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Homeschooling in Massachusetts

In Massachusetts, homeschooling is regulated by Supreme Judicial Court decisions known as Charles (1987) and Brunelle (1998) as well as the Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 76, section 1.

Compulsory Attendance

The law states that “Every child between the minimum and maximum ages established for school attendance by the board of education,” must attend school. In Massachusetts, compulsory attendance begins the calendar year in which your child turns 6 and ends at the age of 16. The word “homeschooling” does not appear in any statute in Massachusetts which places homeschoolers into the “otherwise educated” category.

Requirements under Charles and Brunelle

There are no laws to specifically regulate homeschooling in Massachusetts. Instead, homeschoolers must look to what is called case law, specifically the Charles and Brunelle rulings. According to Charles, there are four pieces of information that a school district can (not must) request:

An education plan which simply provides a brief description of the proposed curriculum and the length of the homeschooling year may be requested. Unlike some other states, Massachusetts does not have a state approved curriculum that homeschoolers must use. This freedom allows homeschoolers to choose a curriculum that best suits the needs of their child. Your education plan also does not need to duplicate the public school system. A sample education plan can be seen at the Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts website.

According to the Charles ruling “…Certification would not appropriately be required for parents under a home school proposal…nor must the parents have college or advanced academic degrees.” The Massachusetts General Laws chapter 71, section 1 states that teachers “shall be of competent ability and good morals.” To comply, parents can simply state in their plan that they are of competent ability and good morals or they can list their academic credentials if they wish.

A review of materials, texts and resources, but only to determine the subjects to be taught and the grade level of the child is also an allowable request. The Brunelle ruling indicated the courts understanding that “…some of the most effective curricular materials…may not be tangible.” The majority of homeschooling parents simply provide either a list of the texts, materials and resources they intend to use or photocopies of the table of contents section of their textbooks.

One mutually agreed upon method of assessment may be requested annually. While Charles does allow for school district to use standardized testing as a measure of acdemic progress at the end of the school year, they are not required to take the statewide MCAS test required under No Child Left Behind. The other assessment options available to homeschooling families include portfolios, dated work samples and narrative progress reports however, under the Brunelle decision, home visits may not be required.

Important Considerations

* It is important to know your district’s policies as well as familiarizing yourself with the case laws in order to be your own advocate.
* Once you have submitted your education plan you have fulfilled your legal obligation to the district. You should keep all contact with your district in writing and always send your education plan to your district by way of certified mail with return receipt requested.
* Some towns will send you an approval letter and some won’t. It is not necessary to receive an approval letter, however some businesses may ask you for one in order to extend their educator discounts to you.

Massachusetts Home Learning Association

In conclusion, homeschooling in Massachusetts is fairly easy if one adheres to the guidelines outlined in the case laws. An educational plan, list of curricular materials, competency of the parent as an instructor and a method of assessment all should be considered when planning a homeschool program. For more information, or to connect with a local support group visit Massachusetts Home Learning Association.

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How to Homeschool in California

State law does not prohibit homeschooling in California. Although the state seems permissive, there are some requirements that have to be met, mainly concerning the subjects that are taught in California.

Homeschool Laws in California

According to the California Education Code §48222, all children between 6 and 18 years of age are required to enroll in public school unless they are attending a full-time private school or are being taught by a tutor who holds a valid California teaching credential. Most homeschool parents meet §48222 by establishing a private school in their home or enroll in a school that offers independent study, either of which negates the requirement for a parent to hold a California teaching credential.

Keep in mind that California requires all private schools to teach certain subjects. For example, English, math, science, social studies, fine arts, health and physical education must be taught. Additional subjects are required in grades 7-12. California Education Code §51210 and §51220 detail the subject requirements.

Despite court challenges on constitutional grounds and infringement of religious freedom, homeschool parents need to teach the above subjects to stay legal. Currently, there is no provision in California law for supervising the instruction of these required subjects. This means parents are free to determine how the required subjects are taught. With freedom to design curriculum, parents can get learning materials such as homeschool textbooks inexpensively or even free.

Setting up a California Homeschool

To set up a home based private school, submit an electronic private school affidavit (PSA) on the California Department of Education website between October 1st and October 15th of each year. That website also has additional information on setting up a home based private school.

After the school has been set up, contact the child’s previous school and inform them that he or she will be attending another school. If notification to the school is not done, the government will consider the child to be truant. At the same time, request student records from the previous school so that the homeschool has complete cumulative student records as required by California law.

Other options for setting up home schooling include enrolling in independent study programs with a private school, charter school, or even some public school districts. In exchange for restrictions on curriculum and tuition, independent study programs provide materials and support for homeschoolers. Contact local schools and local homeschooling groups to find available options.

California Homeschooling High School

Public school students are required to take the California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) to graduate. Private school students are not subject to this requirement. Homeschool students need to meet the graduation requirements of their school, which may be entirely determined by the parents.

The GED or the CHSPE (California High School Proficiency Exam) may be taken to validate a student’s academic program, but this is not required. Only a diploma from the homeschool is needed.

College admissions tests such as the SAT, ACT, or the College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) exam do not require attendance at any particular high school. For example, it is not necessary to have taken any formal AP class in order to take an AP exam.

Colleges are not required to waive any admissions requirements for homeschoolers, including those that have to do with standardized tests. It is important that students who want to go to college learn how to do well on standardized tests, even if the tests were not part of the homeschool curriculum.

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Homeschooling, Unschooling and College Admission

The College Board, founded in 1900 to “Connect students to college success and opportunity” publishes guides to college admissions, College test prep guides and also information on grants and scholarships. In an article on their website, entitled “Home-Schooled Students and Admission” they encourage homeschoolers with tips for putting together a portfolio, letters of recommendation, meeting deadlines and acing interviews, advising them to contact the school they wish to attend for specific requirements for homeschoolers, since many schools now have an official process for reviewing homeschooled applicants.

Homeschool Letters of Recommendation for College Applications

Larry and Susan Kaseman, in an article entitled “Credentials for Homeschoolers,” published in the January/ February 2007 edition of Home Education Magazine, advise homeschoolers and unschoolers to begin acquiring letters of recommendation early and choose which letters to use judiciously. The more prestige and influence the letter-writer has will be important, as will their grounds for writing the letter.

Ideally, letters of recommendation will come from influential adults (alumnae of the intended University, perhaps) which speak about the student’s written and oral communication skills, leadership skills, passion for the proposed course of study, ability to work with a group and other character traits as well as professional skills.

SAT Testing and AP Testing for Homeschoolers

SAT and AP test scores are an important part of college applications, especially for students who enter without community college experience or transcripts. AP tests can be self-studied. AP Course descriptions are available online at no cost, and can be used as study guides. AP testing occurs in May at community colleges, check the College Board website or your local high school guidance counselor for AP and SAT testing dates and registration. CollegeConfidential.com also has resources for helping homeschoolers meet the testing requirements for College admission.

Books About Homeschooling and College Requirements for Homeschoolers

The first published account of the steps it takes for homeschoolers to get into Ivy League colleges was that of David & Micki Colfax, who authored Homeschooling for Excellence [Warner books, 1988] whose children ended up attending Harvard University.

Cafi Cohen’s Homeschoolers’ College Admissions Handbook: Preparing Your 12- to 18-Year-Old for a Smooth Transition [Prima Publishing, 2000] provides a workable plan for homeschoolers and helps families understand what admissions offices are looking for and how homeschooling families can plan ahead to provide a portfolio that shows colleges what they want to see.

College Without High School: A Teenager’s Guide to Skipping High School and Going to College, by Blake Boles [Friesens, 2009] gives an up-to-date discussion of the changing face of college admissions and helps unschoolers and home schoolers find ways to manage their study time.

Accelerated Distance Learning by Brad Voeller [Global Publishing, 2001] outlines the steps his mother took to ensure that each of her ten homeschooled children had their bachelor’s degree by the time they were 18, for less than $5000 each. Their method involved self-study, challenging some courses, testing out of as many classes as possible and reliance upon their local community college.

The most common thread of advice is to look into colleges early and start communicating with their admissions office in order to learn what they want from homeschoolers, meet deadlines, be professional in both written and verbal communication.