Getting Started Homeschooling: Legal Issues

Most education matters are regulated at the state, not the national, level. Parents interested in educating their children at home need to check the laws of the state they live in to determine how it can be done. In some states, including California, parents can form their own private school and teach their children in that school. In other states, notices of intent must be filed. Some states require that parents have their children assessed or tested annually, or that parents have their lesson plans approved. Others don’t. People who are already homeschooling in a given state will probably be your best resource for understanding how the laws are actually applied and what is actually required, and most states will have support organizations that can help you figure out your choices and obligations.  Some groups geared specifically toward families homeschooling gifted children in targeted regions can be found here.

A number of different organizations provide overviews of the laws in all of the states. The National Home Education Network (NHEN) is a secular organization following homeschooling nationwide; their website has a great deal of helpful information. The comprehensive homeschooling website at A to Z Home's Cool: Homeschooling Laws and Legalities also has information on each state. For a Christian perspective, you can visit HSLDA’s website, as well. Because HSLDA advocates homeschooling in a particular way (more structured, and excluding “unschooling”), their information should be reviewed with that perspective in mind.