Home education law in Florida puts the responsibility for deciding when to graduate into the parents’ hands. Because of this, many parents ask, “How do I know when my child is ready to graduate?” The simple answer is that parents decide. However, each student’s path is going to be different and the signs that they are ready to graduate may differ, too.
College-Bound Students
Students who are focused on attending college, then going into the workforce will need to consider job and college requirements when mapping out their high school years. Consider these questions:
- Does your student have the correct amount of science, math, language arts, and social science courses needed to enter the colleges they are interested in attending?
- Does your student fully understand the concepts taught in each course?
- Has your student taken any tests required to attend the colleges to which they plan to apply?
If you can answer a confident yes to each of these questions, then your student is academically ready to graduate. Keep in mind your student’s life and emotional skills levels, too. If your student needs additional work to live alone away from home, consider asking them to attend a local college or waiting to graduate, depending on the situation.
Workforce Students
Students who are interested in going straight into the workforce or in attending a trade school then to the workforce should also have some basic academic skills but may not need the same coursework as those who choose a college route. For example, a student who will become a lineman will attend a program at the local college or trade school but will not necessarily need the same social sciences knowledge that a political science major would need to enter a college program. A student who will become a musician who writes scores for stage shows will not need to complete math levels through calculus. Consider your student’s goals, future job, and training routes when deciding when they are ready to graduate. Ideally you will have considered this each year as you sit together and set up curriculum for the following year.
Students with Special Needs
Many families home educate because their children have special needs. You can lengthen your student’s high school career in many states, including Florida, to assist in giving time needed to acquire the life, social, emotional, and academic skills needed to move to the next stage in life. Each teen is different and will have different goals and challenges. Work with your teen as well as any professionals who you employ to assist with your child’s special needs when discussing high school, courses to complete, and your student’s future path. As a team you will be able to consider all sides of the issue and when to graduate your student.
How Do I Graduate my Student?
In Florida, you simply send in a notice that you are terminating your child’s home education along with the last home education evaluation if using a letter of intent. If you utilize an umbrella school, you will terminate with them letting them know your child has graduated. You will also want to have and keep a transcript of the work your student has achieved in case it is needed for a job or college entrance. You can provide a diploma, though it may not be accredited. The accreditation is not necessarily a concern as most entities want to see transcripts, not a diploma. However, it can be good to have both documents available. I generally suggest having a digital and paper copy in case one copy gets damaged or lost. Make sure you also have a homeschool completion affidavit. An exmaple can be found here.
If you would like to have a personalized consultation to help you navigate the high school years as a home or unschool family, please reach out using my form to request this service. I also provide transcript writing services. Put my experience to work for you!