making your own diploma?

Question

I want to homeschool my son through 8th grade then put him in high school because I don't want him to have just a GED, I want him to have a high school diploma, and have the privilege of walking down the aisle at graduation. I also don't want him to miss out on things like prom and clubs and stuff. I know people say these things aren't important in life, but a lot of my high school memories are good ones, and they have to do with me being a part of the yearbook staff, prom etc. I don't want him to miss out on those things. Some people said that I can make my own high school diploma to give him, but is this legal? I want it to be accredited so he can go to college, I don't want to just print up a high school diploma for him that doesn't mean anything. How is this possible that you can LEGALLY print your own diploma? I live in Kentucky if that helps, does anyone know if this state would accept a "homemade" high school diploma?

Answer 1

There is state testing and a home-schooling governance board that ensures that home-schooled children are actually learning and being taught correctly and sufficiently. The home-school test for high school is similar to a G.E.D., but is a certificate of education meeting or exceeding the requirements of the state for the high-school level.

You can then create a “diploma” to present to your child, but they will need to indicate on their college applications or employment applications that they were home-schooled, and transcript reports would be the state examination scores.

I hope this helps!

Answer 2

Make My Own Diploma

Answer 3

The diploma you print would be legal, but it would not be accredited. However, the vast majority of colleges do not require an accredited diploma for admission, they require a transcript, which they will accept from a parent, they require a SAT score or an ACT score, occasionally they will ask for a GED from a homeschooler, but usually not, and even when they do it is for a formality on the paperwork and is asked for after the decision to accept the student has really been made.

Many private schools are not accredited, and it may shock you, but many Public schools are not accredited either.

Go to http://www.hslda.com for more info on homeschooling high school age kids.

I saw in one of your earlier posts that you said Kentucky does not have Charter School laws, that is true. But a PRIVATE distance education program is not a charter school. A charter school is a alternative program paid for with district money. There is nothing in Kentucky law that would stop you, as a homeschooling parent, from having your child take part in a national correspondence or on-line school. Personally I prefer independent homeschooling, but these schools would keep up the records for you and issue a diploma.

If you do want to check out a few of them look at these sites:

http://www.aopacademy.com
http://www.abekaacademy.com
http://www.edanywhere.com
http://www.clonlaraschool.com

As administrator of your homeschool, it is up to you, not the school district, to determine if these programs can be made a part of your homeschool. You can find more detail about the differences between charter schools and private distance learning at the hslda website I listed above.

Answer 4

It is legal. In many states homeschoolers are considered private schools, with all the same rights and regulations as private schools. Homeschoolers do NOT have to get a GED, in fact, GED says "I couldn't do the work on my own", just the same as it says about a public schooler who drops out. You might read more information at the websites of some universities and colleges. There are several hundred that have accepted homeschoolers without any additional work than a public schooler.

Diplomas are meaningless whether they are printed by parents or by school systems. All they say is that you've managed to jump through enough hoops to earn their notice. Graduation is a ceremony that schools have created in the last sixty years, to mimic the importance of college graduation. But every HS graduation I've attended is full of speeches about how they are 'free', how they can go 'live life' with the 'rules and expectations' of unreasonable adults. It makes me sick, honestly. Prom, year books, sports, those are all bones that primary schools throw to children to ease their discomfort with being mainstreamed. Then you graduate, join real life, and are shocked by how little things change. Many homeschoolers (and I won't be so bold as to say all) but many are already living real life, without the restrictive nature of signing over eight hours a day to adults who hardly know you.

Much more important is a transcript. Colleges and universities would rather see a transcript with higher maths and sciences from a home schooler than a transcript from a public high school in which the child barely managed remedial math and science.

Answer 5

Yes, it's perfectly legal. In fact, many states require that your child be registered with the State Department of Education, and upon completion of their home school senior year will be issued a home school diploma or letter of equilvency automatically. In some states you will have to apply for this, and they may be required to take an exit exam or the GED to qualify. I can't speak specifically for Kentucky. You'd have to contact the State Education Board and ask.

Do Homeschoolers need a high school diploma?
The answer is, "Sometimes."Do they need a diploma from an accredited school? The experience of thousands of families indicates that the answer is, "Almost never."
Every homeschooler can have a document verifying graduation from high school because – as the principals and administrators of small private schools – all homeschool parents can create their own diplomas.

Homeschoolers earn diplomas several ways.
Some test out, earning an equivalent diploma by passing the GED or a state test like the California High School Proficiency Exam. Although a few people connect the GED to high school dropouts, others realize that many high school graduates could not score well on this comprehensive test.

Some homeschooled teenagers receive diplomas from umbrella schools and independent-study programs. Yet another group of families, perhaps the majority, grant their own diplomas. You can register your homeschool as a private school with your state and say you will grant your own diploma from "XX Academy."

Skeptics question whether homeschool diplomas are recognized – by colleges, employers, the military and so on. That depends. College admissions officers rely primarily on transcripts, test scores, and letters of recommendation. Most never ask about diplomas because typical applicants, high school seniors, do not yet have them. Employers care mostly about experience. If you have granted a homeschool diploma, your teenager can answer "yes" to the diploma question on most job applications. Seldom does anyone ask to see the actual document. And, interestingly, employers never seem to phrase the question this way: "Do you have a diploma from an accredited high school?"

Historically, the military cares more about diplomas than either colleges or most employers. Military regulations pertaining to homeschoolers are in a state of flux, with every recent change in favor of homeschoolers. Contact local recruiters for current information. If you know your son or daughter plans to enlist in the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, or Coast Guard, consider using an accredited diploma-granting independent-study program or make sure your teenager earns at least sixteen college credits during high school.

Answer 6

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
making your own diploma?
I want to homeschool my son through 8th grade then put him in high school because I don't want him to have just a GED, I want him to have a high school diploma, and have the privilege of walking down the aisle at graduation. I also don't want him to miss out on things like prom and clubs...

Answer 7

A home school diploma will never be the same as a public or private school diploma. It's kind of like saying you know networking vs. being Cisco certified. You may know just as much either way, but an employer will take Cisco's word over your own any day.

That said, a diploma really only matters until you have a degree or some significant work experience. At that point employers don't really care about high school. If your son plans to go straight from high school to college and doesn't really need to hold any significant job in between it may not matter. That would be for you to encourage, but him to decide.

In my personal opinion, while home school may be far superior in many way, it leaves students unprepared socially for life. They miss out on a lot the important if not crucial lessons that can only be learned through social interaction. Such as how to make and maintain friendships with people of varying beliefs and backgrounds, how to deal with and resolve conflict, and how to properly respond to peer pressure.

Answer 8

Enrolled to where? Colleges require a transcript, not a diploma. There is nothing "legal" to them. They are just a piece of paper anyone can order without even proving you took any courses. You can print out your own with a school name. But, just who is requiring one?

Answer 9

Yes, you can legally print up your own diploma because you have to register you home as a private school.

Answer 10

I can see no reason why such a diploma should not be legal, but you could check with an attorney just in case. Make sure he's a dependable attorney because some of them you can't trust.

I wouldn't be overly concerned about him missing out on school activities. The benefits of keeping him out of the system should outweigh that and he could be better prepared to face life later on.