We always talk about keeping records for high school. I know you’ve probably heard it from everyone if you’re headed into homeschooling the high school years. Keep records! Don’t forget to keep records!

It actually is super important. You’ll need to keep track of what you’re putting down as a credit on their transcript. You’ll also need notes about what they did for when you write the school description and counselor letter in their college applications. Some colleges and universities specifically want course descriptions from homeschooled students, or the descriptions may help show your student in a positive light. A few colleges even ask for a book list.

As I got ready for my twins’ ninth grade year, I didn’t find the exact planning pages I wanted for my own record keeping, so I whipped up my own and I’m sharing them here.

A lot of people want to know just what records they need to keep and what exactly they need to require from their high school student. In these printables, we’ve made a customizable checklist for you to use with notes about the standard course requirements from the majority of states and colleges. If you’re an independent homeschooler, you make your own requirements! You can decide what your minimum requirements are, as well as your goals.

The yearly and course description pages help outline everything you might need to note about your student’s high school. A list of courses, grades, and how many credits each course is worth is the first step for recordkeeping. If the course had a provider, such as an online class, you need to note that, as well as the instructor and the text. If you purchased a curriculum, you should note that. If you designed the course, you need to note what you used as a spine and possibly a full book list. Sometimes you should keep track of what labs you did for science courses. If a course was through an online provider, it’s good to have a copy of their course description. Remember that you can always make a course up out of multiple shorter outside courses coupled with your own assignments. Or, if an outside course is enough, then you can cut and paste their description into your records.

It’s also good to keep track of extracurriculars, community service hours, and any awards or special courses that a student is able to do. Finally, it’s always good to set goals, so I included a goal setting page. At the bottom of each yearly page are small checklist reminders for getting ready for college, if that’s in your student’s plans.

You can find our free high school planner pages here! Feel free to share them!