Homeschooling Certification State Legal Requirements 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the most common method for parents to legally establish a homeschool?
- Filing a notice of intent or declaration with the local school district or state education department (Correct answer)
- Obtaining a federal homeschool license
- Getting approval from the nearest public school principal
- No legal action is required in any state
Correct answer: Filing a notice of intent or declaration with the local school district or state education department
Most states require parents to file some form of notice or declaration with local or state education authorities to legally establish a homeschool.
Question 2: In most states, what is the minimum parental qualification to homeschool?
- A high school diploma or GED, though requirements vary by state (Correct answer)
- A teaching certificate
- A bachelor's degree in education
- A master's degree
Correct answer: A high school diploma or GED, though requirements vary by state
Most states require homeschooling parents to have at minimum a high school diploma or equivalent, though some states have no educational requirements for parents.
Question 3: What records are homeschooling families typically required to maintain?
- Attendance records, curriculum descriptions, and sometimes student work samples or assessments (Correct answer)
- Only standardized test scores
- No records are required
- Financial records of educational expenses only
Correct answer: Attendance records, curriculum descriptions, and sometimes student work samples or assessments
Most states require homeschooling families to maintain attendance records and curriculum descriptions, with some also requiring work samples, portfolios, or assessment results.
Question 4: How do compulsory attendance laws affect homeschooling?
- Homeschooling must comply with state compulsory attendance age ranges and minimum instruction hours (Correct answer)
- Compulsory attendance laws do not apply to homeschoolers
- Homeschoolers must attend public school part-time
- Only children over 12 are subject to attendance requirements
Correct answer: Homeschooling must comply with state compulsory attendance age ranges and minimum instruction hours
Homeschoolers must meet compulsory attendance requirements, which typically specify the ages during which education is mandatory and the minimum number of instructional hours or days per year.
Question 5: What standardized testing requirements exist for homeschooled students?
- Some states require periodic standardized testing or portfolio assessments to demonstrate academic progress (Correct answer)
- All states require annual testing
- No state requires any form of assessment
- Testing is only required for high school students
Correct answer: Some states require periodic standardized testing or portfolio assessments to demonstrate academic progress
Requirements vary widely: some states require regular standardized testing, others accept portfolio reviews or professional evaluations, and some have no assessment requirements at all.
Question 6: Can homeschooled students participate in public school extracurricular activities?
- It depends on the state; some states have Tim Tebow laws allowing participation, others prohibit it (Correct answer)
- All homeschooled students have automatic access to public school activities
- No homeschooled student can participate in any public school program
- Only sports are available to homeschoolers
Correct answer: It depends on the state; some states have Tim Tebow laws allowing participation, others prohibit it
Several states have enacted 'equal access' or 'Tim Tebow' laws allowing homeschooled students to participate in public school sports and extracurriculars, but many states leave this to district discretion.
Homeschooling Certification State Legal Requirements 1
What is the most common method for parents to legally establish a homeschool?