THE STUDENT GUIDE
-- Getting Started in the CVC Program
Contents:
Step 1: Looking Through the CVC Program
ix
Step 2: Getting to Know Your CVC Supervisors
xiii
Step 3: Taking Your Educational Inventory
xiv
Step 4. Deciding What Courses to Take and What CVC Certificates You Want
xiv
Step 5: Recording Your Previous Experience and Studies
xv
Step 6: Starting the Courses
xv
Step 7: Filling In Study Record Forms
Step 8: Applying for Your High School Diploma
xvii
Step 9: Applying for Christian and Vocational Proficiency Certificates
xvii
Step 10: Have Fun!
xviii
Educational Inventory
xix
* * *
Welcome to the CVC program. In The Student Guide we will take you step-by-step through the program so you will learn how to get the greatest benefit from it. As you look over the CVC Program of Studies, you will see how the program is set up. The CVC program is divided into three departments: Academic Studies (high school), Christian Studies, and Vocational Studies. This program makes extensive use of already published Family reading and reference materials, and helps you record and build on the training and experience you already have had, or are presently getting, in the Family. The program allows each person to get special recognition for his or her own unique educational experience.
All pages of the CVC program may be photocopied and adapted to your own need and use. If you are working towards a certain certificate, you may find it helpful to make your own record book by photocopying the various pages, forms, checklists or items needed. This is not essential, however, as for those of you who have a personal copy of the CVC program, you are free to record your studies and progress there if you wish.
The Ten Steps to Starting the CVC Program
If you are 14 years old or older and live in a Family Home, you may begin the CVC program immediately! Let's work through the ten steps you should go through to get started.
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STEP 1:
LOOKING THROUGH THE CVC PROGRAM
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If you have not already done so, you should take time now to read the following articles and publications:
* FSMs 288 and 291: The Christian Vocational College Series, Parts One and Two.
* "Christian Vocational College Program: General Introduction": This is the formal introduction to the CVC program found at the beginning of your CVC notebook. Although this is quite a formal introduction, addressed mainly to non-Family members, you will find it has a lot of practical information in it, and gives you a quick summary of the program.
OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM
To become familiar with the program, take a little time to flip through the material and see for yourself how it is presented and organized. It is arranged in "chapters." The page numbering system refers to the chapter number, topic and page number. For example, "7.COM.1" means "chapter 7, Communications Department, page 1."
1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION (page iii-viii)
2. STUDENT GUIDE (page ix-xxiv)
3. COURSE OF STUDIES FOR EACH DEPARTMENT:
* Academic Studies (pages numbered 1.ACD.1, etc.)
* Christian Studies (pages 2.REL.1, etc.)
* Child Care and Education (pages 3.EDU.3, etc.)
* Industrial Arts (pages 4.IND.1, etc.)
* Home Economics (pages 5.HME.1, etc.)
* Secretarial and Business (pages 6.BUS.1, etc.)
* Communications (pages 7.COM.1, etc.)
* Creative and Performing Arts (pages 8.ART.1, etc.)
* Survival Skills (pages 9.SUR.1, etc.)
Each of the above departments contains the following three sections:
Courses Available:This section contains the CVC courses presently available in each department, along with a general description of each course and its credit value. You will see there are lots of courses to choose from.
Certification (Course and Credit) Requirements: This second section tells you what courses you are required to take and how many credits you will need to get your high school diploma, and to earn proficiency certificates in Christian and Vocational Studies. This is the section you will need to refer to when you are making specific plans about what you want to study.
Reading Lists and Practical Requirements: This section lists suggested reading material to study for the courses in each department. You will notice that beside each reading list item is a check box for you to record what you have read or done. As you check off items, or as you add items to the list, this section becomes an important part of your personal CVC progress record.
4. APPENDIX A: STUDENT FORMS AND RECORDS (pages A.1, etc.)
This is a collection of the various records and forms used in the program. Forms will be referred to by their title or by their form number. If you look at a CVC form you will see a small number printed in the lower right-hand corner. For example, on the High School Studies Record form, the form number at the lower right corner reads "CVC Form HSR-001." So in referring to this form, we might call it the High School Studies Record form, or just call it the HSR-001 form.
Originals of all of your student forms and records and recommendations should be kept in your own personal achievement portfolio.
The main forms that you will find in this section include:
High School Studies Record (HSR-001)
This is the record form for recording all courses you complete towards your high school diploma.
High School Studies Record Supplement (HSR-002)
This form is just in case you run out of space on the main form and need another page.
Vocational/Christian Studies Record (VSR-001) and Supplement (VSR-002)
Use these forms to record your progress in Vocational or Christian Studies, as you work towards various Vocational or Christian Studies Proficiency Certificates. A separate copy of each form must be used for each certificate you are working towards.
Vocational/Christian Experience Log (VEL-001) and Supplement (VEL-002) to keep record of your on-the-job vocational or Christian training.
Verification of Course Attended form (VCA-001) for recording special studies, courses, seminars, lectures, etc., either within or outside the Home.
Verification of Vocational Experience form (VVE-001) for recording vocational experience or training received outside the Home.
Portfolio Contents form (PC-001) to record material collected as proof of your vocational training.
MORE ABOUT EXPERIENCE LOGS
(Note: Please keep in mind that labor laws generally do not permit children to have jobs, but students in many countries are permitted to take part-time jobs or gain work experience and training. When in doubt, parents or shepherds should consult with government employment agencies for specifics concerning current age/labor restrictions in your area or country.)
The information filled out on your Experience Log needs to be as accurate as possible. Each entry should be initialed by a Vocational Training Overseer or CVC Course Supervisor.
You can tell which courses have "experience requirements" by their name and number and credits. The name of the course will usually mention the word "experience," the course number will be "00" and the credits are usually 4 or more. (For example: BUS OS-00 Office Experience.)
You will need to use a separate copy of this form for each certificate you are working towards. Note that at the top of each Experience Log, it specifically asks you to state which certificate you are working towards. By filling this out right at the beginning, it should help you to be sure to log your on-the-job training on the right form.
You would not, for example, record the hours of teaching time you spent with children on the same form as you record the hours of time you spent landscaping the property, as those areas of training fall under different departments. Likewise, you would not record your hours of baby care on the same form as you record your hours of teaching seven-year-olds, as in one case you would be working towards a "Baby Care" certificate and in the other case you would be working towards a "Primary Education" certificate.
In some cases, the experience you have working towards certain certificates will overlap, such as the experience you record for the "Maintenance and Repair" and "Construction Skills" certificates in the Industrial Arts Department; or the "Baby Care" and "Child Care" certificates in the Child Care and Education Department. Or the experience you have working towards certificates in "Christian Outreach," "Christian Counseling," and "Christian Leadership" will overlap. In such cases, the same experience can be recorded on more than one form, and thus the hours would be counted towards the different certificates.
Keeping track of your job training experience is your responsibility. Without having this form (VEL-001) completed and approved, it will not be possible to receive your certificate.
Recording Past Vocational Experience
Since the CVC program is available for those 14 years old and older, new students who are older than 14 will probably have past vocational training that they should receive credit for. For example, if you are 16 years old and for the last two years you have received training in caring for children, or perhaps you have done a number of construction projects, the Vocational/Christian Experience Log is the form you would fill out in order to get credit for your previous hours of experience. In this case, you would not fill out the hourly record, but only approximate the total number of hours. Your Vocational Training Overseer should then sign the section of the form called "Verification of Student's Job Experience."
One thing you could also do (perhaps during some of your vocational study time) is write a report, clearly outlining all of your experience and training in a certain field. For example, if you have completed 240 hours (or a portion of it) of office or business experience and would like to obtain credits for BUS OS-00 Office Experience, or BUS BM-00 General Business Experience, you could write a rsum or summary outlining your office work experience. This should then be stapled to your Vocational/Christian Experience Log .
When a student applies for credits for an "experience" course for which they have completed the required hours of training, yet do not have accurate daily logs of the work accomplished in the past, then a summary Vocational/Christian Experience Log and/or a rsum outlining your experience, verified by your supervisor, is sufficient. Any other material that can be added to prove your work experience, such as photos, letters of reference or recommendation from those you worked with, sang for, those whose children you cared for, etc., would be good to add to this.
Does experience and study count before the students are 14? The CVC program is for students age 14 years and older, and CVC Certificates are not available to those under age 14. We suggest that teachers and parents keep a good record of the material the JETTs study and the classes they have, as these can be recorded on their CVC reading lists once they enter the CVC program. Selected and appropriate "Reading Lists and Practical Requirements," sections can be made available to JETTs for their use in keeping record of materials studied. The JETTs themselves can check off items read. When they enter the CVC program, these records can be used to update each one's CVC records, with the approval of an overseer who confirms that the student has studied and absorbed the material. Before updating their CVC records, new teens may need to reread some of the material they covered as JETTs if their overseer feels they would benefit from a more in-depth study of the material. Overseers can give the new teens a simple oral quiz to determine this.
However, while the reading and study material you cover before you are 14 will be recognized as CVC prep, there is no need to record hours of "work experience" (daily chores or skills training) before your 14th birthday. Only Christian and vocational experience after your 14th birthday will be acknowledged for CVC credit. Once you enter the CVC program at 14 years old, you can begin recording your OJT (on-the-job training) hours.
Of course, we know you have all probably done plenty of daily chores and have had lots of home skills training when you were younger, but though you won't get CVC "credit" for it, the Lord will give you credit, as He sees and rewards your "labors of love." (See Heb.6:10.) God bless you!
5. APPENDIX B: SUPPLEMENTARY COURSES AND RESOURCES (pages B.1, etc.)
In this section you will find an assortment of non-Family material listed that you might want to use to supplement this program. However, just because something is listed in this section does not mean that we agree with everything found in it, or think that it is the best available. This is simply a list of materials offered by secular and Christian sources that generally seem to be okay and helpful. You will find suggestions for various textbooks and workbooks, educational computer programs, educational videos, etc.
If you are lacking reference materials, ask your shepherds, teachers, parents or CVC Course Supervisor (see page xiii) to help you find what you need. Your CVC Instruction Coordinator (see page xiii) may already have information on what courses and resources are available locally. You might find you can get good material from a school or library for some studies and subjects, especially those that we have not yet recommended reference material for. There may be useful instructional videos available in your local video stores or libraries. We also hope to make available a number of instructional videos via your CVC Instruction Coordinator.
If you do decide to use any of the non-Family materials listed here, or other materials that you find, we would be very interested and appreciative of any comments or evaluations you can offer, as we want to find the best material available, and be able to advise others of any not-so-helpful, or inaccurate, material to avoid. (Please send any such evaluations to your CVC Instruction Coordinator, or to the Christian Vocational College address on page xiii of this Student Guide.)
CVC COURSE NAMES AND NUMBERS
The CVC is divided into three general study areas or departments:
1. ACADEMIC STUDIES (High School)
2. CHRISTIAN STUDIES
3. VOCATIONAL STUDIES (made up of 7 separate departments)
Under the Academic and Christian Studies departments, you will find various related study areas or sub-departments listed. Vocational Studies is made up of 7 separate departments. We have put a letter code by each course. Learning what these course letter codes mean will help you locate courses more quickly in the various sections, even if you only know the course code and number. It will also be helpful to understand how to read and write course letter codes and number codes when it comes to proposing your own course suggestions.
Let's look at how these codes work. If you look at the "Courses Available" section of one of the departments, you will see that each course usually begins with three (sometimes two) identification letters or course code letters. Courses under the Academic and Vocational departments begin with different codes for each department or subject. All courses in the Christian Studies department begin with "REL" for "religion."
Most courses listed in the program begin with an initial three-letter code followed by a more specific two-letter code describing the sub-category, and that is followed by a number. For example, all English language courses begin with "ENG," followed by a two letter code for whatever special aspect of English study the course is about. So, if the course is about English grammar (GR), the course name will be "ENG GR" followed by whatever number of course in that "English Grammar" series it is. Therefore the third course in the grammar series would be labeled "ENG GR-03." If there is no specific sub-category, as in some math courses for example, the first two letters of the main code are repeated for the sub-category code, i.e. "MAT MA-03." As you work with the CVC courses you will soon be able to identify what study area or department a course is from.
You will find the high school academic section listed first for the sake of convention and convenience and not because we consider it more important than the Christian studies section or the vocational studies section.
For your quick review, here is a summary of the main studies and sub-categories found in each department. We have included the main subject codes used for the courses in parentheses beside each one.
ACADEMIC STUDIES DEPARTMENT (High School)
1. Language Arts (ENG -- short for "English"), Reading (RD), English Grammar (EG), Spelling (SP), Poetry (PT), Literature (LT)
2. Mathematics (MAT), General Math (MA)
3. Science (SCI), General Science (SC), Biology (BI)
4. Social Studies (SOC), World History (WH), Current Events (CE), Economics (EC), Geography and Travel (GE).
5. Foreign Language (FL)
6. Health and Personal Development (HPD)
7. Physical Education (PE)
CHRISTIAN STUDIES DEPARTMENT (REL)
1. Bible Knowledge (BK)
2. Christian History and Heritage (HH)
3. Christian Service (CS)
4. Christian Outreach (CO)
5. Christian Counseling (CN)
6. Christian Leadership (CL)
VOCATIONAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT
1. Child Care and Education (EDU), Baby Care (BC), Child Care (CC), Youth Counseling [JETTs and teens] (YT), Primary and Secondary Education [teacher training] (TT)
2. Industrial Arts (IND), Maintenance and Repair (HM), Construction Skills (CT), Mechanical Maintenance (MS), Basic Electronics (EL), Family Driver (FD)
3. Home Economics (HME), General Home Economics (HE), Cooking and Food Services (FS), Domestic and Personal Service (DM), Sewing and Needlework (SW)
4. Secretarial and Business (BUS), Office and Secretarial Skills (OS), Business Management (BM), Public Relations (PR), Sales and Marketing (SM)
5. Communications (COM), Writing and Journalism (JR), Photography (PH), Audio Recording (AU), Video Production (VP), Computer Applications (CP), Publishing and Printing (PN), Sign Language (SL), Foreign Languages (FL), Teaching English as a Second Language (ESL)
6. Creative and Performing Arts (ART), Performing Arts (PF), Music (MU), Art (AR)
7. Survival Skills (SUR), Home Safety and First Aid (FA), Disaster Readiness (DS), Urban Survival (UR), Wilderness Survival (WS), Farming Basics (FB)
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STEP 2:
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CVC SUPERVISORS
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Who is in charge of the CVC program and who do you contact to answer your questions?
1. FAMILY EDUCATIONAL SERVICES
The CVC program was developed by the World Services Family and Education Department. If you have any major concerns that can't be answered locally, or by your CVC Instruction Coordinator (see point 2 below), you can write to WS through your CVC Instruction Coordinator or at the address below [note: this address and phone number replaces those found in the printed version of this booklet]:
Christian Vocational College
14542 Brook Hollow #166
San Antonio, Texas 78232 USA
Fax: (210) 490-4549
Phone: (210) 697-3272
E-mail: CVCollege@aol.com
The above correspondence office will also handle or forward to WS any special or non-Family inquiries concerning the program.
2. THE CVC INSTRUCTIONAL COORDINATOR
The Family and Education Department in each Continental Area of the Family will have one or more CVC Instruction Coordinator(s) who will keep CVC records and issue diplomas and certificates. Your CVC Instruction Coordinator can be contacted through your Reporting Office.
3. THE CVC COURSE SUPERVISOR
Though you can pretty much follow the CVC program on your own, it is often easier if someone with more experience helps you through the different steps. Your Home should choose a suitable CVC Course Supervisor for the young people in your Home. Course Supervisors should be of legal age, with skills suited to the task of overseeing your general educational progress, as they will need to be a witness of your progress and sign your forms, as well as help test you, or in other ways help you meet diploma and certificate requirements. This person does not need to have special qualifications, but ideally it should be either someone in your Home, or someone who regularly comes to your Home who is interested in your education.
If you don't have a CVC Course Supervisor, you should present your need and any suggestions you have to your Home Council. Your Course Supervisor should be someone acceptable to you and your Home, who will take a personal interest in helping you succeed in the program.
4. THE VOCATIONAL TRAINING OVERSEER (VTO)
You likely will need a number of Vocational Training Overseers to help you through the vocational part of the CVC program. These are those talented individuals who will help to train you in your different ministries. The Childcare Teamworker, or one of your Home's teachers may be your Vocational Training Overseer(s) in the area of childcare. The Business Teamworker or a provisioner or a secretary may be your Vocational Training Overseer(s) in the areas of business and secretarial training. The handyman may be your Vocational Training Overseer in the area of Industrial Arts. In some practical studies, you may learn from video courses. In those cases, your VTO would be the person on video giving the class, so your Course Supervisor would be the one to sign the appropriate forms.
You may not be able to learn certain needed skills from other Family members, and you may need to consider going to outside classes or getting outside tutors. When this is needed, your CVC Course Supervisor or VTO may help you arrange for vocational training classes with skilled non-Family professional people in the various areas of expertise that you are studying. Such a decision should be made prayerfully in counsel with others in your Home, as per the Love Charter, point 9. J, page132.
If you do take outside courses, we suggest you use the Verification of Course Attended form (VCA-001), or something similar which you create for your situation, on which you ask the instructor to fill in their name, position, and date, and describe what classes or instruction they gave you, and if they so desire, any evaluation they have of your skills. If using one of these forms is not appropriate, perhaps you could ask the instructor to write a letter verifying the training you received. You may find first aid classes, haircutting classes, computer programming classes, survival classes, etc., being offered to the public. Be sure to obtain records of all education you receive in this way.
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STEP 3:
TAKING YOUR EDUCATIONAL INVENTORY
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At the end of the Student Guide (page xix), you will find an "Educational Inventory" which we suggest you take some of your study time to complete. The main purpose of this step is to help you evaluate your education and training in the Family -- especially since your 14th birthday -- and begin to record important details in an orderly fashion. This will help you with the next step in the program.
The results of this inventory are not required when you apply for certificates or diplomas. This inventory is for your own reference, so that you and your parents and your CVC Course Supervisor can counsel together and evaluate what you should do next in the program. Be sure to fill in the date on your inventory and keep it with your CVC portfolio.
If you think of other appropriate questions, add them in the space provided at the end of the inventory.
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STEP 4:
DECIDING WHAT COURSES TO TAKE AND WHAT CVC CERTIFICATES YOU WANT
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From doing the "Educational Inventory," we hope you now have a better feel for what study areas you have the most experience, training and interest in. Next, let's talk about what courses you would like to take in the CVC program.
Several of the academic courses are required in order to obtain a high school diploma. That means that you are required to take them or at least be able to pass either an oral or written test in them to prove you know the material. So, if it is your desire to get a high school diploma, you will need to look at what courses you have already completed, and what additional courses you need. (Refer to Academic Studies Department: "Course and Credit Requirements" for this information.)
None of the rest of the CVC courses are "required." -- You are free to choose them, based on your desires, aptitude, talents, and the needs and training opportunities available in your Home or Area. Some vocational courses may not be so easy for you to get practical experience in because of where you live, or the ministries that your Home or Area is involved in. For the most part, however, you should be able to find enough courses that relate to your personal interests or the ministries that you enjoy doing and learning about.
In each department, the "Courses Available" section shows you an overview of many things our Family teens around the world are actually doing and learning, or could be learning. Naturally, not everyone can learn or do the same thing at the same time in the same place, but no matter where you live in our worldwide Family, you are very likely doing a lot and learning a lot, or could be learning a lot, right where you are. Please do not sit down with the CVC program and lament about some course that others elsewhere may be taking that is not available to you. Rather, find all the things that you are doing or could be doing right where you are, things that you enjoy and can get credit for.
While some areas of training listed in some departments may not be available in your Area, remember that you may very likely be doing something else in your Home or Area that no other Homes in the world are doing. If this is the case, and if you find that a course you wish to study or are already doing is not presented in the CVC, you can write up the course contents and suggest reference material, credits, etc., and have the new course approved by your CVC Course Supervisor. (CVC Course Supervisors, please send new course suggestions to your CVC Instruction Coordinator. See CVC Form NCA-001.)
There are many different Christian Studies and Vocational Proficiency Certificates available. The "Certification Requirements" sections in each department give you a listing of the courses that are needed for each certificate.
Look through each of the "Certification Requirements" sections and take time now to decide what certificates you would like to work towards. Once you decide what certificates you want, go to the "Courses Available" section of the department(s) you are interested in and look up the experience course requirements for each certificate area you are most interested in. The experience course is usually listed first. It is the only course that ends with the numbers "00." Have you already accumulated some job experience hours in those areas? If so, you are ready to begin Step 5.
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STEP 5:
RECORDING YOUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE AND STUDIES
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Once you are familiar with the CVC courses and requirements, and have completed the "Educational Inventory" described in STEP 3, you should be ready to record your previous experience on some Vocational/Christian Experience Logs (CVC form Vel-001), and your previous studies on some Vocational/Christian Studies Record forms (CVC form VSR-001). You may need to use several copies of these forms, one for each study area in which you have practical experience or training.
Fill in your name and birthday. Remember to record on the Experience Log only your experience after you turned 14. However, studies done previous to age 14 can be recorded in the "Reading Lists and Practical Requirements" sections and can be filled out on a Vocational/Christian Studies Record form, with the approval of your overseer (as mentioned on page xi). Fill in the date you are beginning your CVC program.
These forms ask for two other pieces of information: the certificate you desire, and the course you want the experience record to apply to. If you are not sure what to put here, then look back at the last part of Step 4, and refer to the "Certification Requirements" section(s) of the department(s) you are interested in. If you are interested in both Baby Care and Christian Outreach, then you would fill in the "certificate desired" line as "Baby Care" on one form, and "Christian Outreach" on the other. In the blank by the words, "Course number/name" on the form for Baby Care you would write "EDU BC-00 Baby Care (Practical Experience)," and on the form for Christian Outreach you would write, "REL CO-00 Christian Outreach Experience."
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STEP 6:
STARTING THE COURSES
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Once you have decided what main study areas you want to work in, you are ready to begin selecting what specific courses you should begin doing. Let us say that you have decided to get a high school diploma. You will now have to decide what specific courses you need to take in each study area. In the Academic Studies department, the "Course and Credit Requirements" section outlines how many credits you will need in each study area to get your high school diploma. The nice thing about the CVC program is that at the same time as you work toward your high school diploma, you also are making progress in two other study areas because part of the high school diploma requirements are 20 credits of Christian Studies and 20 credits of Vocational Studies. As you may have noticed, this is also the common minimum number of credits needed to obtain a Christian Studies or a Vocational Proficiency Certificate. Hence, by the time you get your high school diploma you might be able to receive two other certificates as well. It pays to plan what you study ahead of time so you can put emphasis on what you need. You will probably have partial credits and experience building up in several other areas towards other certificates as well, so be sure to keep good records of what you are doing. Do your best to organize your time and plan out your study program to make the best use of your activities and learning opportunities.
The "Courses Available" and "Reading Lists and Practical Requirements" sections together form the syllabus of the CVC program. A syllabus is "an outline of the main points of a text, lecture or a course of study." The nice thing about the "Reading Lists and Practical Requirements" sections is that they not only give suggestions about what to read, but each section is set up so you can check off each item you read or do. This section then becomes not only part of the syllabus, but at the same time the actual record of each student's progress in a course. CVC Course Supervisors and others can see at a glance what progress you are making. Then when it comes time to apply for a certificate, you can photocopy the appropriate sections and send them in with your application for certification. (Note: Most courses have a wide range of reference items to choose from. Generally speaking, students will be expected to have read at least 75% of the suggested items, or a specific amount where indicated, or some suitable substituted equivalent in order to qualify for credits.)
As you begin to more clearly see what academic, Christian and vocational study areas you are most interested in and have perhaps made the most progress in already, you can begin to look more closely at the specific courses offered in each study area.
(Note: For many high school subjects there are alternatives to the courses listed in the Academic Studies department: "Courses Available." Be sure to look at the "Supplementary Courses and Resources" section for alternative study suggestions. If you are just not good at pursuing a more free-style academic studies program, you might find one of the more structured, step-by-step textbook or workbook-type courses more what you want.)
You may find that you have already read many of the suggested articles in the "Reading Lists and Practical Requirements" sections. If you have read an article within the last year or so, then simply skim over it again to refresh your memory, re-reading any sections that need or deserve special attention, and check the small box to the left of the title to show you have read it. Your Course Supervisor will probably be quizzing you on the material you have checked off, before they sign your Studies Record form. If you are not able to find or obtain some of the articles listed, or if the suggested material is insufficient, then you should work out suitable substitute articles with your CVC Course Supervisor.
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STEP 7:
FILLING IN STUDY RECORD FORMS -- THE HOME STRETCH!
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When you have completed the suggested reading assignments and done the practical requirements, you are now ready to record your progress on one of the appropriate Studies Record forms.
The form you will use to record completed high school subjects is High School Studies Record, CVC Form HSR-001. If, for example, you have just completed a selected study of poems in The Rhyme Book and done the other related reading as suggested for the course "ENG PT-01HS Poetry," and written three poems on your own, this is how you would begin filling in the High School Studies Record:
Look down the left side of the form to the section with the vertical label that says, "Academic Studies (40 credits required)." In this section of the form you will see a box labeled "Lang. Arts [12]" with five blank lines beside it. You would very neatly print in the top blank line of this "Language Arts" section, in the "course number and name" column, the name and number of the course you just completed: "ENG PT-01HS Poetry." To the right of this column, fill in the date and the grade you got, in the appropriate columns. If you were tested and have a percentage or a letter score, put in the score; otherwise, if you did sufficiently well and your supervisor agrees, then just put the word "pass" in the grade column. In the "Credits Earned" column, fill in the number of credits the course is valued at. Since this poetry course is valued at 2 credits, you would write the number "2" in this column. The last column is for your CVC Course Supervisor, or Vocational Training Overseer to date and initial his or her approval, a witness to the fact that you did complete all requirements for the course. It is at this point that your overseers will need to evaluate in some way what you have learned. (See "Evaluating Student Progress" in the next column.) If you find that this form is not big enough to record all the courses you have done, then use the High School Studies Record -- Supplement, CVC Form HSR-002. Be sure to staple together any forms that need to stay together.
At the same time you fill in the High School Studies Record with courses in Christian and Vocational studies that you want to present for your high school diploma, you should begin filling out separate Vocational/Christian Studies Record forms (CVC Form VSR-001), depending on which certificates your courses apply to. Remember to use a different form for each different certificate you are working towards.
Originals of your study records should be kept in your notebook, binder or portfolio so that you can frequently update them as you progress in your vocational studies and gain experience. Photocopies of all key student records should be kept by the CVC Course Supervisor as an official record. These records may also be kept on computer, if one is available. These are important records and need to be kept in a safe place, such as a locked briefcase, or encrypted computer files. Try to update these file copies at least once every three months. This can be done during your vocational or scholastic study time. (Supervisors may find it helpful to choose one or two students who can monitor this updating and be sure it is taken care of.)
If records are kept on paper, and a photocopy machine is not available in your Home, you can choose the pages of your records that need updating, and perhaps one person can take the pages to a commercial photocopier. Only the pages that have had additions or changes in the past three months would need to be updated.
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POINTERS FOR SUPERVISORS AND OVERSEERS
EVALUATING STUDENT PROGRESS
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There are many different practical and easy ways to determine if someone knows enough to pass a course. These one-on-one methods of evaluating progress may seem quite simple, but they can actually be far more accurate than the customary way of testing a large group of students through a written test. Here are a few ideas:
1. Have the student demonstrate what they know in a real-life situation, while a Vocational Training Overseer and/or Course Supervisor observes and evaluates their performance (e.g., typing, cooking, caring for a baby, etc.).
2. Have the student teach someone else the elements of the course while an Overseer observes their performance.
3. Quiz the student orally.
4. Have the student write about the things they have learned, or give (or tape) a talk on what they know about the subject.
5. Have the student create their own test and complete it and then have the overseer quiz them on it.
Those are just a few ways to test without having an official, prepared test. Any of these will be acceptable ways to evaluate student progress.
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STEP 8:
APPLYING FOR YOUR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA
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Three junior high/high school diplomas are available through the CVC.
1. Junior High School Diploma
To obtain a CVC Junior High School diploma a student must pass the CVC Junior High Examinations in language arts, mathematics, science and social studies with a grade of 70% or more, or provide other suitable documentation of their education to a grade eight level of achievement. [Revised as explained in Grapevine 31.] Applications for Junior High School Diplomas must be sent to your CVC Instruction Coordinator by a Home teamwork member or CVC Course Supervisor. (See CVC Form JNR-001.)
2. Vocational High School Diploma
To be eligible for a Vocational High School Diploma, students must:
a) have a CVC Junior High School Diploma, or other suitable documentation of their education to a grade eight level of achievement. (Grade eight level of achievement can be confirmed through standardized tests such as: national or local achievement tests, California Achievement Tests [CAT], Stanford Achievement Tests [SAT -- TASK], Iowa Achievement Tests [ITBS -- TAP], or other standard achievement tests. See Appendix B for sources of such tests.)
b) earn 20 credits in vocational studies courses in the CVC program;
c) earn 20 credits in Christian studies courses in the CVC program.
3. General High School Diploma
To be eligible for a CVC General High School Diploma, students must:
a) have CVC Junior High School Diploma, or other suitable documentation of their education to a grade eight level of achievement;
b) earn 40 credits in the required academic courses as set down in the academic section of the CVC program; or satisfactorily complete GED exams; or complete standardized achievement tests (as described in point 2a above) to a grade 10 level of academic achievement. [Revised as explained in Grapevine 31.]
c) earn 20 credits in vocational studies courses in the CVC program;
d) earn 20 credits in Christian studies courses in the CVC program.
Once you have completed the required academic courses and a total of 40 credits in Christian and Vocational studies courses (20 credits in each area), you can apply for your CVC Vocational High School Diploma or your CVC General High School Diploma by sending in copies of your High School Studies Records (CVC Form HSR-001) to your CVC Instruction Coordinator. Be sure your HSR form indicates which diploma you are applying for.
OTHER HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS
Various high school diplomas can also be obtained through Christian Light Education (CLE), or other high school correspondence programs. (See Appendix B: Supplementary Courses and Resources.)
Students who wish to obtain a college entrance diploma can use their CVC training and documentation to apply for various secular diplomas or certificates. This may or may not entail taking a few extra academic courses, or passing certain qualifying tests, such as the GED (USA). GED stands for General Educational Development. The GED test is often referred to as the High School Equivalency Test. (Entrance to some colleges is granted based on past studies, experience and documentation presented; others require passing a college entrance exam.)
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STEP 9:
APPLYING FOR CHRISTIAN AND VOCATIONAL PROFICIENCY CERTIFICATES
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As previously mentioned, it is good to decide when you begin the CVC what Christian and vocational study areas you want to concentrate on first. There are six Christian study certificates available, plus an ordination certificate. So in practice, it is entirely possible to be gradually filling in up to seven Christian Studies Record forms at any one time. There are over 35 certificates available in the Vocational Studies Department, and although you could be doing classes and making some progress in many different areas, it might be wisest to not try to do too many things at once, but concentrate on doing a few things well.
Applying for a certificate involves a little more paper work than applying for a high school diploma. Here is a list of the completed forms and items you will need in order to apply for a certificate. Each certificate has different requirements, so you always need to carefully check the "Certification Requirements" section in the department you are interested in.
Generally speaking you will need:
1. "Reading Lists and Practical Requirements" (copy of lists of reading material for appropriate courses, with the completed material checked in).
2. Appropriately filled in and completed Vocational/Christian Studies Record (CVC Form VSR-001). Be sure that the credits listed under "credits earned" actually total the number of credits required for certification in the area you are applying for. Carefully compare your finished form with the "Certificate Requirements." Also be sure to have each completed Vocational/Christian Studies Record checked over and verified by your CVC Course Supervisor.
3. Filled-in Experience Logs as required for each certificate being applied for. Remember that the total hours of experience needs to meet the number of hours suggested in the "00" experience course related to the certificate you are applying for. Be sure to have your Vocational Training Overseer fill in and sign the declaration at the bottom of the form. (See CVC forms VEL-001, VVE-001, VCA-001.)
Again, it is likely that you will be filling in several of these Experience Logs at one time, because each certificate study area needs to have its own experience form filled in. Take care that you do not fill in work experience entries on the wrong form. Remember to make several copies of all the forms you need. Work on copies of the forms and keep all original forms blank, in case you need more copies.
4. Some certificates require that you have portfolios put together of various letters of recommendation, photo albums, videos, tapes, etc., needed to support your application for a certificate. Do not send originals of any valuable, irreplaceable items to your CVC Instruction Coordinator's office, as it would be unfortunate to lose something like that in the mail. Make photocopies where possible, or simply list what items you have available on the Portfolio Contents Form (CVC form PC-001) and have your CVC Course Supervisor sign as a witness to the contents of your portfolio.
Once you have met all the requirements for a certificate, and your CVC Course Supervisor has checked over your records and validates that they are accurate, you can apply to the CVC Instruction Coordinator to issue the certificate. You will need to send a completed set of forms, but be sure that you have copies in case they get lost in the mail!
APPLYING FOR AN AUTHORIZED TRANSCRIPT OF YOUR STUDIES
Students who for some reason are not able to complete the practical requirements for certification in some area of study, but who have completed all of the reading requirements, should go ahead and fill in the appropriate Vocational/Christian Studies Record form. Once you have completed the required reading material for a certain area of study, and your CVC Course Supervisor has checked over and verified your Studies Record, you should send it in to your CVC Instruction Coordinator. He or she will sign it and seal it with the official CVC seal, and return it to you. This will then become an official record of your studies, and should be placed in your educational portfolio. This authorized record of your studies can be used if you apply for a certificate in the future when you have completed the practical requirements, or it can prove helpful to you in various situations where you may need to show proof of your education.
To notify your CVC Instruction Coordinator that you are seeking an official authorization of your records, and not a certificate, at the top of the Vocational/Christian Studies Record form where the choice is given to check either o Authorized transcript requested for studies in: ____, or o Certificate desired: ____ you should check the first box and fill in the name of the study area, for example "Baby Care." (Use the same terms for "study area" as are used for the names of the certificates, as found in the "Certification Requirements" section for the department to which your work applies. For example, in Christian Studies, there are six certificates available, and thus those are the six study areas.)
(Note: This form will also be signed and sealed and returned to students who apply for and receive a certificate.)
Remember to keep a copy of your most important school records. If you have to move or travel a lot, you could consider having a friend or relative store your records for you.
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STEP 10: HAVE FUN!
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We hope this program will be a blessing to you. Don't forget to keep looking through the program from time to time to get new ideas. And let us know how it is going. This is your program, and we want it to be a blessing.
God bless you! Have fun learning!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Christian Vocational College