Home Schooling Requirements Differ From State-To-State

In the United States, each of the states has its own home schooling requirements. And there are four categories to consider for legal options with regards to home schooling. These are: moderate regulation, high regulation, states that require no notice, and states bearing low regulation.

Most of the regulations involve parental notification, professional evaluation to see the student’s progress, curriculum approval and test scores. Families should not be scared and be pressured by home schooling requirements. Initially, there will be paper works but if the teaching parent can maintain a good record, then there is no need to fear for the state to step in. Your child does not have to go back to a public school.

However, for states with no home schooling requirements, it does not at all require the parents to start any contact. Such states with no home schooling requirements are Illinois, Idaho, Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana, Missouri, New Jersey, Puerto Rico, Guam territories, Michigan, and Connecticut. Also, parents are not obliged to inform the school districts telling them that they are planning to home school their children.

States with low home schooling requirements are asking parents to inform their school district about them home schooling their children. But apart from this, no other necessity is requested. States with low regulation about home schooling are Nevada, California, Wyoming, Montana, Arizona, Nebraska, Kansas, New Mexico, Virgin Islands territories, Wisconsin, Mississippi, Kentucky, Delaware, Alabama, and Washington D.C.

Furthermore, the moderately regulated states necessitate parents to send test scores, notification and render professional evaluation of the child’s progress. States belonging to this category are Oregon, South Dakota, Colorado, Iowa, Tennessee, Louisiana, Arkansas, Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia, South Carolina, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, and territories of Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.

For parents, states that demand the highest regulations are burdensome for them. Home schooling requirements for such states stipulate parents to send in achievement scores or notification, professional evaluation of the child’s progress, along with a written curriculum that has to be state approved, parents qualification to be teachers, and occasionally, state officials’ visit to check on the child’s progress. Washington, North Dakota, Utah, West Virginia, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Maine, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island are the states belonging to this category of home schooling requirements. Anyhow, these states have fewer requirements for kindergarten levels but the regulations are stricter at each grade level.

Parents are then thought of as competent if they comply with the state’s regulations. Thus, teacher certification is not asked from them anymore. Parents must not forget to file any notice at their school district’s office prior to home schooling their children in low to high regulated states. While those living in medium to high-regulated states must keep attendance records, file quarterly reports and make a grade narrative of each subject being taught. The highly regulated states, on the other hand, may also require annual assessment at every end of the home schooling year.

Generally, home schooling requirements vary from each state. Therefore, parents must be well informed in terms of the legal factors of home schooling. It is a must to inquire what are required from you by your state.