Homeschooling means the parents are in charge. In some cases, the curriculum will have an answer key for each subject, and you will grade the student’s work based on that answer key. This is as simple as checking the answers against the score key. In other cases, you might decide to make up your own tests and assignments. In that case, you will decide the criteria for grading. For some, this takes practice, but parents can do this well, too. In still other instances, it might be a subjective project that needs to be graded. Such projects may be graded on the final product, but not necessarily. An example might be researching how to make a cake from scratch — the cake may have come out terribly, but the research, effort, and technique deserve a better grade than the taste! Perhaps the planning that went into the project, or the effort that went into it, or the effect it had on others are the real lessons, and not the final product. In all cases, however, the parents are in charge. If they need help, we can provide that, too. NARHS has published another book, High School Resource Advisor. It details practical ways to grade work, from science labs to essays.