In addition to doing academic work, many of our students are involved in fine arts classes. These can be things like music lessons, dance, sculpture, painting, etc. In fact, because homeschooled students have more time available to them, they are often able to participate at higher levels in many of these fine arts activities.
How do you award fine arts credit?
The question then becomes, how do we put this work onto a transcript? We typically do not have a textbook nor do we give paper work or tests. In order to feel comfortable awarding a high school credit, there are several things you’re going to want to do:
- Establish a scope and sequence or match it with an already created course description. You can find many public school course descriptions listed here. If the work that your student is doing matches these specific course requirements, feel free to adopt this course as your own. If not, just write one that is tailored to what your teen is doing.
- You will want to be sure that your student has completed enough hours to earn a full credit. A high school credit is typically 135 hours of bona fide instruction in an established course of study. This means that the student has spent at least 135 hours learning new material (not just practicing). You will want to keep a chart of some sort – perhaps weekly – to log your student’s progression
- You will need to come up with a way to grade your student’s progress. One of the ways to do this is to get with your student’s teacher if they have one and ask them to evaluate your teen’s work. Or, you can establish a grading scale at the beginning of the year – outlining your expectations or level of achievement that must be accomplished in order for your student to earn an “A” – a “B”, etc.
- And lastly, you will need to record your student’s progress. Since you typically won’t have pieces of paper showing their work, you will want to establish some sort of digital portfolio – recordings, pictures, videos, etc. that shows your student’s accomplishments for the year. Keep copies of programs where your student may have performed. If your student intends to attend a Performing Arts college, this portfolio will become a valuable part of their application package.
These fine arts credits are important on your student’s high school transcript. They show how well-rounded your student is. And, you want to be sure to give your student credit for the work they are doing. Plus, it’s a good incentive for them to perform with excellence.
~to your success!
Joanne
Image courtesy of Sira Anamwong at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
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