There are so many people on this site. I though it would be fun and interesting to hear where everyone lives, and what are the homeschool laws like in your state/area? I live in Tempe, Arizona. Arizona has fairly relaxed laws. You have to file an intent to homeschool form with your school district and provide instruction in reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science. You don't have to provide a curriculum, and you only need to test your child if you are putting them into public school. Least that's how I understand it. :angel: What about all of you?
We've done this before on here, but not for quite some time. Sooooo... I live in Washington State. The laws for our area are fairly simple as well: 1. Intent to Homeschool Form---this is not a huge long letter needing people to read and approve and sign. Our ITH Form has lines to put the children's names and grades they will be in and a line for your signature. They stamp it with the date, run off a copy for me, and we're all done---a whole 5 minutes worth! 2. I think they have a 180 days thing, but it's more of a suggestion, we have NO forms to turn in other than the ITH. 3. If we follow the laws, we should do some kind of achievement test--like the ACT or ITBS each year from 3rd grade up. I know some people who don't bother with that, and noone's ever done anything about it. But since it's easy enough to do, we've done it. The accountable age for being in school here is age 8.
I am in Florida and we use a FREE umbrella school. I file an attendance sheet via email each quarter and that is it. We are not registered with the state at all. As far as they are concerned we attend a private school. No testing, no evals, no FCAT, no portfolio.
Illinois. The laws here are soooo easy. If they went to public school, we have to inform the district they won't be returning. If they never attended public school, we don't have to tell them anything. We don't have to have curriculum approved. We don't have to take tests (or any other kind of assessments). We're required to cover Language Arts, biological & physical Science, Math, Social Sciences, Fine Arts, health and physical development, and they have to be taught in English. We're considered a private school, so I don't need certification, and we don't have a specified amount of days or hours we have to do for each year. Compulsary school age is 7-17.
We live in Kansas. It's a relax state to hs in, we just had to file as a private school. We do have the compulsory law but that's it. No testing or assessments, no turning in curriculum or keeping track of time. When I removed our kids from school, I just let the school know as a common courtesy.
We live in NC. We have to keep attendance, a shot record for each child and test once a year. We filed our letter of intent which was very simple and then a card is mailed to us saying we are a school. We do 180 days and our hours are determined by us. We don't have to have any of our curriculum approved.
We're in Austin, TX. Texas is one of the easiest states to homeschool. The compulsory age is 7, and we are required to teach reading, spelling, grammar, math, and citizenship. That's all the limitations we have! No attendance. No notification. No approval of curriculum, no testing, no anything at all. In Texas, homeschools are considered private schools and are not regulated whatsoever by the state.
I live in Pennsylvania.. laws here suck kinda.. well they aren't too bad once you get used to them but lots complain about them. 1. a notice of intent needs to be filed prior to the start and by Aug 1st every year there after. (we do have the best compulsory age.. 8!!), The notice needs to be notarized and contain a medial record or a notice of religious exemption and a list of objectives. 2. In grades 3, 5 and 8 the students need to take standardized tests. 3. We must have our children evaluated every year at the end of the year. 4. By June 30th we have to turn in a portfolio showcasing the students work from the year, a book log, a letter from the evaluator, a log of the students work, a log of attendance and I feel I'm forgetting something but can't think of it. It sounds like alot, but it really isn't too bad once you train yourself to just stay organized.
San Antonio, TX, but just moved here from TN. I am enjoying the freedom here. It was great telling my umbrella school that I no longer needed their services.
Indiana....we are a pretty easy state to hs in. No regulations here except to school 180 per year. I just put my kids back in school and they didn't even test them...of course, they had been in there before, so they had previous records. I wonder what they do for kids who have never been in a ps? Do you suppose they would have to be tested? You would think they would have to. Anyway...Hi and welcome!
Utah, We have to do a letter of intent, no testing, but we have to do the same amount of hours as the PS....I think. I basically have this year to "practice" so I am not completely going by the laws, kwim? I haven't done the letter of intent, etc. My son could have gone to K this year, but he can wait until next year also.
Ohio, can you tell We have to send in a letter of intent and then at the end of the year, we get an assessment by a certified teacher and send that in too.
I'm in MO. We've got it semi-easy. 1. No letter of intent. If the child has been in PS before, we have send a withdrawal letter. 2. We have to log 60 hours in the "core subjects" in our "regular schooling location". In other words, we can't go overboard on classes, community activities, and field trips and not do any "classwork" at home. 3. Those logs need to be kept for ages 7-16, but are only checked if there is a problem. I.E. Someone calls DFS on you or something. I've never known anyone who has had to submit their records.
I'm in Nova Scotia, Canada. We send in a letter to register with a vague outline of what we will be using (ex:Math: Singapore, Calculadder, developmentally appropriate board and video games) and then at the end of the year send in a report. I print off one they provide and all it asks for is subject and end grade though I usually put in 'Satisfactory' or 'Exceeded Expectations.'
1. I'm in Virginia 2. 3 ways to file you have a highschool diploma you have a bachelors religious exemption 3. if you file under highschool diploma you submit an NOI every year, and you have to do an approved standardized test every year starting in 1st grade 4. Religious exemption you don't file anything. You also have to submit a curriculum description. It's pretty easy here as you don't have to submit attendance or anything like that every year. Just the yearly NOI and testing unless you file under religious exemption.
Minnesota Rules vary somewhat depending on parents' education. In our case: *Notice of intent *Standardized testing every year - although we get to chose what/where/when/how and do not turn in the results. *Immunization record or notorized reason why not Because I have a BA, we do not need to turn in any report cards. Also if I had kept my teaching license up to date, we could have also skipped the testing requirement. That's it legally, though my district has asked for more info. I have refused and so far they haven't pushed the issue.
Viva Las Vegas now ( formally from California). File 1 notice of intent ( with outline of studies) while you live here , re-file online once a year after that, 180 days of school required (no attendence sheets needed though) ,when you move out of state you just tell them!
Wow, I envy you, girls. States is the great place to hs, ha. I am in Ukraine and hs is not recognized as it is. My kids are not officially school aged, so I don't think @ technicalities yet, since they don't have to attend daycare. All of my friends homeschool though, under the umbrella of some ps. This is on case to case basis, you kind of find your way around. Most of the time the kids have to pass tests two times a year. It's a real battle at first to find a school who would agree to take you, then, no matter what the requirements, you are happy that you can keep your kids at home
