Poudre River School – High School

What is the difference between the diploma program and cover-only enrollment?

The Diploma Program allows your student to earn credits toward an official PRS transcript and diploma, whereas cover-only enrollment provides legal enrollment only.

See High School Enrollment Options for more details.

How do I assign high school credits for courses?

PRS uses Carnegie credits, where 1 credit represents 120-180 hours of work, but there are several ways to decide how many credits to assign for each course. See How to Assign High School Credits for more details and links to comprehensive guides and samples.

Can credits earned in 8th grade be included on my child’s PRS transcript?

Yes, high school credits will be accepted during 8th grade based on certain guidelines and limitations.

Select the option to apply for early high school credits when you register or renew your 8th-grade student. You will receive application instructions in your registration confirmation email. Once approved, 8th-grade credits will be shown on the high school transcript under 9th grade with a note indicating that they were earned during 8th grade. Diploma Program enrollment is required to submit credits during 8th grade.

Note: Early credits earned at other schools are accepted for transfer to PRS for students in grades 9-12 without completing an early credits application.

Does PRS have requirements or provide guidelines for high school credits?

Yes. Click to view High School Information for PRS graduation requirements and course recommendations.

While PRS does not require specific courses or any information about curricula, a certain number of credits in basic categories are required to earn a PRS diploma. It is totally up to you to decide how your child will earn those credits.

The PRS diploma requirements and recommended courses are fairly typical and modeled on what public schools require and what colleges expect to see. However, if your child is interested in attending college, it is a good idea to contact several possible colleges to ask what they look for on a transcript. If not, you should base course choices on what will be best for your child.

The Enrollment Agreement says that PRS may not approve all submitted credits. How do I know if my child’s credits will be accepted?

PRS has a clear process to follow to make sure that your child’s credits will be accepted.

PRS reviews all high school credits entered each semester. The two reasons for the review and approval are to make sure that your child’s transcript will present their accomplishments future colleges or employers accurately and to allow PRS to confidently issue an official transcript and diploma with PRS administrator’s signature.

Is my high school student required to earn a PRS diploma?

No, it is optional.

You are welcome to issue your own transcript and diploma if you prefer. In that case, you would register your student under the “cover only” option, and report a semester summary or unofficial grades without credits. This reporting keeps you in good standing with PRS by providing backup to the statement you will affirm each semester that your child has received a “basic academic education” as required by law.

Unofficial high school grades and semester summaries do not apply toward an official PRS transcript or diploma. To graduate your student, you would “transfer” your child’s grades and credits to your own homeschool transcript and issue a diploma yourself.

How do I view and print my child’s high school transcript?

You may access all of your student’s records from your account page, including high school transcripts.

  1. Click on the “Records/Reporting” link in the menu or next to your student’s name on your account page.
  2. Select the “High School Transcript” tab.
  3. Click on the “Download Unofficial Transcript” button.
  4. Click on the PDF icon in the upper right of the page to save a PDF copy of the transcript.
How do I request an official high school transcript?

To request an official transcript, visit the “Orders & Requests” tab on your student’s records page. Click on the “Order Official PRS Transcript” button and complete the form. Official transcripts may be sent by email or US Mail to schools. Parents may request paper copies by US Mail only. There is no charge for official high school transcripts.

Can non-credit courses be listed on a high school transcript?

Yes, they can.  

All high school (grade 9-12) courses are included on the transcript. To enter a non-credit high school course, select “0.00” under credits. This course will now be included on the transcript with no credits and will not affect GPA calculations.

How are dual enrollment or dual credit college courses recorded for a high school student?

A typical 3.00 credit college course should be reported on the PRS grades form as a 1.00 credit high school course. Select the high school credit category and then check “Other” to enter the course name. The name should include the abbreviated college name, the college course number, and the course name. Include high school credits only. Remember to select “College” for the course weight.

FRCC ELE480 FINANCIAL LITERACY

The above example shows a course taken through Front Range Community College (FRCC), the course number is ELE480, and the course name is Financial Literacy.

Does PRS offer a subject-based high school transcript?

Not at this time.

A subject-based PRS transcript may be made available in the future. Currently, the only format available is semester-based. This format is similar to what most public high schools use to record a student’s high school credits.

PRS acknowledges that by creating a high school transcript in this format, we are sometimes attempting to document a non-traditional education in a traditional format. Although this can benefit students who will need such a document to present themselves to people who are only familiar with traditional schooling, it isn’t the only way to do things.

If you prefer to issue a transcript in a different format, you may register your student under the “cover only” option, and issue your own homeschool transcript and diploma.

Does PRS have a school code for the ACT or SAT test?

No, PRS does not have a code. You should use the homeschool code instead.

School codes for college entry exams determine where the test results are sent. If you use the homeschool code, the results will be sent directly to you. You can then enter test scores to your child’s PRS transcript by entering them under “Student Records & Reporting” on your account page. It is also a good idea to upload a copy of the test results to your child’s files for reference.

Homeschool codes:
ACT: 969999
PLAN (pre-ACT test): 999-999
SAT: 970000
SAT Subject Tests: 970-000
PSAT/NMSQT: Not applicable

Does PRS provide work permits to allow students to work during school hours?

No. PRS is not authorized to provide work permits.

A work permit applies to employees under 16 working during school hours. PRS cannot provide a work permit because it must be issued by the district superintendent or someone designated by the superintendent. Simply tell the employer that your child is homeschooled. PRS can provide a letter stating that your child is homeschooled through PRS if a potential employer requires verification.

For more details, see Colorado Department of Labor Youth Law

Can I add high school credits from past years to my student’s PRS transcript?

You may transfer credits from another school or your homeschool to PRS. This can be done any time before graduation. There is a small fee for transcription. You will be prompted to pay the fee if you have not already. See detailed instructions below:

To transfer homeschool credits to PRS:

  1. Click on the “File Uploads” tab on your student’s records page.
  2. Upload a document containing the course names and credits for each grade level. A template is provided for your convenience (optional).
  3. Be sure to select “yes” when asked if this file includes credits to be applied to PRS graduation.
  4. There is a small fee for transcription. You will be prompted to pay the fee if you have not already.
  5. PRS will transcribe all courses and credits and you will receive an email when they are ready for you to review.

To transfer credits from a previous school:

  1. Click on the “Orders & Requests” tab on your student’s records page.
  2. Click on the blue “Transfer Credits to PRS” button under “Transfer High School Credits to PRS”
  3. There is a small fee for transcription. If you have not yet paid that fee, you will be directed to a payment page and then to a form to enter the school’s information.
  4. If the fee has already been paid, you will be taken directly to the school information form.
  5. PRS will request your student’s transcript and transcribe all courses and credits. You will receive an email when they are ready for you to review.