Getting Started in AppleCore:

 
  • New families should use Applecore to report grades. 
  • If you have grades in HSRO, it will be up to you to re-enter those grades into Applecore if you want them to be located in one account. 
  • We recommend you only re-enter high school courses into Applecore. 
  • All high school courses should be located in one account. 
  • DO NOT delete any records in HSRO!!!!
  • The grades in the HSRO account will always be available. However, we suggest parents make a hard copy for your files (under transcript in HSRO) and move only high school grades over from HSRO to AppleCore.


General Information:
  • Grades and attendance are reported twice a year (Mid January and Mid June).
  • Grades are submitted by logging into your HLA account and posting them online using Applecore.
  • Simply post final grades at the end of each Fall and Spring semester (not daily grades).
  • All high school grades must be letter or numerical grades and not Satisfactory/Excellent or Pass/Fail.
  • Summer session is optional and is available for those students taking summer courses or completing courses in the summer. The summer session is an extension of the previous school year. 
  • The School Year option is an option available when needing to quickly post records from previous years (additional fees may apply). 

Credits:

  • 22 Credits are required to graduate. (See Diploma Requirements)

  • 1 Credit = A full year course (such as Algebra 1) or approx. 150 hours of study for courses like Music and PE.
    • A one year course would be given .5 credits for each semester totaling 1 credit for the year.
    • Most homeschool curriculum is worth one credit, even if the student can do the work in less time or takes longer.
  • .5 Credit = A one semester course (such as Health) or approx. 75 hours of study.
    • A 1 semester course would be given .5 credits upon completion of the course.

Sample Grade Entry:
Algebra 1     Fall Semester A   .5 credit
Algebra 1     Spring Semester A   .5 credit
English 9     Fall Semester A- .5 credit  
English 9     Spring Semester B .5 credit
Health     Spring Semester B- .5 credit
*Biology w/ lab Fall Semester C .5 credit
*Biology w/ lab Spring Semester B+ .5 credit

*Note - No additional credits are given for the lab that accompanies science courses. 


Additional Information:

  • Dual enrollment courses equal 1 high school credit. Additional information
  • PE Credit: 150 hours of PE (structured or unstructured) = 1 credit. A student can get multiple credits but the course title should describe the activity, such as basketball, weightlifting, and etc. The portfolio is a great place to show a student's strong area if they receive awards.
  • Performing Arts/Music Credit: 150 hours of music, dance, choir, drama, or any combination of these = 1 credit. A student can get multiple credits but the course title should describe the activity, such as music performance, music theory, ballet and etc. Again, the portfolio is a great place to show a student’s strong areas.
  • Note: Since one credit is approx. 150 hours of study, or about 50 min. per day, we do not recommend giving more than 8 credits per year. That’s approx. 7 - 8 hrs. of study time per day.
  • Note: It is not necessary, however, to do the course in 50-minute increments, nor do you have to keep a log of the hours.
  • Note: For information about reporting high school grades from previous years when a student was not registered with a school, see Transfer Students.

Grading Scale

HLA’s grading scale -
  • Applecore uses a letter grade system.
  • The grading scale below will help you convert numerical grades into letter grades. Most HLA parent-teachers do not use percentage grades in their teaching and grading. However, if you do prefer to use percentage grades, the HLA grading scale is as follows:                                                 

  • A = 100 - 94
  • B = 93 - 86
  • C = 85 - 77
  • D = 76 - 70
  • F = 69 or below


NOTE:
  • All high school grades must be letter grades and not Satisfactory/Excellent or Pass/Fail.
  • You have the options of + or - with each letter grade.
  • A numerical grade of 93 would be a B+, whereas a 94 would be an A-. A 100 average would naturally be an A+.
  • If your child’s tutorial or paid class uses a different grading scale, follow the scale used by the tutorial/class.

Attendance

  • By law, a student must spend 4 hrs. per day doing “school work” for it to count as one day of attendance. And, yes, educational field trips and unconventional learning does count!
  • Simply report the total number of days attended for each semester.
  • If your student has transferred from another school, then the attendance from both schools are combined to equal 180 days.
  • Your HLA grade reporting account will reflect only those days done while attending HLA.
  • It is the parent’s responsibility to determine how many days of school a transfer student must complete to satisfy the 180 days. Usually a student will do 90 days per semester.
  • If a student has not completed all their work for the semester, go ahead and report grades for the work that has been done up to the grade reporting period. Students may continue working during the summer if necessary to complete course work. 


Reporting Grades

  • Log into your HLA account and click on Applecore.
  • The system is easy to use as it uses simple drop down menus.
  • A tutorial as well as FAQs are available in Applecore.
  • Be sure the student’s grade level and school year is correct.
  • Students who take both middle school and high school level courses in the same year - Report grades as usual but list high school courses as credited and assign the proper credit value. (Middle school courses would not be credited).
  • Please be as specific as possible when entering course titles.
  • As a rule, you will not list high school courses as general courses.
  • If you do not see the specific course title needed, simply select the course category such as Foreign Language and then type the specific course name such as Mandarin Chinese.
  • High school English courses are titled as English 9,10,11 and 12.
  • Dual Enrollment Courses should be titled according to the college course title - Eng. Comp 1., for example.
  • When selecting the student’s grade level, post the grade level that the student is in for the current school year (Not according to the curriculum used). All high school grades must be letter or numerical grades and not Satisfactory/Excellent or Pass/Fail.
  • Please DO NOT delete any previous grades, school years, or any student information (even if that student is no longer enrolled with HLA).
  • Portfolio - Used for extracurricular activities such as work experience, clubs/organizations, church work, service projects/volunteer work, leadership activities, awards earned, and etc. For additional information see (Transcripts & Portfolios).
  • The student's transcript should reflect academics while the portfolio reflects extra curricular activities to demonstrate a well rounded student.
  • If the college needs a copy of the portfolio, please specify this when requesting  transcripts.
  • Block scheduling is when a student completes a 1 year course in 1 semester (spending double time on that course). Students on a block schedule will take 3 or 4 courses per semester.
  • Electives - When grading elective courses such as music, art, PE, and work experience, when standard curriculum and examinations are not used, 150 hours of study equals 1 credit. You will have to give a grade according to the quality of work he/she performed, just like we do in the academic subjects. In situations where a student is working with others, such as a private music instructor, worship leader, or employer, ask them how they would rate the student's performance. Sometimes you don't even need to ask because usually we can tell the quality by the comments of their employer or other person affected by their performance. When the students are doing something they like, they are more likely to do their best, translating to an A or A+.