This post is all about homeschool curriculum accredited.
As parents consider homeschooling for their children, there are several common concerns that arise. There’s the dreaded question of socialization, which is hard to believe this is still a thing.
Then there are the concerns about whether or not a parent is qualified to teach their own child. Really?!?! One question that I see pop up on the regular is about accredited homeschool curriculum.
In this post you will learn why accredited homeschool curriculum is a myth, why you don’t need to worry about homeschool accredited curriculum, and why curriculum can’t actually be accredited.
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When I was a homeschooled high school student, my parents were concerned that I didn’t want to use an accredited homeschool program. I didn’t see the point of sending my work into a school for approval just so I could get a piece of paper with their stamp of approval when I finished. Why not just get a parent issued diploma?
Homeschool Diplomas
Back when I was homeschooled, many people believed that in order to graduate your child, you had to have some sort of official document from an official institution. There were a few of those rebel families that issued their own diplomas, but many people looked at this as a fake diploma. My parents had this issue. This is one of the things I wish my parents had known about homeschooling, which was the topic of a conference talk I gave in 2021.
The reality is, parent issued diplomas are a completely legit homeschool graduation option. You don’t need to get a diploma from an accredited institution to graduate your homeschooler. Your child also does not need to get a GED in order to graduate from homeschooling. Colleges accept homeschool graduates, so an accredited homeschool curriculum is not necessary.
Do States Require Accredited Homeschool Curriculum?
There are no U.S. states that require homeschool accreditation. Even if you enroll in some type of an accredited program, there is no guarantee that credits will transfer to another program. My sister went through a school program that was supposed to be accredited, and she got a real diploma from this school. Later when she looked into New York state colleges, she was told that it wasn’t the right kind of accreditation and she would need a GED to enroll.
When I applied to colleges in Colorado, with my parent issued diploma, it was never an issue. I was asked for the name of my high school, I said homeschool, and that was that. I was never asked for anything else to prove my education, aside from entrance exams. So, was an accredited homeschooling program really beneficial?
Why Accredited Homeschool Curriculum is a Myth
Now that we have gone through a list of reasons why you don’t need an accredited curriculum, here is the punch line. There is no such thing as accredited curriculum. Nope. Nada. Only schools can be accredited. Learning tools and resources that we refer to as curriculum cannot be accredited. I guess now you are probably wondering why some companies offer accredited homeschool programs. Let’s dive into that.
Homeschool Curriculum Accredited Programs
There are programs that claim to offer accredited homeschool options. Usually these programs are offered through schools that offer curriculum, record keeping services, and tell you how they expect you to homeschool your children. They will offer things like transcripts and diplomas that are official looking and carry the emblem of a real school. Sounds good, right?
The truth is, you don’t need any of these things to homeschool, or to successfully graduate your homeschooler. Even if you use one of these programs, as a parent you are still responsible to meet the requirements of your state. I homeschool in Colorado, and using an accredited private school in someplace like Kentucky will have no benefit. My state doesn’t recognize a school in another state as a legal homeschool option. So while these programs are being honest when they say they are accredited, the accreditation doesn’t really matter.
You can still use curriculum from these accredited schools as long as it meets your state requirements. Meeting those requirements and working within the boundaries of your states homeschool law is much more important than accreditation.
Accredited Homeschool Curriculum Quality
Accreditation is not a predictor of curriculum quality. Basically, there are accrediting bodies, which private schools usually pay to get their seal of approval. The school has to meet certain requirements, but this doesn’t mean that the curriculum is better than independent publishers that are not attached to a school.
I feel like accredited programs are often limited because they are operating within the standards of the accrediting body. This isn’t to say that the quality is bad, but one of the biggest benefits of homeschooling is meeting your child’s needs. We get to customize their education to their learning style. Kids are not standard and I think we do them a disservice when everything we use is standardized.
Online Schools
There are a lot of online schools that claim accreditation for homeschoolers. These still fall under the same category of other accredited homeschool curriculum. They might be accredited in the state or region in which they are located, but the accreditation probably doesn’t matter if you live elsewhere.
Online public school options have also grown in popularity. These programs are usually free and they are most likely accredited. Even though students are schooling at home, this isn’t technically homeschooling. I’m not a fan of homeschool snobbery and exclusivity, but I feel like it is worth mentioning that these aren’t really homeschool programs. For this post, I am writing specifically about homeschool programs.
Accredited Homeschool Curriculum Summary
- An accredited homeschool program is not necessary for high school graduation or college admission.
- No U.S. states require any type of homeschool accreditation.
- Accredited homeschool curriculum is a myth. Only schools can be accredited, not curriculum.
- Enrolling in an accredited homeschool program in another state won’t necessarily benefit you in another state.
- Accreditation is not a predictor of curriculum quality.
- Online public schools are probably accredited, but not actually homeschool programs.