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Co-Op Classes on a Transcript
There are lots of ways to put a co-op class on the transcript.
Some parents want to highlight that the class was taken in the co-op. Other parents don't want the information necessarily to be included, they just want to know how to get it on there the right way. So let me describe the two ways to do that.
You can emphasize the class was taken at a co-op. That is particularly helpful in situations when you want to document "socialization" - like if you don't have many activities to document, or your child struggles with socialization for some reason. Choose an acronym for the co-op, something like MHC, and then define your acronym on the bottom of the transcript, like "MHC indicates classses taken at Manhattan Homeschool Co-op." A class title might look like this, "MHC: Biology with Lab." You can choose to use the grade provided by the co-op or not. If you were involved for all 4 years, the activity section of your transcript might say "Manhattan Homeschool Co-op 9, 10, 11, 12 - Yearbook Editor 12."
You can choose not to mention the class was taken at a co-op. This is particularly helpful when your class is a combination of co-op and home, or if you feel the co-op was only a portion of the content of the class,or didn't represent the whole class for some reason. It's also great if you are radically independent, like me, and wanted to proudly display your independent homeschool, like me. If you choose not to mention co-op, then just provide the name of your class, like "Biology with Lab." Again, you can include coop classes on the activity section, and again, utilizing their grades is optional.
The only time you "must" use co-op grades is when it is a school, parent partnership, or public school program. If they give you a "transcript" then you need to use the grade they give you for the class. If they don't give you a "transcript" then their grades are a "serving suggestion" like the grocery store advertisement that suggests a recipe for a roast beef. You still have the option of slicing it for stir-fry, right?
My preference is to list the co-op class only on the activity list, and not include it by the class title. I don't think there is any reason to include Co-ops on the class title, and I worry that a college might not understand, and they might mistakenly look for a transcript from the co-op in order to complete the application.
Some parents want to highlight that the class was taken in the co-op. Other parents don't want the information necessarily to be included, they just want to know how to get it on there the right way. So let me describe the two ways to do that.
Option 1
You can emphasize the class was taken at a co-op. That is particularly helpful in situations when you want to document "socialization" - like if you don't have many activities to document, or your child struggles with socialization for some reason. Choose an acronym for the co-op, something like MHC, and then define your acronym on the bottom of the transcript, like "MHC indicates classses taken at Manhattan Homeschool Co-op." A class title might look like this, "MHC: Biology with Lab." You can choose to use the grade provided by the co-op or not. If you were involved for all 4 years, the activity section of your transcript might say "Manhattan Homeschool Co-op 9, 10, 11, 12 - Yearbook Editor 12."
Option 2
You can choose not to mention the class was taken at a co-op. This is particularly helpful when your class is a combination of co-op and home, or if you feel the co-op was only a portion of the content of the class,or didn't represent the whole class for some reason. It's also great if you are radically independent, like me, and wanted to proudly display your independent homeschool, like me. If you choose not to mention co-op, then just provide the name of your class, like "Biology with Lab." Again, you can include coop classes on the activity section, and again, utilizing their grades is optional.
The only time you "must" use co-op grades is when it is a school, parent partnership, or public school program. If they give you a "transcript" then you need to use the grade they give you for the class. If they don't give you a "transcript" then their grades are a "serving suggestion" like the grocery store advertisement that suggests a recipe for a roast beef. You still have the option of slicing it for stir-fry, right?
My preference is to list the co-op class only on the activity list, and not include it by the class title. I don't think there is any reason to include Co-ops on the class title, and I worry that a college might not understand, and they might mistakenly look for a transcript from the co-op in order to complete the application.
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208 N Western St.
Amarillo, TX 79106
Phone: 1-888-533-2435
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00 am to 03:00 pm (PST)
Amarillo, TX 79106
Phone: 1-888-533-2435
Opening Hours: Monday to Friday: 9.00 am to 03:00 pm (PST)
Comments 2
During my daughter’s high school years we followed a college preparatory curriculum. During this time, she took a total of five classes outside our home. I thought it was important to document these courses to show that she was capable of learning in a classroom environment and completing work assigned by independent teachers. Two of the classes were in a co-op setting, and the other three were held in classrooms at a private Christian school. This school partnered with homeschool instructors by allowing them to use school facilities, even though the instructors were not part of the school. The way I chose to show this information on the course description was to list the Instructor’s name followed by any credentials. For example:
Course Description
English: Composition 3
Instructor: Terri L. White, BA English
Or
Course Description
Fine Arts: Speech I
Instructor: Kate Hicks
In the description of the course I included the statement: This course is taught in a class setting by a private instructor.
Prior to committing to the class, I asked the instructors for a course description so I could know what to expect from the class. When I began writing course descriptions, I sat in a few classes, then took what the instructors gave me and expanded the scope to create a course description for the transcript package including a listing of assignments and grades. I solicited input from the instructors and asked them to critique the course descriptions I had written. My request was well received, and between us we produced a course description that accurately reflected what was being taught.
I did not include the locations of the courses, nor did I include a separate page that listed the outside courses.
Wow! Thank you for the detailed description, Chris! You have a wonderful plan for your course descriptions. Keep up the good work!
Robin
Assistant to The HomeScholar