Fall 2019

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FALL 2019 HOMESCHOOL IOWA 11
You, as the homeschooling parent
of your student will:
• set your own graduation requirements
• create your own transcript
• certify your student’s homeschool
high school diploma
middle school U.S. History and replace it with a research project
or study of cultural geography or time for a fine arts elective.
When eliminating repeating subjects, you might notice more
white (free) space in your plan. Your student will thank you for
that! Consider alternatives, such as economics, psychology, and
worldview or elective studies that coincide with your student’s
interest, such as music, art, computer technology, and robotics.
Then include skill building courses, such as career exploration,
personal finance, and entrepreneurship. These courses are a
welcome addition as you build a schedule that bridges educa-
tion to vocation.
Bundle like subjects. As you
review the arrangement of your
student’s courses, consider
bundling like subjects together.
For example, have your student
study American Government the
same year he takes U.S. History.
The two are so intertwined, it just
makes sense to group them to-
gether. Include literature (speech
and debate), field trips, fam-
ily travels, volunteer activities,
family movie selections, current events reading, and research
assignments all around the topics of U.S. History and Govern-
ment. Study it once, study it well, and move on! Your student’s
knowledge will expand, and you may find planning to be more
enjoyable. Do the same by planning World History and World
Religions in the same year. Include ethnic cooking, geography
studies, and missionary biographies as part of this year’s studies.
Introduce CLEP and DSST exams. With encouragement and
guidance, students can use the same high school resources to
prepare for CLEP or DSST exams. These are nationally-recog-
nized exam programs that enable students to earn college cred-
it by demonstrating competency in subjects often studied in
introductory-level college courses. They are popular with home-
school families since students of any age can take these exams.
Homeschool parents can add them as a final exam to their stu-
dents’ high school level studies. Exams cost less than $100 and
can be taken at several local testing locations.
The time to introduce CLEP and DSST exams is when your stu-
dent is ready to study at a high school level. For some students,
their comprehension and vocabulary will enable them to study
at a high school level in some subjects before Grade 9. Start by
reviewing your student’s plan and note which high school level
courses have a corresponding CLEP or DSST exam. Popular CLEP
exam titles include U.S. History, Western Civilization (World His-
tory), Analyzing Literature, College Algebra (similar to Algebra
2), Composition, Biology, and Psychology. Two popular DSST ex-
ams that work well for younger students areWorld Religions and
Environmental Science. I have developed course guides specifi-
cally for these subjects that are available on my website.
Finding out about credit-by-exam changed the way we ap-
proached Grades 7-12. Adding CLEP and DSST as final exams to
courses my students were already studying provided additional
incentive to study the subject well. Because they accumulated
a significant amount of credit, my children were able to gradu-
ate early and earn their bachelor’s degree for under $15,000. Not
every college awards credit for these exams, so if you know the
school your student will be attending, it is always recommended
to review their policy. If you are not sure which school your stu-
dent will attend, I recommend students take these exams along-
side their high school courses. For more information, CreditsBe-
STEP 3. CustomizeTowardYour Graduation Goals
Options for College Credit. Many states, including Iowa,
have programs that allow qualifying students to enroll in post-
secondary options that, in many
cases, allow students to receive
both high school and college
credit concurrently. For more in-
formation, refer to homeschoo-
For parents considering this
option, review your high school
plan to account for classes you
may want your student to take at
an upper level for college credit.
Teach Life Skills. Prepare your
teen to step confidently into their adult role by customizing your
student’s plan with an eye toward their post-high school goals.
For some, this next step is college. For others, it may be work,
Bible school, travel, ministry, or military service.
Help to make this step an easy transition for your student by
teaching essential life skills, such as home maintenance, per-
sonal well-being, and money management. Be intentional by
including these life skills into your written plan. You can find a
starting list at
Foster Employment Skills. Think of Grades 9-12 not just as
the last four years of high school, but the first four years of their
college/career plan. Give your student plenty of opportunities to
develop employment skills by including volunteering, part-time
jobs, and career-related internships in his schedule. Graduating
with employment experience will enable your student to de-
velop his resume and help him make informed career decisions.
Look for employers that will mentor your student. My most com-
mon recommendation is for students to work at a front-desk po-
sition where they learn to greet customers, practice first impres-
sions, and develop valued communication skills. It’s also exciting
to see teens start their own side business.
Review and Revise
As each year comes to an end, review and revise your plan.
Make adjustments based on your student’s progress and target-
ed pursuits. You are your student’s best advisor. Start where you
are today and follow these steps to help you create a successful
high school plan.
Cheri Frame is a veteran homeschool parent and the founder of Credits Before College.
She and her husband Tim live in Minnesota and homeschooled their three children K-12.
Through her extensive research and guidance, her children graduated college early and
debt-free. As a speaker, author, and consultant, Cheri specializes in equipping parents to
be their own students’ guidance counselor. Her book, A Parent’s Guide to Credits Before
College, is written to help students maximize their credit-by-exam options and graduate
debt-free. For more information, visit ©2019 Cheri Frame