TN Data and Attendance Supervisors Conference TDASC TN Data and Attendance Supervisors Conference Home School FAQs September 16, 2016

Home School Coordinators Please update contact info Intent to Home school form has changed slightly to make it a bit more user friendly. A few additional fields for system completion. http://www.tn.gov/education/topic/home-schooling-in-tn

Independent Home School FAQs “Independent” home school students are those which are registered with the LEA. Home School Law TCA 49-6-3050 Can a parent withdraw to home school at any point in the school year? Yes. The cutoff date for registering to home school has been removed from the home school law. A parent may be allowed to withdraw their child from the public school and register for home school at any point in the school year. If a student is 18 years old, can they withdraw themselves as an independent home school student? No. The home school law is defined as a school “conducted or directed by a parent or parents or a legal guardian or guardians for their own children.”  So students (even if they are 18 years old) would not be allowed to withdraw themselves to home school.   Is a power of attorney sufficient as proof of legal guardianship? No. A power of attorney is not the same thing as legal guardianship for the purposes of withdrawing a student to home school.

Independent Home School FAQs Can grandparent home school? Step-parent? Foster parent? Dad’s girlfriend? Older sister? Live-in uncle? Etc.? Pursuant to TCA 49-6-3050: (a) (1) A "home school" is a school conducted or directed by a parent or parents or a legal guardian or guardians for their own children. Can a child be home schooled in kindergarten? Yes, home schooling in kindergarten is in compliance with the compulsory school attendance law, therefore it is deemed an approved kindergarten program. A student who has been home schooled during the kindergarten year may enter the first grade in a public school if they demonstrate acceptable performance on the district's placement test. Can a parent home school to “get around” the minimum kindergarten age requirement? No, the minimum kindergarten age requirement applies to all school choices: public, private, and home school.

Independent Home School FAQs What if parent refuses to provide proof of education? You have the right the ask the parent to verify proof of their high school diploma or GED. If the parent continues to refuse, then they should not be allowed to register to independently home school. A military family currently lives in Germany (or a missionary family lives in Uganda), can they register to home school in Tennessee? If the family maintains a legal residence in Tennessee, you may allow them to register as an independent home school with your LEA even if they plan to travel for military purposes. What rights (if any) do home school students have for special education services from the LEA? Students who are home schooled are entitled to the same services as children who are placed in private schools by their parents. This is provided via a "services plan" and is generally some type of related service, such as speech therapy, as determined by the LEA where the student receives home schooling.

Independent Home School FAQs Are homeschool students allowed to take classes in a public school or participate in extracurricular activities? Only if the LEA allows it. As written in Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-3050, public school facilities may be used by home school participants with the approval of the principal of the school, but this permissive authority shall not be construed to confer any right upon the participants to use public school facilities. If approved, use shall be in accordance with rules established by the local board of education. Can home school students participate in sports in the public school? Students who are registered as independent home school students with the local school system are eligible to try out for sports. The law says "if such organization or association establishes or maintains eligibility requirements for home school students". So the association (TSSAA in most districts) establishes the eligibility requirements. TSSAA bylaws: A “home school” is a school conducted by a parent(s) or legal guardian(s) for their own child. To be a “home school” for the purposes of this bylaw, the child must be registered with the LEA that the child would otherwise attend if he/she were not being home schooled. The home school must be operating in compliance with state law. Home school students must be registered as independent with the LEA but now may also be registered with a private umbrella school as well Deadlines: August 1 – Register Intent to Home School form with LEA August 15 - Make application for participation in athletics http://tssaa.org/compliance-publications/tssaa-home-school-rule/

Independent Home School FAQs Is the LEA responsible for testing students enrolled in church-related home schools? No, the LEA is only responsible for testing students registered as independent. Can a parent of a home school student in grades 5, 7, or 9 choose to provide some other form of assessments rather than the state assessment? Yes, there is an option outlined below in TCA § 49-6-3050 which would allow for a home school student to take alternate assessment. The test would need to be standardized, administered by a professional testing service within 30 days of the statewide assessments, and the results provided to the LEA for review. What if the parent refuses to bring the student in for state testing? The district should continue to schedule the student for testing. If the student does not show up, mark the student as "absent" on the answer document. This will serve as evidence that you tried to schedule the student for testing, and the parent simply refused to comply. Remind the parent that if the student continues to be home schooled until the point of graduation, it is likely that you may eventually be called upon by potential colleges or employers of the student. At which time you will have no choice but to say that the student/parent did not comply with home school testing requirements.

Independent Home School FAQs Which tests are required of 9th grade home school students? If a home school student in grade 9 is taking a course for which there is an end of course test, that student should be required to take that end of course exam. This can be determined by the “Subjects to be taught” section of the Intent to Home School Form. That will mean some 9th grade students, depending on the courses they are taking, will have less tests to take that year than others. Can a home school student participate in the ACT test during the ACT Weekday test date? No, LEAs receive no funding for home school or private school students to participate on the ACT weekday test date. The weekday opportunity is reserved for enrolled public students only. What are the new requirements with home school and AP testing? A new section of the home school law requires LEAs to provide notice when AP exams are offered and allow homeschool students the chance to take offered AP exams. The law does not require the LEA to provide additional AP exams that are not scheduled to be offered.

Independent Home School FAQs Is ABC Online Academy acceptable for TN students? If the school is regionally accredited by one of the following regional accrediting agencies: AdvancEd - Southern (SACS), North Central (NCA), & Northwest (NWAC) Associations Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools (MSA) New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) and affiliates (e.g., SAIS) National Council of Private School Accreditation (NCPSA) When is testing required for returning or newly enrolled students? The LEA may test students for grade placement or credit determinations when the student is transferring from independent home school, category IV or V non-public schools.

Independent Home School FAQs What type of documentation am I required to provide for home school students who are trying to obtain a drivers license? A letter from the Superintendent’s Office in the county/city of the applicant’s legal residence, confirming that the parent has registered their “Intent to Home School” form with the school system. LEA can only provide this information for independently registered home school students. When and how often am I required to report non-public/home school student numbers? Twice, on December 15 and May 15 What withdrawal code do I use for (various school choices)? Contact TNED.Graduates@tn.gov .

Non-public & Home School Websites Questions? Non-Public Website: http://www.tn.gov/education/topic/non-public-schools Home School Website: http://www.tn.gov/education/topic/home-schooling-in-tn

Director of School Choice Marcy Tidwell Director of School Choice Marcy.Tidwell@tn.gov (615) 532-6274