Frequently Asked Questions and
State Homeschooling Laws Summary
Washington has one of the best state home school laws governing and protecting
our right to teach our own children. Be informed. Send or call
for your own copy of the law and read it.
Where do I get a copy of the laws?
Where do I get and file Declaration of Intent forms?
Where do I get a copy of the Opt Out Notice?
Please tell me more about Parent Qualifying Courses?
What about Testing or Assessment of Homeschool Students?
What are the High School Graduation Requirements?
1. Parents qualify to teach their own children one of several ways:
A. Supervised by a certificated teacher with contact a minimum of one hour per week
B. The parent has earned 45 quarter college credits or its equivalent.
C. Parent has taken a course in home-based instruction provided
by a post-secondary institution or vocational/technical school.
D. Parent is deemed qualified by the superintendent of the district they live in.
*Information on Teaching Styles.
2. Parents must file a declaration of intent annually for all children between the ages of 8 and 18.
It is to be filed with the superintendent of the school district in which the students
reside by September 15 or within two weeks of the beginning of any quarter, trimester, or semester.
Contact your local school district's superintendent's office for their letter of intent form.
The state law says the declaration must include:
A. The child's name and age (NOT birth date).
B. State if a certificated teacher will be supervising the work.
C. Use the format prescribed by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.
3. There are 11 subjects you are required to teach your children, beginning at age 8:
Reading, Mathematics, Science, Writing, Health, Occupational Education,
Language, Social Studies, Appreciation of music and art, Spelling, and History.
4. Home school instruction shall be for the number of hours established for approved private schools.
Home-based instruction is recognized by the legislature as being less structured and more
experiential than classroom instruction. Hours outside the "normal" school day may
be included in the totals given below.
Grades 1-3: 900 hours/year or 180 days at 5 hours per day.
Grades 4-8: 990 hours/year or 180 days at 5.5 hours per day.
Grades 9-12: 4320 hours over the four-year period in sufficient
units for meeting the minimum graduation requirements.
* (Approximately 1080 hrs/yr or 180 - 6 hour days)
5. Annually ensure that a student's educational progress is evaluated by:
A. Standardized achievement test approved by the State Board of
Education (Click here for list),
administered by a qualified individual, OR
B. Non-test assessment is to be written by a certificated person
currently working in the field of education.
*A booklet, Washington Minimum Requirements for High School Graduation may
be requested from the Superintendent of Public Instruction by
calling (360) 753-6715. or click
here to print your own copy.
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS REGARDING STATE LAWS
Where do I get a copy of the laws? Click
here.
The OFFICIAL publication of the Washington State homeschooling law
is available from the Office
of the Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI). Every
homeschooling family should keep a current copy and know what
it says. Do NOT rely on other websites and school district publications,
which interpret the law. There is no charge for this publication.
Current policy allows one copy per request.
To order your copy of Washington State's Laws Regulating Home-Based Instruction, just call (360) 664-3574.
Leave a message with your request and the address to which the copy should be sent.
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Where do I get and file my Declaration of Intent form?
Click here.
If you intend to homeschool a child who is between the ages of eight
and 18, you will need to complete a Declaration of Intent form
and submit it to your school district. By completing the declaration of intent you are informing the school
district that your child(ren) will be educated at home. This protects
you from being in violation of the Compulsory Attendance Law and a potential fine.
If you haven't filed your declaration of intent with the school
district this year, do it now. THEY ARE DUE BY SEPT. 15, but are accepted at any time.
State homeschooling laws require that the parent list the name and age (NOT birthdate) of the child(ren).
If you are having a certificated teacher supervise their work, indicate that on the
form. Write your address, then sign the form.
This is all that state law requires. State law does not require you to check how you are qualified.
Remember to make a copy of the declaration for your files before turning it in to the school district.
Or, if you fill out the form on site, request a copy.
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Where do I get a copy of the Opt Out Notice?
Click here
The Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) gives guidelines
under which school districts must operate concerning the release
of personal student information contained in the Declaration of
Intent form. Submitting this notice "opts your family out"
of any directories or releases of personal information by the school district.
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Please tell me more about Parent Qualifying Courses
To comply with Washington State Laws Regarding Home-Based Instruction, the instruction
of children ages 8-18 shall be home-based if it is:
"Provided by a parent who is instructing his or her child only and who has
either earned forty-five college level quarter credits or its
equivalent in semester hours or has completed a course in home-based
instruction at a post-secondary institution or a vocational-technical
institute..." [RCW28A.225.010(4)(b)]
The following courses are offered in the greater South Sound area:
1)
Great Expectations will bring their Parent Qualification class
to our area. Cascade Bible College sponsors this course. For information,
contact Alice Wescott, Ph. D. or Beth Rosenzweig, M. Ed.
at greatexpect4hs@aol.com
or 425-697-4021. They also have a website.
Classes is 10 hours of instruction over one weekend. A certificate of completion is presented
at the end of the class.
2)
Linda Krenelka teaches a course in Winlock, WA (about 1 hr. north
of Vancouver) yearly in August. Cost: $90/individual, $120 per
couple. She can be contacted at lclc@localaccess.com
or 360-785-4925. The class is held for several days.
Next class will be held: August 23-24
3)
Barb Shelton has a correspondence course that can be done at home.
The cost varies, depending upon the age of your children. For more information, please
click here.
4)
The Moore Foundation offers a correspondence course. The cost is $150. For more information, call Ellen Dana
at 360-835-5500 or check their website.
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Testing or Assessment of Homeschool Students:
Parents of children between the ages of 8 and 18 receiving home-based
instruction must "Ensure that a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education
is administered annually to the child by a qualified individual or that an annual
assessment of the student's academic progress is written by a certificated person who is currently
working in the field of education." [RCW 28A.200.010 (3)]
View the list of approved tests here.
"The standardized test administered or the annual academic progress assessment written shall be made
a part of the child's permanent records." [RCW 28A.200.010 (3)]
It is the responsibility of the parent to register for the test, have children tested and keep those records on file.
The test results do not need to be turned in to school districts or officials. If the
child ever transfers to a public or private school, copies of
the records are to be forwarded to the institution. [RCW 28A.200.010(2)]
Testing is offered locally in the fall and spring by several qualified individuals.
1) Great Expectations will bring their testing to our area. For information,
contact Alice Wescott, Ph. D. or Beth Rosenzweig, M. Ed.
at greatexpect4hs@aol.com
or 425-697-4021. They also have a website.
2) Calvary Academy provides testing each spring in the Olympia area. For information,
contact Valerie Witt, B.Ed., M. Ed., PhD.
at 360-736-1700. She also has a website.
3) Master Enterprises learning Center provides testing in Lakewood. For information,
contact Ronnie or Maggie Dail
at 253-581-1588. They also have a website.
Parents who have a four-year college degree and are interested in becoming qualified to test their own
children can do so through Bob Jones University Press Testing and Evaluation Service. For
more information, contact them at 1-800-845-5731 or
testing@bju.edu.
Non-test assessments are an alternative to standardized achievement tests.
They are a preferred method of evaluation for students who do not test well or have special needs.
The assessment must be written by a person who is currently working in the field of education.
Assessments are scheduled on an individual basis with each family and take 1-1 ½ hours.
It is the responsibility of the parent(s) to help their children improve: "If, as a result of the
annual test or assessment, it is determined that the child is not making reasonable progress
consistent with his or her age or stage of development, the parent
shall make a good faith effort to remedy any deficiency."
[RCW 28A.200.010(3)]
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What are the High School Graduation Requirements?
For those of you who are planning your high school student's studies, there is a booklet available from OSPI
(Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction) called the Washington State Minimum Requirements
for High School Graduation. To obtain a copy, click
here or call 360-753-6715.
You can also get the information from the Washington State Board of Education's website.
The subjects listed are the minimum requirements. They are not required for homeschoolers,
but it's a place to start. If students plan to enter a public or private high school program and earn
a diploma, these are the requirements they will need to meet. Individual school districts have
additional requirements beyond the minimum, so check with your local school district too.
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