Do You Know the Requirements for Homeschooling?

The homeschooling movement is getting bigger and bigger, and more children are being taught at home than in the past. Before you begin homeschooling, it is necessary to know the laws and requirements of your state regarding home education.

The following is a list of some of the requirements your state may have before you begin homeschooling:

Notify Your Local School District

Parents wanting to homeschool must first file to inform their local school districts that their child will be homeschooled. In Washington, students being homeschooled must be registered by eight years of age. While In Kentucky, the age of compulsory registration for school is six. Each state is accountable for the regulations concerning the age kids need to be registered, so it will be necessary to confirm the correct process with your local school district.

State Guidelines and Regulations

Homeschooling is managed by each state, so policies will vary depending on where you live. Particular states such as Alaska, Connecticut, New Jersey, Idaho, Indiana, and Michigan have few policies and easily permit parents to control how their homeschool is run.

In North Dakota, Vermont, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New York City and Pennsylvania there are really strict standards and homeschooling is highly managed by the state. In these states, it is crucial that you research the compulsory requirements for homeschooling in order to avoid charges and possible legal consequences.

Withdraw Your Children from Public School

If your children are enrolled in the public school system, you will need to formally withdraw them, in writing, before the new academic year starts. Many school districts have a standardized form for this procedure.

Become Qualified

To qualify as a home educator, you will need to satisfy certain credentials. In many cases, the certified teacher must have acquired a minimum of 45 college credits.

Get Monitored

If you do not satisfy the requirements to be a home teacher, families need to work with the public or private school system to keep an eye on progress. Many school districts provide access to these programs and need homeschool students to attend a one-hour session with a certified teacher once per week.

A homeschool qualification course may be on offer from some school districts if you do not meet the minimum standards. Some districts require a monitored session at a school at scheduled times even if the home educator meets the required certifications.

Correct Curriculum

Your homeschool curriculum should meet the minimum required subjects for your student’s grade level. Primary school topics consist of mathematics, language arts, art, science, music social studies, health, and occupational education. Junior high and high school level students will need to meet the application requirements for sciences and elective courses.

Regular Assessments

It is a requirement that your homeschool student is assessed on a regular basis. These may not be the standard assessments and tests; however you are required to evaluate the progress of your student and their understanding of the curriculum.

Yearly Tests

Students being homeschooled must take state-wide standardized tests each year, beginning in the 3rd grade. These tests might be taken in a school setting or a designated testing facility.

Keeping Detailed Records

Detailed records must be kept. You will be required to track the progress of your student along with test results during their education. These records will be needed if your student re-enters the school system, and you might be asked to send them to your regional school district for their records.