Know the law

Step 1 of the The Ten Steps to Successful Homeschooling
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Homeschooling laws and regulations require reporting to the board of ed. This paperwork may seem initally to be a big chore. But it gives us each power when we educate ourselves to know the law well, and the resulting paperwork helps to keep us organized and well-documented. Don't rely on overworked bureaucrats to inform you. Take the time to learn what is actually required by the law. A summary of what you need to file each year follows.

Regulations

Note: Every state has different regulations.

The entire New York State law is available online: Home Instruction in New York State

To have a free copy of the NYS regulations mailed to you, contact:

Nancy Moore
c/o Office of Non-public Schools
NYS Education Dept.
room 475-EBA
Albany, NY 12234

Find your local State Board of Education through this page from NASBE.

Summary of NYS required paperwork

Note: this summary is brief and you are advised to study the regulations carefully. Find someone in your support group to help you the first time you do your paperwork.

Letter of Intent (LOI)

You are required to submit a Letter of Intent stating your intention to homeschool your child. The LOI is due by July 1st or within two weeks of your decision to homeschool. The letter must include your child’s name, age and grade level. Download a sample LOI in MS Word or PDF format).

Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)

By August 15th you must submit an Individualized Home Instruction Plan, which must include all mandatory subjects for that grade level (see the regulations in detail for your child’s grade level). Don’t forget to include those pesky little items like bicyle safety, health, patriotism & citizenship, and arson prevention.

See our page on Grade Levels, Standards and Benchmarks and do note that homeschoolers do not have to follow the bd. of ed. guidelines, and do not have to write IHIPs or assessments that are at "grade level."

Here is a template in Word format that you can download to fill out and use for your IHIP or Quarterly Report.

Quarterly Reports

Four times a year you must submit Quarterly Reports that show progress with the educational goals set forth in your IHIP. These reports must also record the number of hours of instruction (225 per quarter or 900 per year in elementary school , for grades 7-12 that amount increases to 247.5 hours per quarter or 990 per year ) and the child's absences (none since, even when they are sick, homeschoolers continue to learn and are never absent). You may want to comply with your district’s request to have the quarterly reports filed at the usual times (Nov. 15, Jan. 30, April 15 and June 30, approximately), but the law states that you may furnish your own schedule for these reports.

Here is a template in Word format that you can download to fill out and use for your IHIP or Quarterly Report.

Year-end Assessment

A Year-end Assessment is required with your fourth quarterly report (June 30). This assessment can be in the form of a narrative statement or home-made report card signed by a certified teacher or (if there is no protest) by the parent or instructor, stating that at least 80% of the educational goals have been achieved. If a certified teacher is required and none is available, a peer review committee, made up of at least two experienced homeschooling parents, will suffice. The peer review committee would sign the year-end assessment statement. Starting in 4th grade, a nationally approved achievment test is required every other year, and starting at 9th grade, every year, to serve as the year-end assessment.

Calendar for NYS required paperwork

Note: The dates for Quarterly Reports are only suggestions, as the law states that you may furnish your own schedule for these.

This is Step 1 of the Ten Steps to Successful Homeschooling
1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10