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With all of these sources and the information I got from them I realized that homeschooling isn't that hard for parents. The children can still get the social aspect if the parents want them to, and they can learn the way that is best for them. The parent has to go through a good amount of steps, but it is a good step to take so the schools are sure that the children are learning.

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This group has facts about homeschooling, a place to get your questions answered, and support for families

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HSLDA: Homeschooling Advocates since 1983

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Home School Legal Defense Association is a nonprofit advocacy organization established to defend and advance the constitutional right of parents to direct the upbringing and education of their children and to protect family freedoms.

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NYHEN: State Education Dept Homeschooling Q&A

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NOTE: - Question 1 is not about homeschooling. It is about homebound instruction, which is public schooling provided by a public school teacher for a student who is unable to travel to the public school due to illness or injury. If you are interested in homeschooling, please ignore Question 1.

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We know that beginning to educate your own children can create feelings of anxiety, especially if not everyone you've told about your decision is supportive. The surest way to begin feeling confident in your choice, though, is to understand exactly what is required of you from a legal perspective and assure yourself that you are following your state's individual guidelines. Although homeschooling is certainly legal in all fifty states, every state has a different approach to how they regulate it.

Once you know what's expected of you in terms of how the state determines whether you are qualified to homeschool your child, whom you need to notify of your decision, what records you need to keep, and whether or not your state requires any formal assessments, you'll be well on your way to becoming more relaxed about your new adventure. Read on to discover what you need to know about New York state homeschool regulations.
*This should by no means be interpreted as legal advice. It is your responsibility to interpret and understand the laws that you will be homeschooling under.

Requirements for Homeschooling in NYS

Although New York state law does not require teaching credentials for parents providing home instruction, the key requirements to follow include:

1. File a notice of intent to homeschool within 14 days of beginning, and every year thereafter.

2. Provide an Individualized Home Instruction plan to the District Superintendent.

3. Note the subjects required to be taught at specific grade levels.

4. Maintain attendance records.

5. Complete 900 hours of school instruction per year in grades 1-6, and 990 hours for grades 7-12.

6. Submit your quarterly informational reports to the District Superintendent.

7. Submit an annual assessment with your final quarterly report, which includes a norm-referenced achievement test or written evaluation, depending on grade level.

NYS has very specific requirements to homeschool your child in the state. The regulations listed here are a summary to help parents get started. Check out the NY Department of Education's website for the latest information on staying compliant.

Your Notice of Intention

One of the first things parents need to know, of course, is how to get started, whether their student will begin homeschooling in kindergarten or will be switching from public school to homeschool. New York requires that families file a notice of intention to begin homeschooling.

You may begin at any time in the year, although your letter of intent needs to be filed within 14 days of beginning homeschooling or moving into a specific school district in New York. To continue homeschooling in subsequent years, you will need to resend your letter of intent by no later than July 1 of that year. For the purposes of New York homeschooling, a "letter of intent" is simply a written notice to your district superintendent of your intent to instruct your child's education at home.

Recordkeeping: Homeschool Recordkeeping in New York

Within 10 business days of receiving your letter of intent, your superintendent's office should respond with a copy of the Commissioner's Regulations and a form for the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). This form is completed by the parent and returned within four weeks of receipt (or by August 15 of subsequent homeschool years.) The IHIP that you submit will include your syllabus of textbooks or materials you will use or a plan of instruction, a list of dates when you agree to send the quarterly informational reports required by your local school district, and the name(s) of anyone who will be providing instruction to your student(s). For the syllabus requirement, some families using Time4Learning have submitted their grade level scope and sequence for subjects they are using our curriculum for.

Although New York does not make keeping a portfolio one of the requirements for homeschooling, you may discover that you appreciate having a physical example of your child's homeschool progress. To find out more about homeschool portfolios and what you might want to include in them, visit our homeschool portfolio evaluations page.

Once per quarter, parents will also submit to their superintendent a report that includes:

total hours of instruction provided during the quarter being referenced

a description of material covered in each subject area

a grade or written evaluation in each subject area

Examples of New York IHIP submissions and quarterly reports can be found in various places online. You may want to preview some of these before creating your own.

Homeschool Evaluations and Testing in New York

When you are filing your fourth quarter report for the year, you will also need to include an annual assessment or written narrative. This can consist of a parent-made report card for the student signed by the parent or instructor stating that the student has met their educational goals for the year. Depending on the school district, a certified teacher or peer review committee may be required to sign off on the end of year assessment.

Starting in fourth grade, a nationally approved achievement test is required every other year to serve as the year-end assessment. From 9th to 12th grade, this achievement test is required every year. Examples of approved tests include the Iowa Basics Skills Test, the California Achievement Test, the PASS test, and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills. Visit our New York State Standardized Test Prep page for more information on preparing for your achievement testing.

Returning to Public School after Homeschooling

If your homeschooling adventure comes to an end for any reason, you will need to know how to transfer from homeschool to public school. The first thing to do is to register with the public school your child will be attending. You may provide any records you wish to the school to help them better understand what level your child is working at, but ultimately it is the school principal who will determine what grade level to place your child into when he or she returns. It is also up to the individual schools to determine if your assessments and standardized tests are acceptable or if they will require your child to take additional placement testing upon registration.

Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in New York

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We know that beginning to educate your own children can create feelings of anxiety, especially if not everyone you've told about your decision is supportive. The surest way to begin feeling confident in your choice, though, is to understand exactly what is required of you from a legal perspective and assure yourself that you are following your state's individual guidelines.

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While New York is considered a heavily regulated state when it comes to homeschooling, don't let that dissuade you. If you believe homeschooling is the right option for your family and you are ready to dive in, then this article can help! Read on for the following:

An overview of New York homeschool laws,

An introduction to homeschool groups in New York, and a

Description of how Moving Beyond the Page can help you get started.

* This page does not contain legal advice and is not an endorsement of any homeschool groups listed. ( see disclaimer)

New York Homeschool Laws

When homeschooling in New York state, there are two very important documents you need to know about: the letter of intent (LOI) and the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). These documents should be submitted at the beginning of every school year to the district superintendent for each child who will be homeschooled. The timeline for submitting these documents can be found below:

Submit the LOI by July 1 (or within 14 days of beginning instruction if instruction begins during the academic year).

Within 10 days of receiving the LOI, the district will send an IHIP form for parents to complete.

Parents then have 4 weeks to complete and submit the IHIP using the district's form or their own form.

Within 10 business days or by August 31, the district will notify parents if the IHIP complies with all requirements.

Read the descriptions below to ensure your documents meet all the requirements.
Letter of Intent
This letter is very simply an official declaration of your intention to homeschool your child. It should include your name, contact information, and the name of the child or children you intend to homeschool.

Individualized Home Instruction Plan
This document is more involved than the letter of intent and ensures that you will be meeting the educational needs of your child as outlined by New York state law. While the district will send you a specific form for your IHIP, know that you are not required to use this form. Just ensure that your completed IHIP contains all of the following:

Name, age, grade level of homeschooled child/children

List of syllabi, curriculum materials, and plan of instruction

Dates for submission of quarterly reports and final assessment (explained later in this article)

Name(s) of individual(s) providing instruction

A statement that your child(ren) will be receiving a full-time instructional program

Instructional Requirements by Grade Level
Required subjects for grades 1-6:

Arithmetic

Reading

Spelling

Writing

English language

Geography

United States history

Science

Health education

Music

Visual arts

Physical education

Bilingual education and/or English as a second language where the need is indicated

Required subjects for grades 7-8 (cumulative):

English (two units)

History and geography (two units)

Science (two units)

Mathematics (two units)

Physical education (on a regular basis)

Health education (on a regular basis)

Art (one-half unit)

Music (one-half unit)

Practical arts (on a regular basis)

Library skills (on a regular basis)

Required courses for grades 1-8 (to be taught at least once during this period):

United States history

New York State history

Constitutions of the United States and New York State

Required subjects for grades 9-12 (cumulative):

English (four units)

Social studies (four units) which includes one unit of American history, one-half unit in participation in government, and one-half unit economics

Mathematics (two units)

Science (two units)

Art and/or music (one unit)

Health education (one-half unit)

Physical education (two units)

3 units of electives

Required subjects for grades K-12:

Patriotism and citizenship

Health education regarding alcohol, drug and tobacco misuse

Highway safety and traffic regulation, including bicycle safety

Fire and arson prevention and safety

There should be 180 days of instruction in your school's calendar, and you should maintain records of your student's attendance. At the end of the school year, your child will also be required to participate in a standardized assessment. You have some choice about this assessment, as detailed below.
Quarterly Reports
On or before the dates specified on your IHIP, you must send quarterly reports to your district's superintendant. These reports should include:

Number of hours of instruction

Description of the material covered in each subject listed in the IHIP

A grade for the child in each subject or a written narrative evaluating the child's progress

If less than eighty percent of the amount of the course materials as set forth in the IHIP planned for that quarter has been covered in any subject, a written explanation should be provided

Year-End Assessment
The final requirement you must meet is the annual assessment. Every year, your student must either take a standardized, norm-referenced assessment or meet one of the following alternatives:

Grades 1-3: A written narrative provided by a certified teacher or homeschool review panel

Grades 4-8: A written narrative provided by a certified teacher or homeschool review panel (this alternative may only be used every other year during grades 4-8)

The certified teacher or review panel will then determine whether or not the child is making adequate yearly progress and report their findings in writing to the district's superintendent.
Homeschool Groups in New York

Homeschooling your children is a daunting task, but there are many groups and organizations in New York to help you out. Here are some organizations you may want to look into.

If you would like to recommend a new link or let us know about a problem with an existing link, please send an email to [email protected]

NOTE: You can find a wealth of local and state groups offering homeschooling advice and support on sites such as Facebook and Yahoo Groups. You can search by city or county, religious preference, homeschooling philosophy, and more. You will need a free account on these sites to join one of their groups.

A Homeschool Curriculum for New York

Moving Beyond the Page is a homeschool curriculum that exceeds the requirements for homeschooling in the state of New York. All of the Moving Beyond the Page packages cover science, social studies, and language arts, and we offer a range of math programs as well. The New York legal requirements are only a starting point, and our curriculum utilizes a range of educational strategies that are designed to foster a love of learning in children including:

Hands-on activities,

Differentiated options, and

Independent projects.

Moving Beyond the Page encourages critical thinking and creativity while encouraging your child's unique learning style like no other curriculum on the market. If your child is a hands-on learner, a gifted learner, or a creative free-thinker, then you should look into Moving Beyond the Page for your child.

Choose an age level to continue:

Disclaimers

Any information about the laws in your state is provided to help you understand your legal requirements to homeschool in your state. It should by no means be interpreted as legal advice. This information was not compiled by a lawyer. It is your responsibility to interpret and understand the laws that you will be homeschooling under. If you have questions, you should seek the advice of a lawyer that operates in your state.

Moving Beyond the Page does not endorse any of the homeschool groups that are included in these pages. They are provided only for your benefit. You should research any group to ensure that they align with your family's goals and philosophies.

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While New York is considered a heavily regulated state when it comes to homeschooling, don't let that dissuade you. If you believe homeschooling is the right option for your family and you are ready to dive in, then this article can help!

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Is it already time to start thinking about graduation? If your homeschooled child is a senior this year, you're probably starting to see graduation party favors everywhere and loads of commercials advertising appropriate "graduation gifts" (i.e. many car commercials). While a new car may not be in your plans for your graduate, there's no doubt about it: one thing your graduate cannot do without is that well-earned high school diploma.

Why is a High School Diploma Valuable?

There was a point in time when a GED was "just as good" as a high school diploma. Although the pendulum seems to swing in both directions depending on the decade, in 2018, a high school diploma is regarded as superior to a GED. A GED seems to indicate that a person gave up too soon or didn't have what it takes to last 13 years (including Kindergarten) in school. While these ideas may just be a matter of opinion, there's no doubt that a proper high school diploma will pretty much always outweigh the GED.

That said, there's been an assumption in the past that homeschooled students could only get a GED. This just isn't true! A parent-issued diploma represents 13 years of hard work in just the same way a school-issued diploma does.

Is a Parent-Issued Diploma Good Enough?

In short, absolutely! While homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, most homeschool programs are not "accredited" in the same way a school is. Nonetheless, parent education programs have equal standing as public and private school programs of education. A diploma simply indicates that a person has completed a program of study and has met all requirements for that program of study. As homeschooling families, we obviously set the "standards" in most cases. Because of this, a parent-issued high school diploma is a perfectly acceptable way to graduate your child. Not only are they acceptable, but they're also legally binding. This is wonderful news for homeschoolers because it means that a parent-issued diploma is enough to qualify a student to apply for federal financial aid.

What Should We Include on a Homeschool Diploma?

In the majority of cases, the "administrator" of the home education program will be the parent(s). Therefore, parents need to be the ones signing the official diploma. But what should go on that diploma?

Your homeschool name (this would be the "institution" issuing the diploma)

Your student's name

The city and state in which the student graduated

The date the diploma was issued

Some type of language that indicates that the student has been issued a high school diploma

At least one signature from an "administrator" (parent)

How to Create a Homeschool High School Diploma

When you're ready to create the actual diploma, there are plenty of diploma websites online that offer the ability to use a template you can fill in with your personal information. LetsHomeschoolHighSchool.com offers eight different printable diplomas you can choose from! You will probably want to print it out on specialty paper and mount it in a diploma holder or frame.

Overall, your student's diploma will signify the completion of your home education program as prescribed by you. It is critical that you include the fact that it's a high school diploma (as opposed to a "certificate" or random other types of diploma) for the times your student will need to show a copy of the diploma. Frankly, your student can create his or her own diploma. However, that's probably something best left to the parents to do - after all, you'll probably want to present your student with his or her diploma in a ceremonious way!

For more homeschool high school downloads and high school transcript templates visit Let's Homeschool High School.com.

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Creating a Homeschool Diploma for Your High School Student | Homeschool.com

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Is it already time to start thinking about graduation? If your homeschooled child is a senior this year, you're probably starting to see graduation party favors everywhere and loads of commercials advertising appropriate "graduation gifts" (i.e. many car commercials).

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This routine shows that the children are more flexible and the mother teaches the way she believes is best for them.

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MORNING/HOMESCHOOL ROUTINE ☀️ 📚 (Day in the Life) | The Kelley Krew

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A parent can make a homeschool diploma, and it is higher than a GED.

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My child is having a hard time in school and asked me to homeschool her. If I do, will it impact her social skills?

Yes, homeschooling will have an impact on her social skills — in a positive way! Homeschooled kids are not subjected to the peer pressure, violence, drugs, and other negative influences that are all too common in today's schools. For instance, Molly is a new girl in my daughter's homeschool drama group. She has a facial deformity that impairs her speech slightly. Up to this year, she was in public school (she's 13). Her mother shared stories about the teasing, cruelty, and even physical violence her daughter endured in school. When her mom finally tried homeschooling, she was amazed at how easily Molly assimilated into the homeschool community. It seems that the homeschooled kids didn't care that she was different. There was no need to humiliate her to make themselves feel better. The homeschooled kids have a lot of freedom and are generally content with themselves and their educational path. Unfortunately, Molly's situation in school was not an isolated incident — I hear similar stories every week. Her mom's only regret? That she didn't homeschool Molly sooner!

It is a myth that homeschooled kids lack social skills. In fact, the actual statistics paint quite a different picture. In every study or test that I have read, homeschooled kids consistently outperform their schooled peers, both socially and academically. Please read Social Skills and Homeschooling: Myths and Facts for more information.

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Does Homeschooling Affect Social Skills?

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My child is having a hard time in school and asked me to homeschool her. If I do, will it impact her social skills? Yes, homeschooling will have an impact on her social skills - in a positive way!

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Always thought it made student's social skills worse, but this article showed me I was incorrect.