What Is Homeschooling?
Each fall when school begins, a growing number of school-aged children do
not head off to a classroom. Instead, they learn at home with their families
or with other children in their communities.
Homeschooling takes many forms, from a daily routine following a
scheduled curriculum to child-led learning in which parents supervise and
help. Choosing to homeschool or to traditionally educate a child is often a
difficult and confusing decision for parents and guardians. To help them
make the best choice possible, this brochure answers basic questions about
homeschooling and suggests other useful sources of information.
Do Families Have a Right to School Their Children at Home?
All states allow homeschooling. Typically, a state's statutes, through a
court ruling, an attorney general opinion, or a regulation that interprets a
school attendance law to include homeschooling, consider homeschooling a
legitimate option for meeting compulsory education requirements. Because
each state regulates homeschooling differently, parents should examine local
laws and consult with other homeschoolers before proceeding.
In every state, parents must, at a minimum, notify a state or local
education agency of their intent to educate their children at home and
identify the children involved. Several states require the submission of
proposed curricula and tests or have educational requirements for parents. A
few even test parents. Only Michigan requires certified teachers to be
involved in homeschooling programs, but the state allows parents to choose a
program's teacher and does not specify a minimum level of teacher
supervision. (Michigan courts have excused parents from the certification
requirement if they have religious objections.)
The U.S. Supreme Court has not ruled explicitly on homeschooling, but it
did rule against compulsory school requirements in Wisconsin v. Yoder
(1972). The Supreme Court has also upheld the right, subject to reasonable
state requirements, of parents to direct the education of their children.
What Does the Federal Government Do for Homeschoolers?
Government regulation and support of home schooling is carried out
primarily at the state level. However, the federal government also plays an
important role by disseminating research-based information on homeschooling
to policy makers and others and by supporting research on a broad range of
issues affecting teaching and learning.
Most federal support for education is dedicated to programs for children
who have special needs, such as low-achieving children, children with
limited English proficiency, and children with disabilities. Generally,
local districts have the option of offering services under these programs to
homeschoolers who meet the districts' criteria for eligibility.
How Do Educators and Policy Makers View Homeschooling?
Homeschooling is controversial. The National Parent Teacher Association
opposes the practice, as do the National Education Association and the
National Association of Elementary School Principals. Other groups such as
the American Civil Liberties Union maintain that parents have a
constitutional right to school their children at home. Though they don't
necessarily approve of homeschooling, a majority of Americans responding to
the 1988 Phi Delta Kappa Gallup poll believed that parents have a right to
try it. State legislatures agree, and over the past 20 years they have
responded favorably to homeschoolers seeking more flexible compulsory
education laws.
How Well Do Homeschooled Children Do?
Homeschooling's academic worth is hotly contested by researchers,
educators, and parents. It is difficult to obtain a representative sample of
homeschooled children, and researchers cannot say for certain whether these
children would do better or worse in a public or private school. Scores of
homeschoolers who have taken state-mandated tests or who have provided their
results to researchers indicate that while some homeschoolers test below
average, a larger number test above that mark.
Proponents and opponents also disagree on how well-adjusted homeschooled
children are. Although it appears to be true that children who are
homeschooled spend less time with same-age children and more time with
adults and children of different ages, research has not found that
homeschooling harms children's social or psychological development. On the
contrary, these children often demonstrate better social adjustment than
their traditionally schooled peers.
Opponents argue that homeschooling is harmful to children because it
isolates them from other children in their community. However, homeschooling
is rarely conducted in total isolation. Many families participate in
homeschool support groups, scouting, church and recreational activities, and
other associations.
Through these activities, homeschooled children share experiences with
people outside their immediate families. Although some homeschoolers and
their associations emphasize affiliations only with people who share their
religious beliefs, many actively seek religious, cultural, and racial
diversity. In fact, one national magazine, The Drinking Gourd, is devoted to
multicultural homeschooling.
What About College Admissions?
Homeschooling teenagers should contact the colleges and universities they
would like to attend and ask about their admission policies. In a 1994
telephone poll conducted by the author of this brochure, a select group of
admissions officers from large universities and colleges indicated
willingness to consider applications from homeschooled students. In
addition, all of the officers said that they accept standardized admission
test scores-along with other material showing experience in learning and
collaborating with others-in the absence of a regular high school
transcript. Although admissions officers do not monitor this practice, some
estimated that they admit a handful of undergraduates each year without a
transcript. Interested teenagers should ask their local homeschool
association for the names of college students who were homeschooled and
would not mind offering advice about the college application process.
What Resources Are Available to Homeschoolers?
To get started, most homeschooling families join local support groups.
Families often find these groups by word of mouth or through public or
private schools, religious groups, or state or national associations. At
least one homeschooling association is active in every state. These groups
offer advice and information and hold conferences at which families who
school at home discuss legal, philosophical, and teaching issues.
Parents can also find guidance in books, magazines, and newsletters. This
brochure's companion piece, Homeschooling Resources for Parents and
Students (posted on this web site), lists materials and Internet
resources that cover a wide range of homeschooling issues.
Some school districts have established centers at which families may
enroll in classes or obtain resources and instructional support. Such
arrangements are called shared schooling, dual enrollment, or assisted
homeschooling. Some districts also allow homeschoolers to attend public
school part-time. Many private schools, some public schools, and the state
of Alaska provide homeschoolers with texts, materials, and support.
Homeschoolers also rely on libraries, museums, parks department programs,
churches, civic associations, and other local institutions.
Where Can I Get More Information?
There are many sources of information and resources available to
homeschoolers, including libraries, local public schools and other
educational institutions, government agencies, nonprofit institutions, and
other homeschoolers.
~~~~~~~~~~
About the author - Patricia M. Lines is Senior
Research Analyst, National Institute on Educational Governance, Finance,
Policymaking, and Management, Office of Educational Research and
Improvement, U.S. Department of Education.
This brochure is in the public domain. Authorization to
reproduce it in whole or in part is granted.
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