Homeschool laws: Which states are supporting parental choice?

While many children thrive in a public school environment, not all students do. That’s why it is important that states give parents the ability to choose the education approach that works best for their children.

Jonathan Lopez’s story is an example of why education choice is essential. Jonathan has Asperger’s Syndrome, and his teachers did not understand how to teach a child with special needs. His classmates bullied him. After continuing to struggle in public school, Jonathan’s parents decided to try home school. His mom is a former teacher, and she knew exactly how to teach a student with his unique needs. Jonathan began to excel under the specialized, individual attention his mother provided.

All parents want their children to receive a quality education that prepares them for college, a career, and life. Sometimes, that’s not through a traditional public school. For millions of children like Jonathan, homeschooling is an excellent education option that puts them on the path to success.

Why do parents choose to homeschool their children?

Parents chose to homeschool their children for a number of different reasons. Top among them is a concern about the environment of other schools. Parents of homeschooled children are often worried about bullying, drugs, or peer pressure their child might experience at school. Parents also note a school’s poor academic performance as a significant factor in their decision to homeschool. Others cite wanting to provide their kids with religious instruction.

How many children in the United States are homeschooled?

There are approximately 2.5 million children in the United States who are homeschooled. That’s about three percent of the school-age population. The popularity of homeschooling has been increasing each year since all 50 states legalized the practice in the 1990s. In 1999, only 850,000 children were homeschooled.

Has homeschooling become more popular after the coronavirus?

After the coronavirus upended America’s education system, most American families experienced homeschooling to some extent. That experience may have improved their perception of home school. A RealClear Opinion Research poll found 40 percent of families are more likely to homeschool after the coronavirus lockdowns end. Research from EdChoice finds more than half of black parents (53%) said they have a more favorable opinion of homeschooling as a result of the pandemic. And research from BestColleges found the number of homeschooled students is expected to increase by 10 percent this school year—from 2.50 million to roughly 2.75 million.

Is homeschooling regulated?

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, but each state has different homeschool laws that regulate how parents can homeschool their children. Some states have very restrictive homeschooling rules, such as subject, reporting, and testing requirements, while others are more relaxed. New York, for example, requires parents to send in a notice of intent to homeschool, quarterly reports, and an annual assessment of their child’s progress. Alaska, on the other hand, has no requirements to notify the state, seek approval, test, or file forms. Most states have laws that are somewhere in the middle of these two extremes.

As noted above, some states require a parent to notify the school district of their intent to homeschool their child. Some states make you fill out that notification every year, while others require no notice at all. Twenty-four states require parents to give their homeschooled children annual assessments to ensure they are keeping up with their academics.

Eleven states (Washington, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania) require parents to meet certain educational requirements, like having a high school diploma, to homeschool their children.

Some states have subject and instruction requirements. Colorado, for example, requires homeschooled students to learn communication skills of reading, writing, and speaking, mathematics, history, civics, literature, science, and the US Constitution. Utah has no subject requirements at all.

Find out your state’s homeschool laws here.

Which states have the strictest homeschool laws?

Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont have the most restrictive home school laws.

Which states have the most relaxed homeschool laws?

Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas have the least amount of homeschool regulations.

Fast facts on homeschooling

3% of all US students are homeschooled.
The number of homeschooled students is expected to increase by 10 percent this school year—from 2.50 million to roughly 2.75 million.
Homeschooled children typically score 15 to 30 percentage points higher than public-school students on standardized tests.
Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont have the most restrictive home school laws.
Alaska, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas have the least amount of regulations regarding homeschooling.