How to Create Your Teen's High School Plan

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(This article is adapted/condensed from Vicki’s one-hour workshop, Planning for High School: From Goals to Graduation.)

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If you’ve ever thought, “Homeschooling through high school sounds scary!” — take a deep breath. You’ve been teaching this student for years already, and you can absolutely do this next step. It’s just a matter of good planning, a bit of record-keeping, and a clear sense of your goals.

(If homeschooling is new to you, you can do this! You may want to start with So You’ve Decided to Homeschool…NOW What?)

Start with the End in Mind

Before you start picking textbooks and other resources, take time to think about your goals — both yours and your teen’s.

Why are you homeschooling? Your Why will impact your What and your How.

What would you like your graduate to know, be, and do by the end of high school? Are you preparing for college admission, trade school, military service, or direct entry into the workforce? These goals will guide your choices for coursework, electives, and the level of academic rigor you’ll need. In other words: let the destination determine the map route.

Determine Your Own Requirements

Every state sets its own guidelines for graduation credits, but as homeschoolers, you are not obligated to use that checklist (because your student is not receiving a state-issued diploma). You get to decide what you will require for graduation. Keep in mind that your goal is not just to graduate your student, but to prepare him for his next step in life, so it would be wise to check with the school or program he may attend next and ask, “What will you need from my student for him to be admitted?” (Better yet, have your teen ask!)

While their list may have a few variations, you will likely discover that their list may be very similar to your local high school’s, something like this:

4 credits of English or Language Arts
3–4 credits of Math (Algebra I and II, Geometry, and possibly Pre-Calculus or Consumer Math)
3 credits of Science (including labs)
3–4 credits of Social Studies (World History, U.S. History, Government, Economics, etc.)
2 credits of Foreign Language
Health, PE, and electives

Add anything else your family deems important, keeping in mind the realistic workload or expectations for each course.

You can tailor these requirements to your child’s interests and future needs — for example, the specific foreign language your student chooses may be related to an upcoming missions trip or an interest in a particular culture or a future field of work or study. Electives may be focused on areas of talent or interest, such as music or culinary arts or coding or animal husbandry, or whatever sparks your student’s passion for learning.

Create a Four-Year Plan

A high school course of study is simply a roadmap showing what classes your student will take each year. Start by listing your required and elective subjects, then divide them by grade level. Mark off anything already completed. This helps you see the big picture and stay on track.

High school doesn’t have to be simply “checking off the boxes” until graduation, when your student can get on with his “real life” — this is his real life now! It’s a great time for your student to think about some of his passions and interests and how those can be explored in more detail in high school. One benefit of homeschooling is the opportunity for you to tailor the course work to reflect your child’s interests and ambitions and to pursue the skills needed to move into the next season of life after high school.

Encourage your teen to help plan — ownership builds motivation and maturity.

(Note: Some eighth grade students are ready to begin tackling high school level work—especially in core academic subjects such as math, science, or foreign language. These courses could be considered for a high school transcript and would be incorporated into your plan.)

Write Course Descriptions

A course description is just a short paragraph summarizing what a student studied and how the grade was determined. For example:

Ancient World History (1 credit):
Overview of ancient civilizations, including Egypt, Greece, Rome, and the Middle Ages. Includes reading from historical fiction and non-fiction, map work, written reports, and projects. Grade based on reading assignments, discussions, and final project.

These are especially helpful when preparing a transcript for college admission or scholarships (or on the very rare occasion that a school may ask what an unconventional-sounding class was all about).

Track Credits, Grades, and GPA

Each subject earns a credit based on time invested, completion of a text or a project, or mastery of material — typically 120–150 hours for a full credit. Grades can be calculated by weighting content, mechanics, and effort. To determine GPA, multiply the grade points by the number of credits, add them up, and divide by total credits.

Don’t let this part intimidate you — once you’ve done it once or twice, it becomes second nature.

Include Unconventional Studies

Not every subject fits neatly into a textbook. Homeschooling allows flexibility for learning through co-ops, volunteer work, part-time jobs, apprenticeships, or life skills.
Keep good records and document what was learned — it may qualify as elective credit!

Maintain Records and Transcripts

Why am I including the transcript –which comes near the end — in the planning process? I used my initial four-year-plan-at-a-glance as the basis of my transcript: I created it as a Word table and then just adjusted each semester to reflect actual course names (for example, Foreign Language 1 might become French 1), so the plan was essentially my transcript worksheet.

So, thinking ahead…. what will go on the final version? Your transcript is the official summary of your teen’s high school level academic work. Include:

Course titles, grades, and credits
Cumulative GPA
Test scores (optional)
Graduation date
Parent’s signature and date

While not required, a separate portfolio with reading lists, writing samples, course descriptions, awards, and extracurricular records can be helpful for college applications or job interviews. See more here: How to Create a High School Transcript

Keep the Real Focus

Homeschooling high school isn’t just about credits and checklists — it’s about preparing your young adult for life. As you walk alongside your teen through these years, you’re not only helping them develop responsibility, character, and confidence — you’re also building a relationship that will last a lifetime.

Working together on goals, projects, and real-world decisions gives you countless opportunities for meaningful conversations and shared experiences. Those day-to-day interactions can deepen trust, strengthen your connection, and lay the foundation for a lifelong friendship between parent and young adult.

Homeschooling high school gives you the precious gift of time — time to guide, to mentor, and to truly know your child before they step into adulthood.

You Can Do This!

With clear goals, organized records, and flexibility, you can give your teen a solid, well-rounded high school education — one that reflects your family’s values and your student’s unique gifts.

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If you need help mapping it out, I do offer an extended seminar with forms, samples, and resources to help you homeschool high school with confidence — from goals to graduation; you can find the notes in our Shop. For more specific guidance, learn more here about my personal consultation options.

This article is adapted/condensed from Vicki’s one-hour workshop, Planning for High School: From Goals to Graduation.