My kids were enrolled before we left on our trip, so I had to tell them - or so their principal told me. I asked him what I needed to do in order to homeschool for the year and he just said, "You have to tell me." I kind of assumed that conversation counted as having told him, and there was no formal paper or anything - I just didn't take them back to school in the fall.
I don't think you have to tell them anything, but if your kids were in school it would be a courtesy Idaho is a great state to homeschool in. Here is what the Idaho department of education has to say about homeschooling: IDAHO DOES NOT REGULATE OR MONITOR HOME SCHOOL EDUCATION Home school education is directed solely by the parent/guardian: No registration or sign up procedure is required. Parents research and select the curriculum they wish to use. A "packaged" curriculum is NOT provided by the State. All costs associated with home school are the responsibility of the parent/guardian (textbooks, supplies, etc.). State funding is not available to provide assistance for home school. By law, parents/guardians are required to provide "comparable instruction" in "subjects commonly and usually taught in public schools" "during a period in each year equal to that in which the public schools are in session."
These are our requirements per the HSLDA website: The "regular school location" means that at least 400 of our 600 core hours have to come from actual at home instruction. So there is a limit to how much "grocery shopping can be math" stuff we can do. I'm fine with that. But the 1,000 hours can be hard to reach if we only count what's done at home. To put it into perspective, we'd have to spend 45 minutes a day for 180 days on each of the 5 core subjects (counting reading and language arts as separate subjects) in order to get 675 hours. Not many home schoolers cover every subject every day. And many others don't spend that much time every day. I'm not saying that it's not doable. It's reasonable, really it is. It's just that often times kids finish certain subjects very quickly each day, so some creative time tracking can be in order. Plus there are those 400 other hours that don't have to be in core subjects. Those need to come from somewhere. I.e. dance class, library time, hunter safety class, etc. If we covered the 1,000 total hours in a standard 180 day school year, that comes out to 5.5 hours of schooling a day. How many of us really do that?
Wow! That just seems crazy to me - it seems to me that homeschooling would be just a way of life. If we know we are responsible for our kids' education we build our life around that and it just happens all the time. It seems nuts to have to provide documentation of a certain number of hours. But then, I suppose there are some parents who 'say' they are homeschooling, but really do absolutely nothing - so maybe that's why all these rules and regs.
And actually, Missouri is one of the most open states. Not as open as Texas and the like, but still better (by leaps and bounds) than Pennsylvania and some others.
In NY we need to have 900 hours for grades 1-6 and then 990 hours a year for grades 7-12. In the paper work from our district they tell us to include everything from dance classes, singing in choir at Church to whatever else they are doing that is educational. For the elementary grades I do not believe that we need to break it down per subject ( I have not started elementary yet so I am not sure) but for the high school we do need to list the hours to make sure that they complete enough hours to grant a unit in each of the compulsory subjects (Math, Science, US History...). Even with the basic stuff we normally come out to way over the hours needed because it takes sd awhile to get through some things but that is ok she will take as long as she needs. For the most part it really is pretty easy to keep track of the hours at least right now so I do not mind it.
Too bad there aren't any Army posts in Idaho...it would be nice to have no one to report too.... VA isn't too bad....not as nice as TX or ID but not as bad as PA and MA, etc. And we don't have to track hours or really even days. Our family choses the standardized test option (which is the simplest option here...just gotta get the 4th stanine in math and lang arts....23%). I think we're expected to do 180 days but we don't have to turn it in as long as we have the test scores to show adequate year end progress. Rhonda C.
I don't have to track hours until Ds turns 7, but I have been just for kicks and giggles. Well, ok, so I'm in the habit, really. I use Homeschool Tracker basic (the free version) and tracking time is a cake walk.
Since 900 divided by 4 is 225. . .I just write 225+ hours when I report it. I stop counting at 225. ;-) And errands totally count as school. I cannot fathom why someone wouldn't think it would. I can guarantee you that my children, when I take them on errands, learn much more than they would sitting in the classroom doing board of ed dumbness. Not to mention the fact that I don't want them growing up thinking that errands and other household duties are solely the mom's responsibility.
In Ohio, I am "required" to teach 900 hours a year. I am also "required' to cover: 1. math 2. science 3. health 4. geography, history of the US and Ohio, government 5. phys ed 6. fines arts (inc. music) 7. first aid, safety, and fire prevention No one says anything about where or when. I am like Nancy; I consider homeschooling a way of life. So when I took off most of Friday to clean house for my Pampered Chef Party later that night, I could "mark it down" as "Home Ec". But having said that, I keep NO records as to how many minutes I teach what. I can show you Phillip's math workbooks, and the math tests for Rachael and Faythe. I can show you history timelines and notebooks, science tests and labs for Rachael, notebooks for all three dealing with entymology, literature that has been completed for all three. I can list field trips we've gone to, including our Summer Vacation to Philadelphia to see King Tut's Treasures, the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, and to Valley Forge, and hiking the Appalachian Trail in New Jersey along the Delaware Water Gap. I can tell you about swimming in the in-door pool once a month, and spring and fall soccer for Rachael and Phillip, and horseback riding for Faythe. I can tell you about piano for all three, and pottery classes at the Rec Center for the younger two. Plus, I write AWANAS off as Bible, as well as attending church and Sunday School. So how many "hours" do I teach? I honestly can't tell you, but am guessing it is a MINIMUM of 900!!! (And SO THANKFUL I live in a state where I don't have to keep minute, idiotic records!!!)
I think most of us consider homeschooling as a way of life! We just need to follow the guidelines set by our states, so, to do that, some people have to break it down into hours and minutes and what counts and what does not. I'm guessing that many people would not do that if they didn't HAVE to, but if the law requires it, then as good citizens we must abide by the laws. Washington State is very easy to comply with: 180 days, Letter of Intent (which is just kids names and grade, your address, and your signature. That's it!), and a yearly test--we've done the ITBS at a local Christian School for free for awhile, then for $5 apiece. Staff has changed and they don't do that anymore, so I am ordering our tests this year. My kids like the ITBS tests, because they're not hard and it changes up their "schedule" some. We've NEVER been asked about what we do or had to show anyone anything, and this is our 10th year. Some people refuse to do the Letter of Intent and the yearly testing, but it's quite simple to do so, so I figure I might as well do it, especially since they really don't ask much at all from us! I don't have to count certain things for hours, but I think some ladies explained well why, and how, they do it! "The Well-Trained Mind" has an area where she talkes about how to put things you do into categories and what to call things, etc.
So much for Missouri being the "show me" state!:lol: I think PA should steal that title away when it comes to homeschool reporting. Notarized affadavit each year to signal intent to homeschool, list of goals, record of days or hours, portfollio and letter from evaluator must be sent to school district each year. I've done evaluations, and some students and parents put a lot into their portfollios and keep such detailed records, yet the superindendent will likely not even open the portfollio. I know one parent said that she makes an appointment with the super to make him look at her portfolio rather than just dropping it off. If she is forced to put it together, she believed he should be forced to view ever last page in it. If every PA HSer did that, I bet we'd become a "DON'T show me" state pretty quick!
I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. My whole family is still there. DH and I had intended to move back "home" (my home, not his) until we found about about the HS laws. After how easy we have it here in MO, there's no way I'll go through all that junk.
Here in SC we have three hsing options with the 3rd being the simplest as we just have to join an association of 50 members or more. We have to have 180 days for the year and maintain either a plan book or journal/diary type book of work completed. We are "required" to teach reading (lower grades), writing, math, science, history, and grades 7-12 literature and composition in lieu of readining and writing. When I got ready to take my dd back out of ps, the woman who runs the association I joined told me I could even count activities done over the past summer towards my days. When things get to much whether it's just the clutter of the house or a mental clutter, we have what what we've dubbed a "cleaning day" that I count. Today a neighbor took her on a 9 mile hike through a national swamp so I'm going to give her credit for the day if for nothing other than p.e. We don't have to turn in anything to the district, only the association at the end of the year verifying our 180 days.
we're lucky here - there's no required number of hours or days, no testing, nothing like that... here is what our school act says: for the "copy" of the program - most people just send a statement that their child will follow a "developmentally appropriate program of studies, including but not limited to the following subjects: *list here* " ... i don't know what 140 was...
This is a very good way of putting it. Of course homeschooling is a way of life--I don't see how it couldn't be honestly--even if you're of the mindset that you only "school" from 8 to 3. But I have to turn in something that says what I'm going to teach and what I'm going to use to teach it at the beginning of the year. I have to finish 80% of those books that I list. . .so while I might count "conversation in tent at Grand Canyon" in my hours. . .it's obviously not going on my IHIP bc I couldn't have planned for it. If I veer dramatically. . .like for example, I ditched my science curriculum mid-year. . .I have to turn in a revised IHIP. Quarterlies, days, hours, annual assessment--we have to do it all. So yes, homeschooling is a way of life but the Board of Education would like me to translate that way of life into what they deem tangible and practical outcomes. You can be creative though. . .for example, I mention in the science portion of my IHIP, that we are members to such and such zoo, gardens and museum and rely heavily on them for science curriculum. Anything we do or used will be noted later. . .stuff like that.
But aren't you dealing with special ed, Sneaky? I'm thinking an IHIP is similar to an IEP, which puts it in a totally different ball park, or does EVERY hs'ed kid have an IHIP? Man, I'd be going crazy if I needed to report and reform every time I changed curriculum; it seems I do it in at least ONE subject every year, lol!!!
Nope darling. An IHIP and an IEP are NOT the same thing. I don't have any special needs kids that I know of thus far. Every single homeschooled child needs an IHIP. It stands for 'individualized home instruction plan' and an IEP is an individualized education plan. I just tack changes onto the end of my quarterly if I need to. I don't submit a revised IHIP if I change because we finished something earlier--bc then I've met the requirement of finishing 80% of that subject. I only do it if I'm not going to finish 80% in a given subject. So for example, my first year of homeschooling, I listed all the books we have for history under history and nothing as a resources. That implies that I'm going to read each book cover to cover with my child. The problem: Several of those books that I have were intended for a resource to be used over the course of several years and not to be read cover to cover. There were a few other issues that first year too--like I listed swimming for P.E. and then couldn't go bc I had a difficult time recovering from a c-section etc. So on my 2nd quarterly I simply noted the changes, gave a brief explanation and left it at that. This year, I have covered way more in math and science than I had intended and so I'm not submitting a revised IHIP although what we've covered has to be noted on the quarterlies. I should note too--that this is something you do to cover your rear end. It's kind of like those of you who said you had to do attendance records and show them to a judge IF he asks. Well, if for some reason I had to go to court, and for some reason that particular subject was not covered the 80%, I would be out of compliance.
OK, thanks! I had you confused with someone else. IEP's I know ALL about, and I was thinking that they had just changed the "labels", as they tend to do every few years, lol!
Wanna know something interesting? A homeschooled student with special needs does not need an IEP. But they do need an IHIP. That is beyond me. (And of course the IHIP should include how the special need is being addressed. . .but totally easier than writing an IEP.)
