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Ohio Home School Education Quick Fact Sheet
Home School Education is education that is directed by the parent or guardian of a child who has been excused for attending school. The parent or guardian selects the curriculum and educational materials and takes responsibility for educating the child. There is no financial assistance for families who choose this option.
While students enrolled in state-chartered online schools, or “E-schools”, do typically work from home, these state-chartered online schools are considered community schools or ‘charter’ schools and are not the same as home education. Like other forms of public and private schools, online schools are responsible for providing the curriculum and educational resources. (Also, see Home School Resources).
Parent or Guardian Responsibility:
The parent or guardian must notify the superintendent of the public school district of residence of his or her intent to home educate a school-age child. The notification must include certain specific information and assurances concerning the home education program including:
- Assurance the home education will include the following, unless a concept, topic or practice is in conflict with sincerely-held religious beliefs of the parents.
a. Language, reading, spelling and writing;
b. Geography; history of the United States and Ohio; and national, state and local government.
c. Mathematics;
d. Science;
e. Health;
f. Physical Education;
g. Fine Arts, including music;
h. First aid, safety, and fire prevention.
- Assurance that the child will be provided a minimum of 900 hours of home education each school year.
- Assurance that
the home education teacher has one of the following
qualifications:
- A high school diploma; or
- The certificate of high school equivalence; or
- Standardized test scores that demonstrate high school equivalence; or
- Other equivalent credential found appropriate by the superintendent; or
- Lacking the above, the home teacher must work under the direction of a person holding a baccalaureate degree from a recognized college until the child’s or children’s test results demonstrate reasonable proficiency, or until the home teacher obtains a high school diploma or certificate of high school equivalence.
Provide a brief outline of the intended curriculum for the current year.
- Textbooks;
- Correspondence courses;
- Commercial curricula; or
- Other basic teaching materials that the parents intends to use for home education. Such list is for informational purposes only.
The parent or guardian shall attest to the assurances and information by providing his or her signature on the notification form.
Providing the appropriate information and assurances removes the responsibility of educating a child from the public school district of residence and places it with the parent or guardian.
In addition to the information and assurances, an annual assessment is required before the superintendent accepts notification of the intent home education during the next school year. (See Academic Assessment Reports: Option #1 - Standardized Testing or Option #2 - Narrative Reporting)
Maintaining Home Education Status:
To maintain home education for a second year and beyond, the parent or guardian must:
- Re-notify the public school district regarding the intent for home education as described above.
- Demonstrate that
the student is making sufficient academic progress. In
addition to the information and assurances, and annual assessment
(See Academic
Assessment Reports: Option
#1 - Standardized Testing or Option
#2 - Narrative Reporting) is required before the
superintendent accepts notification of the intent for home
education during the next school year:
- Certified standardized achievement test results demonstrating reasonable proficiency; or
- A written narrative from a certified teacher or other person mutually agreed upon by the parent and the superintendent indicating that a portfolio of the child’s work has been reviewed by that person and that the progress demonstrated for the year is in accordance with the child’s abilities or;
- An alternative assessment mutually agreed upon by the parent or superintendent.
