Five Steps Toward
Creating a Transcript
1. Understand the purpose of the transcript
and basic formatting guidelines.
2. Create a plan that covers core high
school requirements in a way that is
appropriate for the student’s learning
style, abilities, and goals.
3.Ac cumulate essential records using
Subject Worksheets and other organizational tools.
4. Create a blank transcript form on your
computer and fill it in, semester by
semester.
5. Calculate grades and record the grade
point average for each semester as it’s
completed.
1. The Purpose
of the Transcript
If you understand the purpose of the transcript, you can keep exactly the records
you need. A well-made transcript is similar
in format and function to a resumé. In just
one or two pages, it briefly summarizes
knowledge and experience in a way that
allows an evaluator to easily compare your
student to others. A transcript also can be a
marketing tool that helps a college admissions officer see the breadth and depth of
your student’s experiences.
2. Create a Master Plan
There are core subjects that need to be
covered on every high school transcript
(see sidebar), and there are many ways to
fulfill these basic requirements. You can
choose traditional textbooks, a literature-based curriculum, a satellite school,
classes in a co-op or community college, or
other options. As you create your high
school plan, be sure to talk with your teen
to discover special interests or preferences.
You’ll also need to consider his or her
learning style, plans for the future, and the
resources you have available. Just as in
earlier grades, you’ll find that learning
happens more easily when information is
presented in a way that is appropriate for
the student’s learning style. Auditory
learners do well with audio and video
resources, visual learners do well with
books, and kinesthetic learners do best
when they can move around and experience learning in a hands-on way. Each of
the required subjects can be covered in a
way that fits the learner.
If your student is college bound, or if he
or she will be earning college credits while
in high school (Get a Jump Start on
College explains how and why to do this),
you not only must keep excellent records,
but you also need to ensure that the classes
you’ve planned meet or exceed the admission requirements of the college your
student hopes to attend. Most colleges list
these requirements, along with the
academic profile of the average student
admitted, on the college website. State
graduation requirements are minimums—
it is the college’s expectations that should
guide your high school plans.
able to include extensive topical reading and
nontraditional activities on the transcript.
Other items to keep include representative
copies of student work, certificates and
awards, and test scores. Keep these organized in a notebook, and you’ll have easy
access to everything you need to create a
transcript and to provide supporting
evidence for the grades you grant.
3. Keep Essential Records
I suggest creating a Class Profile, with an
outline of readings and assignments, as a
plan for each specific course. You also may
record extra activities and readings by
subject on a form called the Subject
Worksheet. In addition to Class Profiles and
Subject Worksheets, have your student keep
reading and activities logs so that you’ll be
4. Create and Fill
In the Transcript
There is a children’s song that includes this
line: “Little by little, inch by inch; by the
yard, it’s hard; by the inch, what a cinch,”
and it’s so true. If you fill in the transcript
semester by semester, you’ll find that it’s
quite easy. If you wait until the night
before your student’s college application is
due, it’s going to be harder (but you can do
it). If you’re late in starting to keep records
or creating the transcript, don’t waste time
feeling guilty—just get started! There’s a
