Beginning your homeschool journey is an emotional one; maybe you are excited about the prospect of personally educating your child on your own terms, maybe you are anxious about the fact that you are now responsible for their education, or maybe it is a whole other reason. Whatever the reasoning may be, know that there are support systems to make the transition as seamless as possible, starting with this series of blogs!
Families considering homeschooling in New York should be aware it is one of the more regulated states as far as home education is concerned. This is not to scare off families, by any means, but to share that organization and clear record keeping is key to maintaining an effective homeschool program.
There are no specific qualifications for a caregiver to have in order to homeschool in New York, but there are quite a few specific requirements to begin and continue homeschooling.
It’s always best practice to check out your state’s department of education website prior to getting started, to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.
Families are welcome to begin homeschooling anytime during the school year, but a notice of intent must be submitted to the district superintendent within 14 days of establishing your program. If you intend to homeschool at the start of a new school year, the notice must be submitted by July 1st. A new letter of intent must be submitted each year by this date.
Parents must annually submit an IHIP by August 15th that includes your child’s name, age, and grade level. It also must include your syllabus, curriculum materials, textbooks, plans of instruction, dates for submission of quarterly reports, and the name of whoever will be responsible for the home education. The more detailed information included, the better for your own personal record keeping, and should anything additional be requested from the district superintendent.
Records should be maintained each year that demonstrate your child’s home education attendance meets the equivalent of 180 days per year. Additionally, students must meet an hourly attendance requirement: 900 hours of school per year for grades 1-6, and 990 hours of school per year in grades 7-12.
Homeschool Subject Requirements in New York
The following are subject requirements that students in New York must be taught:
Patriotism and Citizenship, Substance Abuse, Traffic and Bike Safety, Fire Safety
Arithmetic, Reading, Spelling, Writing, English, Geography, US History, Science, Health, Music, Visual Arts, Physical Education
2 Credits of English, History, Science, Mathematics; ½ Credits of Art and Music; A regular basis of Physical Education, Health Education, Practical Arts, Library Skills
1 Credit of Art or Music; 2 Credits of Mathematics, Science, and Physical Education; 3 Credits of Electives; 4 Credits of Social Studies; ½ Credit of Health
Most colleges in the country will accept a diploma from homeschool, however New York colleges and universities will not. This means that students who are homeschooled and wish to pursue higher education have a couple extra steps to ensure their enrollment process is smooth sailing:
Every quarter, reports should be submitted to the district superintendent that include; number of hours of instruction during that quarter, a description of the material covered, and a grade or evaluation in each subject. When submitting your fourth quarter, you will also submit your child’s annual assessment.
These assessments can be a standardized test or written narrative. The narrative can consist of a parent-made report card that states the child met their educational goals for the year. This narrative must be signed by the parent (or caregiver responsible for the home education). If your child is taking a standardized test, there are a couple of approved options to choose from; The Iowa Basic Skills Test, The California Achievement Test, The PASS Test, and the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills.
New York is one of the more regulated states as far as homeschooling, but the regulations are still very achievable. Many of the requirements are things that should happen within a homeschool program anyways; they just must be professionally submitted in New York.
Now that you know what is expected of homeschooling in New York, it’s time to begin looking into curriculum options … and we recommend Dailies! They offer a variety of programs, including a full homeschool curriculum that was designed to meet the needs of individual students and general state requirements. With different pricing options, personalized classes, and professional teachers, Dailies provides families with a sense of support and confidence in knowing that their child is receiving the best of the best.
Still have questions? Check out dailiespods.com to learn more!
Written by
Meghan Bouboulinis Read all posts by this author