| The federal government definitely plays a role in | | | | Although homeschooling is legal in one form or |
| American education today, particularly in the attached | | | | another in every state, not all states have statutes |
| to the funds it distributes to states and to local | | | | specifically covering situations where parents directly |
| school districts, the specific rules regulating school | | | | provide their children's education. Some states |
| attendance are the province of each individual state. | | | | consider homeschooling to be a form of private |
| States generally require students to attend public | | | | education, subject to the same rules and regulations |
| school between the ages of seven and sixteen, | | | | governing conventional private schools. Some states |
| unless they fall into one of several exempt | | | | regulate homeschooling directly, requiring anything |
| categories. The upper and lower ages vary | | | | from a simple registration form to lengthy |
| somewhat from state to state and are often | | | | descriptions of the curriculum, complete with lesson |
| tinkered with by legislatures, although no state | | | | plans and texts used. Somestates just want to know |
| requires school attend beyond the age of eighteen. | | | | when families are homeschooling; others want families |
| The exempt categories typically include private school | | | | to get permission to homeschool from local school |
| attendance, private tutoring by a credentialed | | | | officials. Some states require periodic evaluation of |
| teacher and sometimes physical or mental disabilities | | | | homeschooled students by achievement tests or |
| that make attendance impossible. Successful | | | | other means, just for statistical purposes or to |
| completion of high school usually also exempts | | | | determine whether students should be allowed to |
| students school attendance, although some states | | | | continue homeschooling. |
| require children younger than fourteen or fifteen to | | | | Many states' laws are quite complex, with several |
| continue some sort of school attendance or regular | | | | options to choose from; often living with a particular |
| instruction. | | | | law is much different from what a common sense |
| State education statutes also regulate details of | | | | reading of the applicable statutes would lead you to |
| public school operations such as the number of days | | | | expect, and how laws are enforced can depend on |
| of instruction, the qualifications of teachers, and the | | | | who is doing the enforcing in any given year. |
| course of study required to be provided. Some | | | | Rather than risking the homeschooling laws of your |
| states apply some of these regulations to private | | | | state, it is best to find out and be clear regarding the |
| school programs as well; other states leave private | | | | home schooling requirements of you state. |
| schools relatively free from state oversight. | | | | |