Return to School
Regarding when a student returns to a Frederick County Public School (FCPS) from Home Instruction (Home Schooling) please understand that the Home Instruction Office does not assign credit to work accomplished while on home schooling, nor are we allowed to determine grade level, promotion or placement. Below are the steps a FCPS school takes when a student does enroll from home schooling. This information is taken from “Placement in Public Schools'' information found in the FCPS Regulation 400-49.
H. Placement in Public Schools
Upon receiving an application for admission to a public school from a student enrolled in a home instruction program, the principal shall initiate a review of applicable materials to determine placement and transfer credits.
1. Elementary and Middle Schools
a. The principal or designee shall review the portfolio of materials and/or transcripts, grade reports or progress reports to determine appropriate grade placement and grouping.
b. An evaluation, which may include standardized testing, informal testing and/or interviews with the child, may be conducted. Other school system personnel may assist in the review process as requested by the principal or designee.
c. Principals or designees and review teams may administer locally developed assessments as well as consider any available results of state-mandated assessments, as appropriate, to assist in determining appropriate grade or academic level placement and credits to be awarded toward high school graduation. These assessments are to be used in conjunction with the aforementioned portfolio review and interview. The locally developed assessment is not to be used in isolation to determine placement, grade or credits.
d. In lieu of grades, the designation “HI” (Home Instruction) shall be entered on the student’s report card and cumulative records. Such marks will not be included when calculating honor roll.
2. High Schools
a. A team established by the principal or designee shall review the portfolio of materials and/or transcripts, grade reports or progress reports to formulate recommendations about placement, grouping and any transfer credits to be awarded. The material being reviewed may include textbooks, student work, tests, syllabi, and/or transcripts, grade reports or progress reports from online programs or accredited or unaccredited colleges.
b. High school review teams may include the school counselor, department chairpersons for the four traditional academic subjects and a teacher from each area of proposed credit. Curriculum specialists and other administrative personnel may also be included on the review team, as deemed appropriate by the principal or designee.
c. Principals or designees and review teams may administer summative assessments as well as consider any available results of state-mandated assessments, as appropriate, to assist in determining appropriate grade or academic level placement and credits to be awarded toward high school graduation. These assessments are to be used in conjunction with the aforementioned portfolio review and interview. The summative assessment is not to be used in isolation to determine placement, grade or credits.
d. The high school principal or designee shall determine any credits to be awarded toward high school graduation, using the recommendations from the school review team.
(i) The principal or designee shall inform the parent or guardian, in writing,about decisions to award credit toward high school graduation
e. In lieu of grades, the designation “HI” (Home Instruction) shall be entered on the student’s report card and cumulative records. Such marks will not be included when calculating GPA, honor roll and class rank.
As you can see from above, the FCPS school may ask to review the documents in 1a above. You as the parent would provide the home school materials you have available.