ASL Course for High School Credit
Plan ASL for high school credit without guessing what your school will accept.
High school and homeschool families often want ASL to count as a world-language, elective, or transcript credit. The right course path depends on who awards the credit, what documentation they require, and whether the learner needs a formal transcript or a parent-kept homeschool record.
- For homeschool families, teens, parents, and school counselors.
- Clear difference between course completion, homeschool credit, and university credit.
- Paid course links are disclosed before recommendations.
Affiliate disclosure: The paid course button below may be an affiliate link. Confirm credit requirements with your school or homeschool program before enrolling.
Affiliate disclosure: Some course and product links on this page are affiliate links. ASL Kids may earn a commission if you enroll or buy through those links, at no extra cost to you. ASL credit, transcript, certificate, and approval rules can change, so confirm requirements with your school, homeschool program, umbrella school, charter, district, or college before relying on any course for official credit.
Quick answer
An online ASL course can count for high school credit only when the credit-awarding school, homeschool parent, umbrella program, charter, co-op, district, or college accepts it. If you need formal transferable credit, use a provider with a transcript or an approved dual-enrollment path. If you are a homeschool parent awarding your own credit, a structured ASL course plus lesson logs, practice hours, signed projects, quizzes, and ASL Kids app review can make a stronger record.
Get approval before you pay for credit
Do not assume any online ASL course automatically becomes high school credit. Ask the credit-awarding program what it needs in writing: syllabus, hours, instructor feedback, grade report, transcript, completion certificate, video assessments, or a specific accredited provider. This protects families from buying a course that teaches useful ASL but does not satisfy the paperwork requirement.
Choose the right ASL credit path
| Credit goal | Best path | What to ask before enrolling | ASL Kids next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Homeschool parent awards credit | Use a structured ASL course as the spine, then keep a parent transcript, hours log, projects, and practice records. | How many hours equals one credit in your program? What work samples or assessments should you keep? | Use the homeschool curriculum plan |
| Umbrella school, charter, co-op, or private school approval | Ask the program to approve the provider, syllabus, assignments, and grading plan before the student starts. | Will they accept a completion certificate, grade report, provider verification, or only an accredited transcript? | Compare certificate and credit terms |
| Dual enrollment or university credit | Use a college, university, or approved dual-enrollment path when the student needs transcripted academic credit. | Will the receiving school or college accept the credit, and does the student meet eligibility rules? | Review Gallaudet ASL Connect |
| College admissions language expectation | Check target colleges before choosing ASL as the student’s main world-language sequence. | Does each college accept ASL for admission language expectations, and how many levels do they prefer? | Compare course paths |
| Casual high school elective or enrichment | Use ASL Kids, printables, a self-paced course, projects, and community learning to build a strong elective. | Does the transcript need a grade, pass/fail record, or only documentation of learning? | Practice in the ASL Kids app |
What to document for homeschool ASL credit
A stronger transcript record shows that the student learned a real visual language, not only a list of isolated signs. Keep enough evidence that another adult can understand the course scope.
Syllabus and hour log
Save the course outline, weekly topics, lesson dates, practice minutes, app review, readings, Deaf-culture work, and project time.
Signed projects
Record short signed introductions, fingerspelling drills, story retells, vocabulary reviews, and conversation practice over time.
Certificate or grade report
If the course offers quizzes, rubrics, reports, or a certificate, keep copies with the transcript record and parent evaluation.
Record-keeping tools that may help
You do not need fancy materials to document ASL credit, but families often find it easier when the syllabus, hours log, transcript notes, and practice cards live in one place.
Transcript planners
Useful when a parent or homeschool program needs a consistent place for course titles, credits, grades, and notes.
Hours and attendance logs
Helpful for tracking course videos, ASL Kids app practice, signed projects, culture work, and weekly review time.
ASL review cards
Use cards only as extra review; a real ASL credit plan should still include video, receptive practice, grammar, and signed communication.
Where SignLanguage101 fits
SignLanguage101 can fit families who want a structured, self-paced ASL course for a teen or parent-led homeschool plan. Their current catalog describes ASL courses for adults and kids, on-demand video lessons, vocabulary, numbers, fingerspelling, grammar, and Deaf-culture context. Treat it as a strong learning spine unless your school has already confirmed it will satisfy a formal credit requirement.
Formal credit options to compare
If you need school-approved or transferable credit, compare formal providers before paying. Some programs offer university credit, some offer high-school credit through school approval, and some provide curriculum that the school or homeschool parent must approve.
| Provider type | What it may offer | Best fit | Important caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| University or dual-enrollment ASL | Formal academic credit, grades, and transcript pathways. | Students who need college-level or transferable documentation. | Eligibility, transfer acceptance, schedule, and cost vary. |
| Accredited online high-school provider | High school course credit with school transcript documentation. | Families who need an outside institution to award the credit. | Confirm ASL course approval for the student’s school or college plan. |
| ASL curriculum provider | Lessons, assignments, progress reports, completion certificates, or teacher support. | Schools or homeschool programs that award their own credit. | The provider may teach the course but not award the credit. |
| Self-paced enrichment course | Structured learning and practice without formal transcript credit. | Families who want useful ASL learning, confidence, and routine practice. | Useful learning is not the same as official credit. |
A simple semester record plan
Weeks 1-2: approval and setup
Confirm credit requirements, choose the course spine, download the ASL Kids curriculum planner, and create a simple hours log.
Weeks 3-6: first signs, alphabet, numbers, and culture
Practice course lessons, use ASL Kids app review, record fingerspelling, and start a small Deaf-culture reading or video journal.
Weeks 7-10: routines, questions, and signed conversations
Build short signed exchanges around family, school, food, feelings, calendar, and classroom signs. Save at least one video sample.
Weeks 11-14: receptive practice and projects
Watch signers, review course quizzes, practice understanding signs, and complete a project such as a signed story, presentation, or interview.
Weeks 15-18: final review and transcript record
Finish the course unit, collect certificates or grade reports, save project links, update the hours log, and write the transcript course description.
Use ASL Kids between longer course lessons
A credit plan works better when students practice often. Use the ASL Kids app for quick sign review, the dictionary for lookup, printables for records, and the 12-week planner for weekly structure.
Related ASL Kids guides
ASL Course with Certificate
Understand completion certificates, CEUs, credit, and interpreter certification before choosing a paid path.
ASL Course for Teens
Choose between the kids course, adult beginner course, app practice, homeschool planning, and credit documentation.
Homeschool ASL Curriculum
Use a 12-week beginner curriculum plan with app practice, printables, projects, and course options.
ASL Course for Adults
Choose an adult beginner path for parents, teens, caregivers, teachers, and family learners.
Sources and references
ASL high school credit FAQ
Can ASL count as high school foreign language or world-language credit?
It can in some schools and homeschool programs, but acceptance is not universal. Ask the school, umbrella program, charter, district, or college plan before counting ASL as the student’s language credit.
Can homeschool parents award ASL credit?
Many homeschool parents can award transcript credit when they control the transcript, but rules vary by state, umbrella school, charter, co-op, and college plan. Keep a syllabus, hours log, signed projects, course records, and any completion certificate or grade report.
Is SignLanguage101 an accredited high school credit course?
Use SignLanguage101 as a structured ASL learning option, not as automatic high school credit. If your program needs official credit, get written approval from the credit-awarding school or choose a provider that supplies the exact transcript or accreditation documentation required.
How many hours should a homeschool ASL credit include?
Credit-hour expectations vary. Many homeschool programs use a local Carnegie-credit style hour target, but your state, school, umbrella program, or transcript plan may define it differently. Confirm the requirement before setting the workload.
What should a high school ASL course include?
A strong ASL course should include vocabulary, fingerspelling, numbers, receptive practice, facial expression, ASL grammar, Deaf-culture context, assessments or projects, and repeated practice with real signs in context.