.
MASTER TABLE
STRAIGHTERLINE COURSE
CONTENT SUMMARY
PRE-PROCTOR
PROCTORED EVENT
Accounting 1
4 exams @ 150 / midterm 200
800
Final exam 200
Accounting 2
4 exams @ 150 / midterm 200
800
Final exam 200
American Government
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200
700
Final exam 300
Anatomy & Physiology 1
16 exams @ 40 / midterm 160
800
Final exam 200
Anatomy & Physiology 1 Lab
9 exams @ 42 *lowest score dropped
9 written lab reports @ 83*lowest score dropped
1000
-0-
Anatomy & Physiology 2
13 exams @ 50 / midterm 150
800
Final exam 200
Anatomy & Physiology 2 Lab
9 exams @ 42 *lowest score dropped
9 written lab reports @ 83*lowest score dropped
1000
-0-
Biology
13 exams totaling 700
700
Final exam 300
Biology Lab
8 exams @35 / 1 homework @ 40
8 written lab reports @ 85
1000
-0-
Business Communication
14 exams @ 25 / midterm 150
3 written papers @ 100
800
Final exam 200
Business Ethics
4 exams @ 175
700
Final exam 300
Business Law
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
Business Statistics
6 exams @ 125
750
Final exam 250
Calculus 1
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 150
650
Final exam 350
Calculus 2
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 150
650
Final exam 350
Chemistry
6 exams @115
690
Final exam 310
Chemistry Lab
8 exams @35 / 1 homework @ 40
8 written lab reports @ 85
1000
-0-
College Algebra
4 exams @ 125
500
Final exam 500
Criminal Justice
12 exams @ 50 / midterm 200
800
Final exam 200
Cultural Anthropology
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
English Composition 1*
15 exams totaling 610
9 written assignments totaling 400
1010
-0-
English Composition 2
17 exams totaling 510
8 written assignments totaling 500
1010
-0-
Environmental Science
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
Financial Accounting
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
First Aid
4 exams @100 / midterm 200
1 demonstration 100 / CPR verification 100
800
Final exam 200
Introductory Algebra
7 exams @ 100
700
Final exam 300
Introduction to Business
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
Introduction to Communication
4 exams @ 100 / midterm 100
3 speeches totaling 300
800
Final exam 200
Introduction to Nutrition
15 exams @ 40 / midterm 150
750
Final exam 250
Introduction to Philosophy
4 exams @ 75 / midterm 200
500
Final exam 500
Introduction to Programming C++
4 exams @ 50 / midterm 200
8 Program assignments @ 25
600
Final exam 400
Introduction to Religion
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200
700
Final exam 300
Introduction to Statistics
5 exams totaling 500 points
500
Final exam 500
IT Fundamentals
19 exams totaling 700 points
700
Final exam 300
Macroeconomics*
19 exams @ 40 / midterm 120
880
Final exam 120
Managerial Accounting
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200
700
Final exam 300
Medical Terminology
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200
700
Final exam 300
Microbiology
6 exams @ 100 / midterm 200
800
Final exam 200
Microbiology Lab
8 exams @ 48 *lowest score dropped
8 written lab reports @ 95*lowest score dropped
1001
-0-
Microeconomics*
24 Exams @ 30 / midterm 140
860
Final exam 140
Organizational Behavior
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
Personal Finance
14 exams @ 50 / midterm 100
800
Final exam 200
Personal Fitness
10 Exams @ 70
Fitness test/Caloric Inventory/5K race @ 0
700
Final exam 300
Pharmacology 1
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
Pharmacology 2
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
Physics
4 exams @ 150/ midterm 200
800
Final exam 200
Physics Lab
9 exams @ 42 *lowest score dropped
9 written lab reports @ 83*lowest score dropped
1000
-0-
Pre-Calculus
4 exams @ 175
700
Final exam 300
Principles of Management
4 exams @ 150 / midterm 200
800
Final exam 200
Psychology*
4 exams @ 175
700
Final exam 300
Sociology
10 exams @ 50 / midterm 150
5 discussion assignments @ 20
750
Final exam 250
Spanish 1
4 exams @ 75 / 2 written assignments @ 75
2 oral assignments @ 75 / midterm 150
750
Final exam 250
Spanish 2
4 exams @ 75 / 2 written assignments @ 75
2 oral assignments @ 75 / midterm 150
750
Final exam 250
Survey of World History
18 exams totaling 700 points
700
Final exam 300
United States History 1
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 200
700
Final exam 300
United States History 2
4 exams @ 125 / midterm 250
750
Final exam 250
NOTE: the quizzes, labs, homework, exams, and even mid-term exams are all open book. The only closed book activity is the FINAL EXAM, and not all final exams are closed book! In other words, your teen should be able to earn nearly perfect scores on everything leading up to the final exam.
TIP: If you have multiple children that are earning lab credit, you only have to buy 1 lab kit. Email Straighterline at Advisor@straighterline.com and request a “group lab form.”
SL courses that can be “passed” before taking the final exam
Macroeconomics Microeconomics Introduction to Communication First Aid Business Communication Accounting 1 Accounting 2 Anatomy & Physiology 1 Anatomy & Physiology 2 Criminal Justice Microbiology Personal Finance Physics Principles of Management Spanish 1 Spanish 2 Sociology American Government Business Law Business Statistics Cultural Anthropology Environmental Science Financial Accounting Introduction to Business Introduction to Nutrition Introduction to Religion Organizational Behavior Pharmacology 1 Pharmacology 2 United States History 1 United States History 2 Western Civilization 1 Western Civilization 2 Personal Fitness Psychology Biology Business Ethics Introductory Algebra IT Fundamentals Managerial Accounting Medical Terminology Pre-Calculus Survey of World History
Jennifer’s TOP 10 Suggested SL Courses
based on: fewest computer graded activities that can result in a pass before the final exam
Psychology– not only is this course approved as an AP course (record it as such on your teen’s high school transcript) but it only has 4 exams @ 175 points each + final. If you want, your teen can also take the AP exam and/or CLEP exam. The content of this course aligns with both very nicely. Note: a target college will only award 3 credits for intro psychology once, even if you take the CLEP too.
Business Ethics – some partner colleges consider this a philosophy or ethics course, which meets a general education requirement! Only 4 exams and a 300 point open book final.
Accounting 1 & 2 – These don’t make sense for all of my readers, but if you’re looking for math alternatives or business courses for your teen, these two courses follow the same structure and can yield a full year of math. There are 4 exams and a midterm (all open book) totaling 800 points. Since only 700 is needed to pass the course, you can pass long before attempting the 200 point open book exams.
Principles of Management- Also a less traditional option, the structure makes this class a winner. 4 exams and a midterm (all open book) totaling 800 points. Again, easy enough to pass before attempting the 200 point open book exam. CLEP also offers an exam for this course.
American Government- Almost every high school student takes a government course, so this acts as a great DIY dual enrollment option. A straight-forward structure consisting of 4 exams and a midterm (all open book) totaling 750 points. The final is closed book, however, it’s possible to pass this course before taking the final. CLEP offers an exam for this course, however, the pass rate is very low. SL would be a significantly easier option if deciding between the two. *While there is an AP exam in this content area, the SL course is not an approved AP course.
Environmental Science– Considered a nice and easy science by most, the structure here makes this course a great option. 4 exams and a midterm (all open book) totaling 750 points followed by an open book final. *While there is an AP exam in this content area, the SL course is not an approved AP course
Introduction to Religion- This course is usually considered a general education course, not a theology course, making it a good option for any degree. The structure is simple with 4 exams and a midterm (all open book) followed by a 250 point open book final exam. In my opinion, I thought this course covered the major religions well and without a strong bias toward one over another.
United States History 1 & 2 – Like Accounting, these two courses can be taken individually, but when taken together make a full sequence. Both have the same structure: 4 exams, a midterm, and a final. US History 1’s final is closed book, while US History 2’s final is open book. Either way, it’s possible to pass both before taking the final. There are CLEP exams for US 1 and US 2, but if you want to plan for an AP exam, be sure to take both classes!
Western Civilization 1 & 2 – Identical in structure to US History 1 & 2, but both have open-book final exams. Like all the courses on this list, you can pass the class before taking the final exam. There are CLEP exams for Western Civilization 1 and 2.
Cultural Anthropology- This course is an alternative to Sociology or Psychology as a social science option. In some colleges, this course also meets requirements related to world cultures or diversity. The structure is very similar to the others on this list- 4 exams and a midterm with a 250 point open book final.
Degree planning, in contrast to high school planning, is when your teen’s courses are selected to meet the requirements for a specific college degree. In this 4-part series, I’d like to talk more about degree planning, especially the pros and cons. Continue reading “Degree Planning 101 (part 1)”→
Our HS4CC works best when it’s all brains on deck! If your teen has an IEP and you’ve navigated the CLEP and or PSAT process, please help this Ohio parent by sharing your experience.
I continue to follow the updates and changes rolled out by ACE this year. This post outlines what I know so far, and what you’ll need to do if you have ACE credit.
I have several favorite parts of Homeschooling for College Credit that find myself pulling from time and again! Each month I’m sharing those with you – I hope you enjoy today’s excerpt. It is from Chapter 7: Transcripts and Record Keeping Continue reading “HS4CC Chapter 7”→
As we close out 2020, let’s end this year with a bang!! Did your teen earn college credit? Did they do something cool? Did they graduate? Share below so we can celebrate with you!
Throwback to 2012 when I wrote this, “Whatever credit your child earns, even if it’s just one, is a step in the right direction!” I’ve always been a cheerleader for average students gifted with motivated parents- mainly because those are my people- that’s me. Deliberate and intentional homeschooling with average and sometimes passive kids. What could go wrong? Continue reading “Has Your Homeschooling for College Credit Program Gone too Far?”→
Outlier is the “unicorn” company that formed a partnership with the University of Pittsburgh to offer college classes online ($400) and have them appear as original credit on an official University of Pittsburgh transcript. This is a legitimate form of credit laundering, and based on the feedback so far, these classes are cinema-quality-knock-your-socks-off. Your teen could be one of 1,000 selected to get a class for free!
