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.
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 article, 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. Homeschooling Resources for Parents and Students 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. 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.
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