Some Guiding Principles for Christian Homeschooling

Ministry More Than Education

Local church ministry and community service provide meaningful ways for young people to grow in their love for God and others. While these experiences are valuable and purpose-driven, families should carefully consider whether they are appropriate for academic credit, keeping in mind that their primary intent is spiritual and relational rather than academic.

Learning Beyond the Transcript

Not all educational experiences are structured in a way that qualifies for academic credit. While activities like international travel or home-based projects can offer meaningful learning, credit is generally awarded only when specific objectives are defined in advance and evaluated through formal methods such as tests, quizzes, or projects. These evaluations must demonstrate a measurable level of competency.

Intellectual Integrity

Academic integrity requires that the person responsible for instruction provides a safeguard against unethical practices. The following are safeguards to protect students from yielding to the temptation to cheat:

• All teacher keys/answer keys should be maintained by the parent.
• Parent/Teacher should maintain consistent active involvement in the educational process of each course.
• Grading and recording grades should be conducted by a responsible person other than the student.
• A parent’s Homeschool Hub password should be carefully protected from students.

Maximum Credit Load

Planning is essential to maintaining an appropriate balance of expected coursework and corresponding credit in each academic semester.
Attempting a high credit load in a single semester can create problems:

• Frustration for the student and parent
• Pressure on the student to skip essential assignments
• Limited value from each course attempted
• Questions of integrity from colleges upon review of the transcript

Credit-load average should be 3 hours per semester, not to exceed 3.5 hours per semester, which equates to a typical yearly load of 6 to 7 hours. Any attempt to exceed 3.5 hours in a semester should be approved by the AHE guidance department and will be based primarily on achievement-test scores. We recommend that core elective courses—such as keyboarding, basic computer applications, and physical education—be taken in 9th and 10th grades. As students mature in their educational development, later elective courses may be better suited to more challenging subjects or those aligned with future academic or career goals.

Systematic Grade Submission

• Use of a standard grading scale: Grades are assigned based on a defined system (e.g., ten-point scale), ensuring fairness and clarity.
• Regular evaluation: Both informal (e.g., questioning, homework) and formal (e.g., quizzes, tests, projects) assessments are used to measure progress.
• Grading Periods: Grade submission is organized by academic level, based on a 180-day school year: for students in grades 1–8, grades are submitted quarterly (every 45 days), while for students in grades 9–12, grades are submitted by semester (every 90 days).

Finishing Textbooks

• The teacher/parent should be the key in making educational decisions that are based on students’ individual needs and the classroom goals.
• It is important to aim for full completion of textbooks each year, although certain assignments may be omitted based on the needs and progress of the students.
• Curriculum is designed to help homeschool families meet personal, state, and national standards for learning, ensuring students are well-prepared for the next step in their education.
• Omitting key concepts can hinder future understanding of more complex topics and create learning gaps that may affect achievement-test results.

Standardized Testing

A complete battery of nationally standardized achievement tests is required each spring. These tests should be ordered through the AHE office since they are provided as a part of the annual administrative fee.

High school applicants and existing 8th grade AHE students must:

• Take a learning-abilities test.
• Obtain a standard-age score of at least 90*.
• Maintain a stanine at or above the 5th stanine.

The results of this testing will become part of the student’s permanent record and should support the weekly, quarterly, and semester grades.

*Tests for high school admission must be administered by an approved Test Administrator.