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If your students are enrolled in the CLASS Plan, then you do not need to keep
most of the documents listed below*—you are enrolled in our school. If,
however, you are using the Family Plan, then the following list of documents
may be important if you come in contact with a party hostile to home schooling.
Founding documents are those that apply to the creation of your home
school. They include incorporation papers, philosophy statements,
a list of the chief officers of your school, and official home school
correspondence.
These documents pertain to the annual organization of your school.
Documents relevant to an individual student may be moved to that
student’s cumulative records file once a school year is completed.
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We encourage you to keep attendance records in a permanent
log along with a school year calendar indicating the general
schedule for each year, including holidays, vacations, etc.
Presently, none of the fifty states requires more than 185
days (six hours each day) of daily-attendance instruction each
school year.
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You should create a written statement outlining the course
materials, along with their respective publishers, which you
intend to use for the upcoming school year. This statement
must confirm
the quantity of curriculum instruction in your home school.
Be sure to consider the following courses since most are standard
requirements in virtually every credible school.
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Bible
English
Literature
Spelling
Grammar
Penmanship
Mathematics
Science
History
Geography
Physical Education
Art
Music
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Also, keep a running tally of each book read by your
students over the course of the school year.
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Home schooling should not be limited to just academics. Extra-curricular
activities such as Sunday School, church and church youth groups;
field trips to museums, the zoo, or nature hikes; and participation
in sports and/or membership in the YMCA/YWCA or other similar
organizations help to develop the socialization of your students.
These activities can be incorporated into specific courses
(e.g., Bible, history, and physical education) as additional
requirements, or used as breaks from the academic rigors of
your school year.
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The Bible, as well as common sense, dictates that you should
comply with basic health, fire, and safety codes. Few states
require home schools to make arrangements for special fire
and safety equipment, but you should obtain and store a copy
of local ordinances should the topic of local inspection arise.
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Some states have one or two special courses that are mandated
for all schools. The state of Texas, for example, requires
that private schools teach a course in good citizenship during
the elementary grades. If you have similar mandated courses
in your state, you should obtain and complete this course material
with your students on a supplemental basis.
Additionally, several states require children to take a course
in either state history or agriculture during their elementary
grades. Sources for obtaining state history courses can often
be found in local libraries and colleges. Upon completion of
your state history coursework, we suggest that you place this
information into your student’s cumulative records.
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Achievement testing should occur annually as a method of
evaluating the basic skill development of your students. CLASS
supplies the California
Achievement Test in your curriculum
for this purpose. Other testing programs, such as the Iowa
Test of Basic Skills and the Stanford Achievement Test, are
viable alternatives for annual testing. Remember, however,
that CLASS does not accept the Stanford Achievement Test for
the student’s first enrollment in CLASS.
Once you begin using a particular series, you should continue
to use it as long as possible. Remaining with one testing series
year after year provides a more accurate evaluation of your
student’s development.
Achievement test results should be placed in your student’s
cumulative records file.
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You should have on file a copy of each student’s immunization
records, and have access to your children’s other health and
physical examination data. Although CLASS does not require this information,
many schools do before they will allow a student to enroll.
Many families who have home schooled for years run into problems
when they unexpectedly have to place their students into a public
or private school. If your students have not been immunized, or if
confirmation of immunization cannot be made, they may not be allowed
to enroll until all immunizations have been given.
Although medical records are not the same as a student’s cumulative
records, schools will oftentimes store them together in a student’s
cumulative records file.
A student’s permanent file, or cumulative record, contains
the history of that student’s educational experience. It usually
includes attendance and grading records, as well as awards and certificates,
comments made by teachers, and extra-curricular involvement information.
In high school, the academic records include course grades (final
or otherwise), credits, GPA, and class rank. Transcripts from other
institutions are also stored here.
CLASS will automatically request a student’s cumulative records
when he is transferred into our program above the ninth grade. For
other grade levels, you may request that CLASS obtain these records
by sending us a written request. Records obtained by CLASS will remain
on file until the student either graduates, transfers to
another school, or simply withdraws from our program.
There are other documents you may find necessary at some point after
enrollment. For CLASS Plan students, these include the following:
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The Certificate of Enrollment is an official document on
CLASS stationery stating that your student is currently enrolled
in our school. Christian Liberty will issue this certificate
upon request. If, however, CLASS has not received a reasonable
amount of work for the current grade level and/or any other
grade levels still open, the certificate will be issued with
a statement that little or no work has been submitted for those
grade levels.
To request a Certificate of Enrollment, email us at custserv@homeschools.org.
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The Good Student Discount form is a document provided by
your auto insurance company, which you forward to us. CLASS
will complete and return this form if your student has submitted
a reasonable amount of work for the current grade level and/or
any other open grade levels, and has maintained the equivalent
of a “B” average according to our grading system.
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A Work Permit is an official document on CLASS stationery
stating that your student may obtain a job while enrolled in
our school. Christian Liberty will issue this permit upon request
if your student has been in our program for at least two (2)
quarters, has sent in a reasonable amount of coursework, and
has maintained the equivalent of a “B” average
for that work according to our grading system.
To request a Work Permit, email us at custserv@homeschools.org. |
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