Alabama law allows parents to educate their children at home through enrollment in a church school or private school, or under the state’s private tutor law. Most parents choose the church school option. Many church schools exist solely for the purpose of enrolling homeschooled students.

Church school: Parents may homeschool under the state’s church school law by enrolling their children in church schools and teaching them at home. Parents must provide one-time notice to the local school district and maintain attendance records. There are no parent qualification, instruction time, subject, or assessment requirements.

Private school: Parents may enroll their children in a private school’s “home program.” Parents may also create their own private schools, but must provide annual notice, maintain attendance records, submit other reports, maintain immunization records, and offer physical education (the state’s private school law does not have teacher qualification, instruction time, subject, or assessment requirements).

Private tutor: Parents may homeschool under the private tutor law, which requires one-time notice, a teaching certificate, 140 days of instruction “in the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools of this state,” attendance records, and other reports, but has no assessment requirement.

Compulsory attendance applies to children “between the ages of six and 17 years.” A parent may postpone enrolling a child in school until he or she is seven by notifying the local school board in writing. See Alabama Code § 16-28-3.

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Alaska law has four homeschool options:

Homeschool statute: Alaska has an extremely lax homeschool statute. There are no requirements—no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Correspondence program: These programs, run by public or charter schools, require annual education plans, monthly teacher contact, quarterly progress reviews, and testing after grades 3 through 10. They offer education funding and official diplomas.

Private tutor: Parents must have a teaching certificate and instruction “comparable to that offered by the public schools in the area.” There are no notification, hours of instruction, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Private school: Operating a homeschool as a private school requires annual notice, 180 days of instruction “comparable to that offered by the public schools,” attendance, immunization, and academic records, and testing after grades 4, 6, and 8 (scores not submitted).

The first two options, the homeschool statute and the correspondence program, are used by the majority of homeschoolers in Alaska. The remaining two options, the private tutor statute and operating as a private school, are not used by many homeschoolers in Alaska today. They were used by many early Alaska homeschoolers, though, and are still on the books.

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Arizona has one homeschool option:

Homeschool statute: Parents must submit one-time notification to the local school district and must provide instruction in reading, grammar, math, social studies, and science. There are no parent qualification, hours of instruction, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

In Arizona, ‘Homeschool’ means a nonpublic school conducted primarily by the parent, guardian or other person who has custody of the child or nonpublic instruction provided in the child’s home.” See Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 15-802(G)(2) In several areas, homeschools operate under the same law used for private schools. However, they are not considered private schools. For the entire statute, see Ariz. Rev. Stat. § 15-802.

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Arkansas has one homeschool option.

Homeschool statute: Parents must offer annual notice to the local school district. Homeschooling is prohibited if a sex offender lives in the household. There are no other parent qualifications and no hours of instruction, subjects of instruction, record keeping, or assessment requirements.

Homeschool Statute

In Arizona, “home school” is defined as “a school provided by a parent or legal guardian for his or her own child.” For the full statute, see Ark. Code Ann. § 6-15-501 to § 6-15-510.

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California has four homeschool options.

Private school: Parents may operate a homeschool as an individual private school. Parents must file annual notice with the state’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, be “capable of teaching” (officials have no authority to determine whether or not a parent meets this requirement), provide instruction in “the several branches of study required in public schools,” and keep attendance and various other records. There are no hours of instruction or assessment requirements.

Private school satellite program: Parents may homeschool as a satellite of a supervising private school. The requirements are the same except that parents enroll their children in the supervising private school rather than filing with the state.

Private tutor: Parents may homeschool under the private tutor law, which requires a teaching certificate and 175 days of instruction in “the several branches of study required in public schools” but has no notification, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Independent study program: Parents may educate their children at home through “independent study” programs operated by public or charter schools.

Most home educators use the first two options, operating their homeschools as private schools or enrolling in an umbrella school. However, more and more families are opting to homeschool through independent study programs.

In the absence of a homeschool statute, homeschools may operate as “private full-time day schools.” See Cal. Educ. Code § 33190 and Cal. Educ. Code § 48222.

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Colorado law offers three homeschool options:

Homeschool statute: Parents must provide annual notice, offer 172 days of instruction in reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and the U.S. Constitution, and have their children assessed at the end of grades 3, 5, 7, 9, and 11 (by testing or portfolio evaluation). The results of these assessments must be reported to the school district, and students who do not make sufficient academic progress may be required to attend school.

Independent school: Parents may enroll children in “an independent or parochial school which provides a basic academic education” and pursue a course of home-based study. The children must be enrolled for at least 172 days and the independent or parochial school must provide instruction in reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and the U.S. Constitution. There are no state notification, parent qualification, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Private tutor: Parents who have a teaching certificate may homeschool under the private tutor law. There are no notification, hours of instruction, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

A “nonpublic home-based educational program” refers to a “sequential program of instruction for the education of a child which takes place in a home, which is provided by the child’s parent or by an adult relative of the child designated by the parent.” See Colo. Rev. Stat. § 22-33-104.5(2)(a).

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Connecticut has one homeschool option.

Alternative instruction provision: Connecticut law exempts children receiving instruction “elsewhere” from compulsory school attendance. Parents must offer “equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools.” There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

The Connecticut Board of Education has guidelines for determining whether a homeschooled child is receiving equivalent instruction. The guidelines include both annual notification and annual portfolio reviews, however, it is important to y the that they are administrative suggestions rather than legal mandates and do not appear to be widely followed or enforced.

State law exempts students from compulsory attendance if the parent “is able to show that the child is elsewhere receiving equivalent instruction in the studies taught in the public schools.” See Conn. Gen. Stat. § 10-184. The Connecticut Board of Education created guidelines for governing homeschooling (“Revised Procedures Concerning Requests from Parents to Educate Their Children at Home”). These guidelines are listed as “suggested procedures” and do not have the force of law.

Delaware’s homeschool statute states that “a ‘homeschool’ is considered a nonpublic school” and offers three options for homeschooling:

Single-family homeschool: Parents must submit annual enrollment and attendance reports to the Delaware Department of Education. There are no parent qualification, instruction time, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Multi-family homeschool: Parents must submit annual enrollment and attendance reports to the Delaware Department of Education. There are no parent qualification, instruction time, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements. One parent must serve as the designated liaison.

Single-family homeschool coordinated with the local school district: While technically still on the books, this option has been discontinued.

For a definition of each option, see Del. Code Ann. tit. 14 § 2703A. For the entire homeschool statute, see Del. Code Ann. tit. 14 § 2703A and § 2704.

Florida law offers three homeschool options:

Homeschool statute: Parents must provide one-time notice to the local superintendent, maintain a portfolio of their children’s work, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio evaluation). There are no parent qualification, hours of instruction, or subject requirements. The assessments must be turned in to the local superintendent; if students are not making suitable educational progress parents will have a year to correct deficiencies.

Umbrella school: Parents may enroll their children in a private school created to serve as a homeschool “umbrella” school. Parents must provide 180 days of instruction and maintain attendance and immunization records. There are no notification, parent qualification, subject, or assessment requirements.

Private tutor: Parents with teaching certificates may homeschool under the private tutor option. Parents must provide 180 days of instruction and maintain basic records, but there are no notification, subject, or assessment requirements.

Most Florida homeschool parents use one of the first two options.

Florida defines a “home education program” as “sequentially progressive instruction of a student directed by his or her parent.” See Fla. Stat. § 1002.01(1). For Florida’s homeschool statute, see Fla. Stat. § 1002.41.

Homeschool statute: Parents must have a high school diploma or GED, provide annual notice to the Georgia Department of Education, provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, write annual progress reports for each child, and have each child tested every three years beginning in third grade. Neither the progress reports nor the standardized test scores are turned in to either state or local education officials.

Georgia law refers to homeschools as “home study programs.” See Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c).

Homeschool statute: Parents must submit a one-time notice with the local public school principal, provide sequential instruction in a variety of subjects, maintain a curriculum record for each child, have their children tested at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, and submit an annual assessment for each child (by standardized test, portfolio review, or written evaluation). There are no teacher qualification or hours of instruction requirements. If a child’s progress is not adequate, the parents must create a remediation plan and are given the opportunity to correct deficiencies.

Hawaii law excuses a child from public or private school attendance when “notification of intent to home school has been submitted to the principal of the public school that the child would otherwise be required to attend in accordance with department rules adopted to achieve this result.” See Haw. Rev. Stat. § 302A-1132(a)(5). “‘Home schooling’ means a viable educational option where a parent instructs the parent’s own child.” For department rules, see Haw. Admin. R. §§ 8-12-1 to 8-12-22.

Alternative instruction provision: Idaho law exempts students being “privately instructed” from compulsory school attendance. Parents must provide instruction in “subjects commonly and usually taught in the public schools of Idaho.” There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

“The parent or guardian of any child . . . shall cause the child to be instructed in subjects commonly and usually taught in the public schools of the state of Idaho. To accomplish this, a parent or guardian shall either cause the child to be privately instructed by, or at the direction of, his parent or guardian; or enrolled in a public school . . . or private or parochial school.” See Idaho Code § 33-202.

Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must provide instruction in “the branches of education taught to children of corresponding age and grade in the public schools.” There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Homeschools operate as private schools. See 105 ILCS § 5/26-1 and 105 ILCS § 5/27-1.

Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must provide 180 days of “instruction equivalent” to that provided in public schools and must keep attendance records. There are no notification, parent qualification, or assessment requirements.

Homeschools operate as “non-accredited, nonpublic schools” (private schools). See Ind. Code § 20.33.2.

Iowa’s homeschool statute offers three homeschool options.

Independent Private Instruction: Parents must provide instruction in math, science, reading and language arts, and social studies, but there are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Competent Private Instruction (option 1): Parents must provide annual notice and homeschool under the supervision of a certified teacher who will record and monitor the child’s progress. There are no instruction time or subject requirements.

Competent Private Instruction (option 2): Parents must provide 148 days of instruction and students must make adequate progress, but there are no parent qualification, subjects of instruction, or bookkeeping requirements, and notification and assessment are optional.

The Independent Private Instruction option was passed into law in 2013. See Iowa Code § 299A.1(2)(b).

Parents may operate a homeschool as a Non-Accredited Private School. Parents must register once with the state Board of Education, and must provide instruction for a period of time “substantially equivalent” to that of public schools. Parents must be “competent,” but state officials have no authority to determine a parent’s competency. There are no subject, bookkeeping or assessment requirements.

Kansas does not specifically designate homeschools by state statute. Parents may operate a homeschool as a Non-Accredited Private School (NAPS) or parochial school. See Kan. Stat. Ann. § 72-43.

Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must provide an annual notice of enrollment to the local board of education, keep attendance, and provide 185 days of instruction in the same branches of study as are required in public schools. There are no parent qualification or assessment requirements.

Homeschools operate under the law for private, parochial, or church schools. See Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. §159.030, §159.040, and §159.080.

Homeschool statute: Parents must submit annual notice to the Louisiana Department of Education, and must include either a packet of materials or an assessment (by standardized test or portfolio evaluation) with each subsequent year’s notice. Approval may be denied if a child is not making appropriate progress. Parents must offer 180 days of instruction and provide a “sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to that offered by public schools.” There are no parent qualifications or bookkeeping requirements.

Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must submit an annual enrollment report to the state Louisiana Department of Education and are required to provide 180 days of instruction. There are no parent qualification, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Any child “who participates in a home study program approved by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education” is considered to be in attendance at a day school for the purposes of compulsory attendance laws. See La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 17:236. For the law governing home study programs, see La. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 17:236.1.

Maine has two options for homeschooling.

Homeschool statute: Parents must provide one-time notice to both the local school district and the Maine Department of Education, offer 175 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or by portfolio review performed either by a certified teacher or by a homeschool association). Parents must submit each child’s assessment with each subsequent year’s notice, and must keep each assessment on file. While portfolio evaluations must include the evaluator’s “acceptance” of the student’s progress, there is no minimum score for those who choose the standardized test assessment option. There is no parent qualification requirement.

Private school/Umbrella school: Parents may also choose to operate a homeschool as a private school. They must provide annual notice with safety compliance and enrollment data and offering 175 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects. There is no assessment requirement, but to operate as a private school a homeschool must include at least two unrelated children. In some cases, homeschoolers have come together to create what become de facto umbrella schools, private schools enrolling multiple homeschool families.

The statute calls homeschools “home instruction programs.” See Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. Tit. 20-A § 5001-A(3)(A)(4).

Maryland’s homeschool statute offers two options:

School district: Parents must provide annual notice of intent to homeschool to the local superintendent, provide “regular, thorough instruction in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age,” and maintain a portfolio of each student’s work and allow the local superintendent to review it up to three times a year. There are no parent qualification requirements. Should the superintendent determine that the required instruction is not being provided, the parent will be given the opportunity to correct deficiencies.

Umbrella school: Parents may homeschool under the supervision of a homeschool co-op an approved private school. In both cases, parents must provide annual notice to the local superintendent and supervising schools must provide “textbooks, lesson plans, and other instructional materials or equipment.” The officials must conduct annual site visits while approved private schools must assign each homeschool a supervising teacher. There is no assessment requirement for students homeschooled under a supervising school. Maryland requires approved private schools to go through an approval process and meet certain educational requirements, but exempts church schools from all requirements.

The state’s compulsory attendance law exempts any child who “receiving regular, thorough instruction during the school year in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age.” See Md. Code Ann., Educ. § 7-301(a)(3). The Board of Education has developed regulations for homeschooling. See Md. Regs. Code tit. 13A §§ 10.01.01 to .03.

Massachusetts has one option for home education.

Alternative instruction provision: Massachusetts law exempts children who are “otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the superintendent or the school committee” from compulsory school attendance. Oversight of homeschooling falls to the local school districts, who are given some freedom to set their own requirements. Parents must seek approval from their local school districts to homeschool. Districts may not require parents to have a college degree or teaching certification, but they may require parents to provide the “equivalent” of 180 days of instruction to that provided in the public schools, they may require parents to keep records, and they may require annual assessments (generally by standardized test or portfolio review). Districts may deny parents approval to homeschool, but to do so they must be able to show that the proposed program of instruction does not equal “in thoroughness and efficiency, and in the progress made therein, that in the public schools in the same town.”

The Massachusetts compulsory attendance law allows for an exemption for children “otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the superintendent or the school committee.” See Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 76, § 1. Some practical aspects of this approval are discussed in Care and Protection of Charles (1987) and Brunelle vs. Lynn Public Schools (1998).

There are two options for home education in Michig

Homeschool statute: Parents must provide “an organized educational program in the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar.” There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Private school: Parents may operate homeschools as private schools, thus gaining access to a wider array of services. Parents must provide annual notice, have at least a bachelor’s degree or a teaching certificate (this requirement is waived in the case of religious objections), provide instruction in subjects “comparable to those taught in the public schools to children of corresponding age and grade,” and keep basic records. There are no instruction time or assessment requirements.

A child is excused from compulsory public school attendance if “the child is being educated at the child’s home by his or her parent or legal guardian in an organized educational program in the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar.” See MCLA § 380.1561(3)(f).

Homeschool statute: Parents must provide annual notice of homeschooling to the local superintendent, offer instruction in reading, writing, literature, fine arts, math, science, history, geography, government, health, and physical education, maintain academic records, and have their children tested annually. Parents are not required to submit the test results, and there is no minimum score. Teacher qualifications apply only to instructors who are not children’s parents, and academic records need only be submitted when enrolling a previously homeschooled child in public school. There are no instruction time requirements.

“For the purpose of compulsory attendance, a “school” means a public school . . . or a nonpublic school, church or religious organization, or home school in which a child is provided instruction in compliance with this section and section 120A.24.” See Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.22 Subd. 4. For the full law related to homeschooling, see Minn. Stat. Ann. § 120A.22 and § 120A.24.

Homeschool statute: Parents must file annual notice of intent to homeschool with the local school district and provide 180 days of instruction. There are no teacher qualification, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Mississippi law states that a child may be educated in a “legitimate home instruction program.” A child may be homeschooled by a parent, guardian or custodian. For the full homeschool statute, see Mississippi Code Annotated § 37-13-91(3)(c).

Homeschool statute: Parents must provide required hours of instruction in reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science, must maintain basic academic records. There are no notification, parent qualification, or assessment requirements, and students’ academic records may only be inspected in case of legal investigation.

“A parent, guardian or other person in this state having charge, control, or custody of a child between the ages of seven years of age and the compulsory attendance age for the district shall cause the child to attend regularly some public, private, parochial, parish, home school or a combination of such schools.” See Mo. Ann. Stat. § 167.031.1. “A ‘home school’ is a school . . . that has as its primary purpose the provision of private or religious-based instruction; enrolls pupils . . . of which no more than four are unrelated . . . and does not charge or receive consideration in the form of tuition.” See Mo. Ann. Stat. § 167.031.2. For the entire relevant statute, see Mo. Ann. Stat. § 167.031.1 through § 167.031.7.

Homeschool statute: Parents must file annual notice with the local superintendent, provide required hours of instruction in “the subjects required of public schools as a basic instructional program,” and maintain attendance and immunization records. There are no parent qualification or assessment requirements.

“A home school is the instruction by a parent of the parent’s child, stepchild or ward in the parent’s residence.” See Mont. Code Ann. §§ 20-5-102(2)(e) and 20-5-109.

In Nebraska parents may operate homeschools as private schools. Parents must file annual notice and provide a required number of hours of instruction in language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and health. There are no parent qualification, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

In the absence of a homeschool statute, homeschools operate as private, denominational, or parochial schools. If they wish to avoid the state’s accreditation and approval requirements, homeschool parents must gain “exempt” status for their schools by arguing either that the requirements for school approval and accreditation “interfere with the decisions of the parents or legal guardians in directing the student’s education” or that they “violate sincerely held religious beliefs of the parents or legal guardians.” State law authorizes the State Board of Education to establish procedures for collecting the information required by law. These procedures are laid out in Rule 13. See Neb. Rev. Stat. § 79-1601.

In Nevada, parents must file one-time notice with the local superintendent and must provide instruction in English, reading, composition, writing, mathematics, science, social studies, history, geography, economics, and government. There are no parent qualifications, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

A homeschooled child is “a child who receives instruction at home and who is exempt from compulsory attendance.” See Nev. Rev. Stat. § 385.007(5). A child may be homeschooled by a parent, custodial parent, legal guardian, or other person who has control of the child and the legal right to direct the child’s education.

In NH, parents must file one-time notice with a participatory agency:

• the commissioner of education

• the local district superintendent

• the principal of a private school

Parents must provide instruction in required subjects, maintain a portfolio of their children’s work, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio review). There are no parent qualifications or required instruction time. The annual assessments are not submitted to the participatory agencies and cannot be used as a reason for terminating a homeschool program.

Homeschool parents must choose a participatory agency for their homeschool. There are three options: the commissioner of education, the local district superintendent, or the principle of a private school. See N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 193-A.

Alternative education provision: New Jersey law exempts students who “receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school” from compulsory school attendance. Parents must provide “equivalent instruction” between ages 6 to 16, but there are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

State statute requires that students “attend the public schools of the district or a day school in which there is given instruction equivalent to that provided in the public schools for children of similar grades and attainments or to receive equivalent instruction elsewhere than at school.” See New Jersey Statutes Annotated § 18A:38-25.

Parents must provide annual notice to the Superintendent of Education, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, and offer instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. Parents must maintain immunization records, but there are no other bookkeeping requirements and there is no assessment requirement.

“‘Home school’ means the operation by the parent of a school-age person of a home study program of instruction that provides a basic academic educational program, including reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies and science.” See N.M. Stat. Ann. §§ 22-1-2(E) and 22-1-2.1.

Homeschool statute: Parents or legal guardians file a one-time form with the Department of Non-Public Instruction, have their children tested annually, and keep attendance records, immunization records, and test scores on file. Parents or legal guardians providing instruction must have a high school diploma or its equivalent and operate their homeschools “on a regular schedule” for nine months each year. There are no subject requirements or minimum test scores, and while parents are required to make test scores available for inspection in their homes, they are not required to submit them and the Department of Non-Public Instruction does not currently inspect homeschool records.

A homeschool is defined as “a nonpublic school consisting of the children of not more than two families or households, where the parents or legal guardians or members of either household determine the scope and sequence of academic instruction, provide academic instruction, and determine additional sources of academic instruction.” See Gen. Stat. § 115C-563(a). Homeschools follow the requirements for either religious schools or independent schools, with a few modifications, and are overseen by the Department of Non-Public Education (DNPE). The law described in this section is contained in Gen. Stat. § 115C-547 to § 115C-567.

Homeschool statute: Parents must file annual notice with the local superintendent, create annual reports, and provide instruction in the same subjects required in public schools. Parents must have a high school diploma or GED or be monitored by a certified teacher. Students must be tested during grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 unless their parents claim a moral, philosophical, or religious exemption and have at least a bachelor’s degree. Test results must be filed with the local superintendent, who will require remediation for students not making academic progress. Homeschooled students with disabilities must have service plans. North Dakota is the only state that offers homeschooled students the opportunity to earn an official high school diploma from the state itself.

North Dakota law defines “home education” as “a program of education supervised by a child’s parents.” See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-20-04. The state has a comprehensive homeschool statute. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23.

The State of Ohio has two provisions for home education.

Homeschool statute: Parents or legal guardians must submit annual notification to the local superintendent, including basic identifying information and an assurance that the child will be educated in the required subject areas and provide the same number of instructional hours as required by the public school district. There are no bookkeeping requirements, required assessments, nor parental qualifications.

Private school: A homeschool may operate as an “08 school” if there is a religious objection to government oversight and the parent or legal guardian providing instruction has a bachelor’s degree. Parents or legal guardians must provide annual notice to the Ohio Department of Education, keep attendance records, and provide 182 days of instruction in a variety of subjects. There is no assessment requirement.

Ohio law exempts children, between the ages of six and eighteen years, from attending school under the state’s compulsory attendance law if the child is “being instructed at home by a person qualified to teach.” Ohio Rev. Code 3321.04(A)(2).

The State of Oklahoma has one provision for home education.

Alternative instruction provision: Oklahoma law exempts students for whom “other means of education are provided” from compulsory school attendance. Parents must provide 180 days of instruction, but there are no notification, parent qualification, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

“It shall be unlawful for a parent . . . to neglect or refuse to cause or compel such child to attend and comply with the rules of some public, private or other school, unless other means of education are provided for the full term the schools of the district are in session or the child is excused as provided in this section.” See Okla. Stat. tit. 70, § 10-105(A).

The State of Oregon has one provision for home education.

Parents or legal guardians must provide one-time notice to their local Education Service District and have their children tested at the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. There are no parent qualification, hours of instruction, bookkeeping, or subject requirements. There is an intervention process for students who score below a certain threshold, but parents must submit their children’s test results only if requested by their local Education Service District. Students with disabilities are assessed according to a privately developed plan.

Oregon law exempts children from compulsory attendance if they are “being educated in the children’s home by a parent or legal guardian.” Homeschools are prohibited from operating as private schools, and private school students must be “in attendance,” thus prohibiting homeschools from operating under umbrella private or church schools. Or. Rev. Stat. § 339.030(1)(e).

The State of Pennsylvania has two provisions for home education.

Homeschool statute: Parents or legal guardians must submit annual notice to the local superintendent, have a high school diploma or its equivalent, provide 180 days of instruction in a wide range of subjects that vary by grade, maintain a portfolio of academic records and test results, have their children tested in grades 3, 5, and 8, and have their children assessed annually by portfolio review. The evaluator’s certification that an appropriate education is taking place must be submitted to the local superintendent, who may ask for another evaluation at any time if there is reason to believe the children are not making appropriate academic progress. Homeschooling is not permitted if a parent, guardian, or adult in the household has been convicted of certain criminal offenses, and parents wishing to homeschool a student with disabilities must have written approval from a provider.

Private tutor: Parents may homeschool under the private tutor law if the parent providing instruction has a teaching certificate. The parent must file once with the local superintendent and provide 180 days of instruction. There are no subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

A home education program is a program conducted by the parent or guardian or such person having legal custody of the child or children, in compliance with the requirements of the statute. See 24 Pa. Stat. § 13-1327.1(a).

The State of Rhode Island has one provision for home education.

Homeschool statute: Parents or legal guardian must apply for approval from the local school committee. They must provide “thorough and efficient” instruction in reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, history, and government, to operate for a term “substantially equal” to that of public schools, and to keep attendance records. There are no parent qualifications. The form of assessment required, along with the form of intervention in case of lack of progress, is determined by the local school committee, with the option of appeal.

“A course of at-home instruction approved by the school committee of the town where the child resides” satisfies the state’s compulsory attendance law. Homeschools are required by statute to follow the same general requirements as private schools. See R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-1 and § 16-19-2.

South Carolina has three options for Home Education. Option 3 is most popular.

School district / Option 1: Parents must apply to the district board of trustees for approval to homeschool, have a high school diploma or GED, provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, maintain basic academic records for inspection, and have their children take the same annual Basic Skills Assessment Program as students attending public school. There is an intervention process for homeschooled children not making adequate academic progress SECTION 59-65-40. Home schooling programs. (OPTION 1).

South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools / Option 2: Parents must be members of the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. Parents must have a high school diploma or GED and provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects. There are no bookkeeping or assessment requirements. SECTION 59-65-45. Alternative home schooling requirements. (OPTION 2)

Homeschool association with at least fifty members / Option 3: Parents must be members of a homeschool association with at least fifty members. Parents must have a high school diploma or GED, provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, and maintain basic academic records. There is no assessment requirement. SECTION 59-65-47. Associations for home schools; requirements. (OPTION 3)

“Parents or guardians may teach their children at home if the instruction is approved by the district board of trustees of the district in which the children reside.” The district board of trustees is required by law to approve any homeschool that meets the standards listed in the statute. See S.C. Code § 59-65-40.

The State of South Dakota has one provision for Home Education.

Alternative instruction provision: South Dakota law exempts students receiving “alternative instruction” from compulsory school attendance. Parents must file an exemption certificate with the Department of Education or local school district. There are no parent qualifications, days of instruction, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

South Dakota law requires a parent to notify the Department of Education or local school district if their child will be receiving “alternative instruction in the basic skills of language arts and mathematics.” However, “[t]he person providing instruction is not required to be certified.” The only curriculum requirement is that alternative instruction “shall be given so as to lead to a mastery of the English language.” See South Dakota Codified Laws § 13-27-3.

The State of Tennessee has four provisions for home education.

Homeschool statute 1 & 2: Parents may homeschool under Tennessee’s homeschool statute. Parents must provide annual notice to the director of schools, have a high school diploma or GED, provide 180 days of instruction, maintain attendance and vaccination records, and have their children tested after grades 5, 7, and 9. While there are no subject requirements, students’ test results must be turned in to the director of schools, and there is an intervention process for students who fall too far behind in reading, language arts, mathematics, or science.

Umbrella school 3: Parents may homeschool in association with or as satellite campuses of church-related schools. Parents choosing these options must provide 180 days of instruction, and the church-related school must provide notice to the local director of schools. There are no state teacher qualification, subject, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

Distance learning program 4: Parents may enroll a child in a distance learning program run by an accredited private school. These students are officially private school students, and all requirements are at the discretion of the school.

“A home school is a school conducted or directed by a parent or parents or legal guardian or guardians for their own children.” See Tennessee Code Annotated § 49-6-3050.

The State of Texas has one provision for Home Education.

Parents or legal guardians may operate a homeschool as a private school. Parents must provide instruction in good citizenship, math, reading, spelling, and grammar. There are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

The state’s compulsory attendance law exempts any child who “attends a private or parochial school that includes in its course a study of good citizenship.” See Tex. Educ. Code Ann. § 25.086(a)(1).

The State of Utah has one provision for home education.

Parents must file a one-time notice with their local school district. There are no parent qualification, bookkeeping, instruction subject, or assessment requirements.

“A local school board shall excuse a school-age minor from attendance, if the school-age minor’s parent files a signed and notarized affidavit with the school-age child’s school district of residence.” See Utah Code Ann. § 53G-6-204.

The State of Vermont has one provision for home education.

Parents must submit annual notice to the Vermont Department of Education, provide instruction in a comprehensive list of required subjects, and submit an attestation that their children will be assessed annually (via standardized test, portfolio review, or written report). There are no parent qualifications nor intervention measures. Parents are required to make adaptions to accommodate the needs of children with disabilities.

‘Home study program’ means an educational program offered through home study which provides a minimum course of study and which is offered to not more than: (A) children residing in that home; and (B) children not residing in that home who either are two or fewer in number or who are from one family.” See V.S.A. 16, §§ 11(a)(21), 1121, 166b, and § 906.

The Commonwealth of Virginia has three provisions for home education.

Homeschool statute: Parents or legal guardians must provide annual notice to the division superintendent, have a high school diploma or GED (or provide evidence of the parent’s ability to provide an adequate education), offer 180 days of instruction, maintain attendance records, and have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio review). While there are no subject requirements, assessments must be turned into the division superintendent who will begin a remediation process if a homeschooled student is not receiving an “adequate education.”

Religious exemption: Families who have religious objections to school attendance may opt out of all education requirements by providing notice of their objections to the division superintendent. Various school districts enforce this provision differently.

Private tutor: Parents with teaching certificates may homeschool under the private tutor law. The parent must file a copy of the teaching certificate with the district superintendent, provide 180 days of instruction, and maintain immunization records. There are no subject or assessment requirements.

Virginia’s homeschool statute states that “instruction of children by their parents is an acceptable alternative form of education” and that parents “may elect to provide home instruction in lieu of school attendance.” See Va. Code Ann. § 22.1-254.1.

The State of Washington has two provisions for home education.

Homeschool statute: Parents or legal guardians must provide annual notice to the local superintendent, meet one of four parent qualifications, provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects, and have their children assessed annually (by testing or portfolio review). Parents are not required to submit the assessments to the local superintendent, but must maintain these documents in the home.

Umbrella school: Parents may operate homeschools as “extension programs” of approved private schools. Parents must provide 180 days of instruction in a variety of required subjects and be under the supervision of a certified individual employed by the school who will assist in planning instruction, maintaining student records, and evaluating student progress.

Washington has a homeschool statute, which refers to homeschooling as “home-based instruction.” See Wash. Rev. Code § 28A.225.010(4) and § 28A.200.

The State of West Virginia has two provisions for home education

Approval: Parents must apply for the approval of the local school board, filing information and records as required. Parents must provide 180 days of instruction. The school board sets any teacher qualification, subject, and assessment requirements.

Notice: Parents must provide one-time notice to the local superintendent. The parent providing instruction must have a high school diploma or equivalent and must have their children assessed annually (by standardized test or portfolio review) and submit this assessment after grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. There are no required hours of instruction, but parents are required to provide instruction in reading, language, mathematics, science, and social studies and must maintain copies of students’ assessment for three years. There is an intervention process for students not making acceptable progress.

“The instruction shall be in the home of the child or children or at some other place approved by the county board.” See W. Va. Code § 18-8-1(c)(1).

The State of Wisconsin has one provision for home education.

Parents must file annually with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction and provide 875 hours of instruction in “a sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction in reading, language arts, math, social studies, science and health.” There are no parent qualification, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

A “home-based private educational program” is limited to one family unit and is defined as “a program of educational instruction provided to a child by the child’s parent or guardian or by a person designated by the parent or guardian.” See Wisconsin Statute 115.001 (3)(g). In general, home-based private educational programs are subject to the same requirements as private schools. See Wis. Stat. Ann. § 118.15 (1) (a), §118:15 (4), § 115.30 (3), and §118.165 (1)

The State of Wyoming has one provision for home education.

Parents or legal guardians must submit a curricular plan to the local board of trustees each year (no approval is necessary) and provide a “sequentially progressive curriculum” in required subjects. There are no parent qualification, days of instruction, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.

“A home-based educational program means a program of educational instruction provided to a child by the child’s parent or legal guardian or by a person designated by the parent or legal guardian.” A homeschool must consist of only one family unit. See Wyo. Stat. §§ 21-4-101 and 21-4-102.