Home School Procedures
SBOp 1.114
Standard Operating Procedure OutlineCategory: / School Board Operations / Department: / Student Assignment
Procedure: / Home School Procedures
Policy Reference # : SBO 1.110 / Version: 1.0 / Date: January 11, 2012
Operational Objective(s)
· To explain the process to register for home school, test home school students, and to re-enter public school
Procedure
A. Registration for Home School
1. The TENNESSEE NOTICE OF INTENT TO HOME SCHOOL form may be utilized as notice of the parent(s) or legal guardian(s) intent to conduct a home school as permitted by T.C.A. § 49-6-3050.
2. A child must be enrolled EACH YEAR the child is home schooled, prior to the start of the school year.
3. Should home schooling be discontinued after enrollment, MNPS must be notified. Also if at any time during the school year home schooling is discontinued and the child is enrolled in another school, MNPS must also be notified.
4. Registration forms are available at our Customer Service Center and on line at http://state.tn.us/education/homeschool/doc/ed2541.pdf
5. Parent/legal guardian must attach a copy of their child’s immunization record and a copy of the parent/legal guardian’s educational background.
6. Also, you are required to keep an ATTENDANCE RECORD of days you teach. An Attendance Form is available at our Customer Service Center and on line at http://state.tn.us/education/homeschool/ Please return the attendance record of each child you teach at the end of your school year. Your child’s HOME SCHOOL FILE is not complete without this attendance record on file.
7. If there is a change of address, parent/guardian must notify the Home School Liaison as soon as possible.
B. Independent Home Schools
1. The intent to operate an independent home school form must be submitted to the local superintendent before the commencement of each school year.
NOTE: No forms will be mailed directly to parents from the Central Office unless a parent/guardian is unable to obtain them from Customer Service or unable to access the forms online.
2. Parents/legal guardians should attach each student's health records to the Superintendent’s copy of the registration form if the records have not been filed previously.
NOTE: Do not send copies of health records to the Department of Education.
3. All registration forms should be checked by local school personnel to see if they have been completed properly.
4. The school system should contact parents regarding any omission of information. Please do not return forms to the Department without complete addresses and telephone numbers for home school parents.
5. Parents/legal guardians who lack the education required (High School Diploma, or GED) to conduct a home school should be contacted by the school system and informed that they do not qualify to conduct an independent home school.
5.1 Parents/legal guardians lacking the education required by law may not conduct a home school by enrolling their children in a correspondence school or hiring a tutor.
5.2 Parents/legal guardians may hire a tutor only in two instances:
5.2.1 If the parent/legal guardian who is teaching becomes ill, or
5.2.2 If the parent is inadequate to teach a specific subject. In both cases, the tutor must have the same education qualifications required for the home school parents/legal guardians.
6. Parents/legal guardians who are conducting legal independent home schools (have met the requirements of the home school law) may subscribe to any curriculum they wish.
7. If any independent home school student enters public, private or church-related schools, or changes addresses during the school year, such changes should be forwarded to the address above.
8. If independent home school parents move from one school system to another school system during the school year and continue home schooling, the parents should notify both school systems of their relocation.
9. The school system in which the parents originally registered should send the Home School Registration Form to the school system where the parents have moved. The school system should notify this office of the change so that files can be kept current.
C. Testing Independent Home School Students
1. Independent Home School students are required by law to take the same State Board-approved secure standardized tests required of public school students in grades 5, 7 and 9 (but not the State Proficiency Test). Students currently enrolled in one of the Subject Area Test Courses should be tested.
2. All independent home school students in grades 5, and 7 (registered with the Superintendent) will be administered the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP) tests as required for public school students in these grades.
3. The TCAP test will be administered to independent home school students in grades 5, and 7 at the same time public school students are tested.
4. The LEA testing Coordinator will mail details concerning testing procedures to home school parents prior to the test dates.
D. Home School Students Entering Public School
1. Independent Home School students entering public school shall be tested for appropriate grade placement
2. The examination administered to students in grades K-8 shall cover only the last grade completed.
3. The examination administered to students in grades 9-12 shall cover each subject for credit toward graduation.
1. The examination for subjects of more than one unit need cover only the last unit completed.
Performance Measure/Accountability
· Continuous evaluation of procedure to ensure efficiency and compliance with all laws and regulations
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Home School Procedures
SBOp 1.114
Home School RequirementsIndependent Home Schools (TN Department of Education K-12)
Requirements / Grades K-8 / Grades 9-12
Parent's
Education / H. S. Diploma or GED / H. S. Diploma or GED
Registration / Before the beginning of the school year. / Before the beginning of the school year.
Curriculum / Not Mandated- Determined by parent / Not Mandated- Determined by parent
Attendance / 4 hours per day 180 days per year / 4 hours per day 180 days per year
Record
Keeping and
Reporting / Attendance Record sent to Superintendent at the end of the school year / Attendance Record sent to Superintendent
at the end of the school year
Testing / In grades 5 and 7 same state board approved secure standardized tests required of public school students / In grade 9 same state board approved secure standardized tests required of public school students but NOT the high school proficiency test
Location
and Cost of
Testing / In the local public school which the student would otherwise attend (school of zone) at no charge OR by a professional testing service at parent’s expense / In the local public school which the student would otherwise attend (school of zone) at no charge OR by a professional testing service at parent’s expense
Test
Sanctions / 1 year or more below grade level for 2 years in a row, superintendent MAY req. parents to enroll child in public or private school (unless child is learning disabled) / 1 yr. or more below grade level, for 2 years in a row, superintendent MAY req. parents to enroll child in public or private school (unless child is learning disabled)
Enter or Re-Enter Public or Approved Private School / Must be tested for appropriate grade placement / Must be tested in each subject for credit toward graduation
High
School
Diploma or
Certificate of
Attendance / None / Parent creates the diploma.
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