This week on Homeschool Highschool Podcast: Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses.

Middle Schoolers, Transcripts, and High School Courses

We often receive questions from parents of homeschool middle schoolers. They want to know how to record on the transcript their high school-level courses completed during middle school.

They want to know how and where to record those high school-level courses completed during middle school!

Featured in this post:

High school courses in middle school can be done
Why might a middle schooler do some high school-level work?
How do you handle those high school courses your tweens completed?
Ways to show the high school courses completed in middle school on the transcript

High school courses in middle school: It can be done!

First, let me remind you there’s not ONE right way to homeschool middle school, and not ONE right way to handle transcripts.

As a side note: Your middle schoolers do not have to rush to do high school. It is okay to wait till high school to do high school work.

Tweens are not in a competition to see, “How can I get ahead in the game?”

If they need time simply to be in middle school and simply enjoy the last few years before transcript life, that is absolutely marvelous. In fact, many of the 7Sisters middle schoolers did not work on high school courses.

Also, we did have some middle schoolers who wanted to jump the gun on things and start some high school courses. There’s really NOT one right way to homeschool middle school.

Why might a middle schooler do some high school-level work?

One reason a middle schooler might jump ahead and start taking a few high school courses is that they are academically ready and need the challenge of a high school course. Some kids are raring to go and want to do high school-level work.

Another reason middle schoolers might take a high school course is that they have a particular interest or a gifting that should not be neglected. Some middle schoolers are advanced in areas like music, the arts, science, math, languages, or literature. It is responsible to help them lean into those interests and gifts.

Some middle schoolers are part of a co-op teaching a high school course they are interested in. When the co-op allows middle schoolers to participate and the tween is capable of high school-level work, why not allow them?

Whatever the reason for taking those high school courses, make sure that you keep records to show that each of those courses were completed at a high school level (nothing scaled back for middle schoolers).

So, how do you handle those high school courses your tweens completed?

There are several tips to help you handle this process:

Keep records because if you don’t have a record of how they earned that credit, it did not happen. This can include:

Course description
Syllabus
Evidence of the work that was done
How that credit was earned
Grades
Amount of credit

It is wise to keep all this in a binder, portfolio, or wherever you’re keeping records.

Ways to show the high school courses completed in middle school on the transcript

Remember: there’s not ONE right way to record a high school class done in middle school on the transcript. Here are some ways that families we have worked with in our umbrella school have done this.

Create a transcript that includes an extra box before the 9th grade year on that transcript that says 8th grade year or middle school years
- Then you list the courses that were done, along with the grade earned for that course and the amount of credit assigned
Many people use a transcript form that does not include an 8th grade section. At 7Sisters, we offer an editable transcript form with a package of how-tos. It does not have an 8th grade section.
- Instead, for our teens, we added those courses to the 9th grade year on the transcript.
- To differentiate these courses from the 9th grade courses, we (in parentheses) would write “completed in 8th grade”.
- For instance, if they completed Algebra 1 in 8th grade, and we wanted to record that course on the transcript, in the 9th grade year it would say:

Algebra 1 (completed in 8th grade)

You can choose not to show high school courses taken in middle school.

A caveat

We need to note that some colleges do not count those 8th grade courses. That’s okay, because usually our homeschool high schoolers have many credits when they graduate. They really do not need to show them all on the transcript.

Also, sometimes the courses done in middle school are implied, and so you do not need to show them. So, for instance, if your 9th grader is taking geometry for their math, it’s implied that they did Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

A high school course for a middle schooler is good for middle schoolers…if that’s a good fit for them! (If they are ready for high school work, if it excites them and inspires them, if it challenges them, feel free to have them take the course. Then include it on the transcript…or not!)

A high school course for a middle schooler is good for middle schoolers…if that’s a good fit for them!

Stay in touch

So please join us there at the 7SistersHomeschool Facebook group where you can ask all your questions and receive wisdom and encouragement from all the 7th Sisters out there!

Also, if you’re new to Substack, look up 7SistersHomeschool on Substack.

More help with homeschooling middle school

Great Books and Literature Guides for Middle School
Homeschooling Middle School Your Way
Preparing Middle Schoolers for High School
Reading that Middle Schoolers Actually Like (Based on Suggestions by Middle Schoolers)
Tips for Moms Homeschooling Middle Schoolers

Thanks to Seth Tillman for editing.

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