At least 1.7 million children in the United States are taught at home, and that number has grown by 9 percent each year since 1999, according to statistics reported in the "Washington Post." Because home school regulations are established by the states and not mandated by the federal government, rules for home schooling children can vary widely. If you're considering teaching your child at home, check with your state's department of education to make sure you understand the specific rules for home schooling in your area.
Teacher Qualifications
Most states don't require parents to meet special criteria to teach their children at home. But if you live in Georgia, North Carolina, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee or West Virginia, you'll need to have completed high school or have a GED before you can home school your children, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association. In North Dakota, parents that haven't graduated from college must be monitored by a certified teacher for the first two years of home schooling.
Testing Requirements
About half the states in the U.S. require home schooled children to regularly participate in standardized testing or another form of evaluation, says the Home School Legal Defense Fund. Some states, like Minnesota and North Carolina, require annual testing, while others, like Tennessee and South Dakota, require testing only at certain grade levels. In some states, like Georgia, students are required to participate in testing, but the results don't have to be reported to the Department of Education or the district school board.
Attendance Rules
Most states require home schooling parents to keep track of the time their child spends learning at home, according to the Home School Legal Defense Fund. But the requirements for reporting vary greatly from state to state. Most states, like Florida, require home schooling parents to notify a member of the Department of Education--often the county superintendent of schools--in writing within 30 days of establishing a home school. Many states, including Georgia, require parents to submit attendance records that prove students spent a certain amount of time in school. Other states, like Florida, require parents to keep attendance records, but only examine them in certain circumstances.
