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Calculating semester grades

Calculating Homeschool Grades
www.TheHomeScholar.com

Sometimes, homeschool parents get concerned about calculating grades for their high school students.  Before creating complicated grading rubrics, check with your state law to see if it is really necessary.  And before giving tests, consider all the other evaluation options that are available to homeschoolers because of our fabulous student-teacher ratio.

I am having a hard time calculating semester grades. I am trying to place all grades into one of two groups… tests/quizzes and classwork/homework. I added all grades then multiplied by .5. Some of the grades do not look correct. Can you tell me if I am doing this right? I have asked my accountability group, but no response yet! Thanks for any help!
~ Christine in South Carolina

Christine, I did mine a little different. I just averaged the percentage grades in one column. Then I added up the other column. Then I averaged the two columns (add them together and divide by two.) Honestly, I have heard that teachers do it differently, too. They may drop the lowest grade in each column, or weigh each column differently…. Whatever you do will be just fine. Also, I don’t know your state law is, but you only have to calculate grades like that if it is required by your state law. You don’t have to do it just for you, and you don’t have to do it for colleges either.

Check with other homeschoolers about the law in your state. Just because  you have to give a number grade on a transcript doesn’t mean you have to give tests and quizzes and stuff. You could just choose to evaluate in other ways, as many other homeschoolers do. Here is an article about giving grades without grading that will explain what I mean.

For more info: Learn more about how to homeschool high school with excellence by visiting our website, www.TheHomeScholar.com.


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, Seattle Homeschooling Examiner

Lee Binz is founder of The HomeScholar. Lee homeschooled her two boys for eight years, from elementary through high school graduation. Both of her children earned four year, full-tuition scholarships to their first-choice university. Since their graduation, Lee's mission has been to help parents...

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