Iowa City Superintendent, Lane Plugge says, “If you want a diploma, you have to go to school here:”

<a href="http://www.dailyiowan.com/2009/11/10/Metro/14260.html"School Board eyes homeschool rules
Daily Iowan

BY HOLLY HINES | NOVEMBER 10, 2009 7:20 AM

Homeschooled students in Iowa City may need to attend a district high school for at least two years to receive a diploma under a newly proposed policy change.

The Iowa City School Board will conduct a first reading of the policy — which would require the students to enroll full-time for two-consecutive years — at its meeting today.

At the moment, the district has no policies on the issue, officials said.

Superintendent Lane Plugge said district officials have seen a recent increase in homeschooled students transferring into the district for only one trimester to earn a diploma.

“If you want a diploma, you have to go to school here,” Plugge said, and he views district programming as an important element of graduating from the district.

So, families have been homeschooling and then at the last minute squeezing in a little school so they can get the ‘conventional’ diploma. Why?

Chris Kolarik, an administrator for the Iowa City Home School Assistance Program, said the number of homeschooled students reaching a high-school level of education has gradually increased since the program started in 1992.

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Kolarik said the students and district officials would likely benefit from the policy changes clarifying the requirements.

Jan Krieger, a teaching supervisor for the home-schooling program, agreed.

Diplomas are not necessary for homeschooled students to attend most colleges, she said, and many have webpages outlining admission requirements specific to homeschooled students.

The UI admits homeschooled students based on their transcripts, study areas, and ACT or SAT scores, according to the Office of Admissions website.

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As homeschooling becomes more popular, these are issues that need to be addressed,” she said.

Tags: admission requirements, Daily Iowan, first reading of the policy, HOLLY HINES, home-schooling program, homeschool rules, homeschooled students, Iowa City School Board, Lane Plugge, policy changes

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