English Composition 1
Self-paced online English Composition 1 course (ENG 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
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PI-1206 and the homeschool transcript
By the team. Checked 15 Nov 2026.
The short answer
PI-1206 is the form Wisconsin homeschool parents complete every school year. It reports the home-based programme; it does not create a transcript. The parent writes the transcript, listing courses, hours and grades across the six required subject areas. College-level courses go on it as high school credit, and a college may later record the credit via a college transcript.
What PI-1206 is and is not
DPI says parents must complete the PI-1206 form every school year. It tells the state your child is in a home-based private educational program. It does not approve a curriculum, list courses or produce a transcript; DPI does not provide or approve curriculum at all.
The rules behind it are short: at least 875 hours of instruction a year, and a sequentially progressive curriculum in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health. Everything else, including the transcript, is the parent's job.
What a homeschool transcript should show
Colleges read many homeschool transcripts. A clear one makes their work easy.
- Student name, date of birth and the years covered.
- Each course by year, with a grade and high school credits.
- A note marking college-level courses and their credit recommendation.
- A grading scale and a short course description page.
- The parent's signature and date, signed by the parent as administrator.
Recording a college-level course
List the course under the subject area it covers, such as English Composition 1 under language arts. Mark it as college-level and give the credit recommendation, for example ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended. Keep the completion record, because a college may ask for it or may record the credit via a college transcript later.
Some families add a short course description for each college-level course: the topics covered, the main reading, how the student was assessed, and the hours spent. This helps an admissions reader who has never seen the course, and it doubles as your record of instruction for the year. Keep it to a few lines per course so the whole page stays easy to read.
| Subject area | Course | High school credit | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Language arts | English Composition 1 | 1 | College-level, credit recommendation |
| Mathematics | College Algebra | 1 | College-level, credit recommendation |
| Social studies | US History 1 | 1 | College-level, credit recommendation |
The diploma question
DPI says homeschool completers do not receive a diploma issued by a public or private high school, and that parents may create their own. Pair the parent-issued diploma with a clear transcript. For colleges, the transcript carries more weight, so time spent getting it right pays off.
Many families also keep a portfolio of sample work from each year: an essay, a maths test, a history project. A portfolio is not required by DPI, but it backs up the grades on your transcript if a college or scholarship office asks how a course was taught.
Before you count on college credit
A college-level course on a homeschool transcript is high school credit first. Whether it also becomes college credit depends on the college. Ask each college your student may attend, in writing, whether it considers ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit recorded via a college transcript. UPI Study is not accredited, and no college is bound to add the credit.
Keep the replies in the same folder as your PI-1206 copies and course records. The full rule is on the page Wisconsin homeschool college courses: college-level work without campus tuition.
What to ask in writing
Before you enrol
Ask the college your student plans to attend in writing how it treats ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended credit before you enrol.
UPI Study is not a college and is not accredited. ACE and NCCRS review our courses and recommend credit; a college decides whether to give that credit and records it on its own transcript.
ACE and NCCRS have over 2,100 cooperating colleges that will consider accepting credits; the final decision is with the universities.
Questions people ask
When is PI-1206 filed?
DPI says parents must complete it every school year. Check DPI's home-based page for the current filing window before the year starts, and keep a copy of each year's confirmation with your homeschool records.
Does PI-1206 list my child's courses?
No. It reports that your child is in a home-based private educational program. Courses, grades and credits go on the transcript you write as the parent, so keep course records as you go rather than rebuilding them at the end.
How many high school credits is a college-level course worth?
Families usually list a one-term college course as one high school credit, but you set the scale as the parent. Explain your scale on the transcript so a college reading it can follow your choice.
Courses that fit
ACE-recommended or NCCRS-recommended courses, studied online at your own pace.
College Algebra
Self-paced online College Algebra course (Math 111). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →
US History 1
Self-paced online US History 1 course (HIST 101). NCCRS recommends 3 semester credits; each college decides how it applies them.
See the course →Start when you have it in writing
One payment covers self-paced college-level courses for a home-based student.
Sources
- Wisconsin DPI: Home-based private educational programs (official)Parents complete PI-1206 every school year; at least 875 hours of instruction a year; a sequentially progressive curriculum in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, science and health; DPI does not provide or approve curriculum; completers do not receive a public or private high school diploma. Checked on 15 Nov 2026.