• What education do I need to home school my child or children?
• What do I do to start home schooling my child or children?
• Do I need approval to home school my child or children?
• If my family relocates to a new school district, do I need to notify my new district of my intent to home school?
• Do I need to renew my status to home school my child or children?
• Must I use a certain curriculum to home school?
• Will my child earn a high school diploma?
• Can my child take a course in the district if he or she wants?
• Can my child participate in sports and other activities in my school district?
• Are Ohio eSchools considered home schooling?
• What if I want to enroll my child into public school?
• Can my family participate in EdChoice Scholarships?

To provide home school instruction, you, or the person providing instruction, must have one of the following qualifications:

• A high school diploma;
• The certificate of high school equivalence (GED);
• Standardized test scores that demonstrate high school equivalence; or
• Another equivalent credential found appropriate by the district superintendent.

If you do not have one of the above qualifications, someone who has a college degree from a recognized college must supervise your instruction. This is until you obtain a high school diploma or GED.

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As the parent or guardian, you must notify the superintendent of the public school district where your family resides about your intention to home school your school-age child or children. Ohio law requires all children between the ages of six and 18 to attend school. Notification must be received no later than the first week of the start of the public school building the child would attend in the school district of residence or within one week the date on which the child begins to reside in the district or within one week from the child's withdrawal from a school. Failure to notify the school district of residence the family is homeschooling its child or children will result in truancy. The notification includes:

1. Your qualifications to home school (see previous question);
   1. Confirmation that you will provide a minimum of 900 hours of instruction that must include the following subjects:
   2. Language, reading, spelling and writing;
   3. Geography; history of the United States and Ohio; and national, state and local government;
   4. Mathematics;
   5. Science;
   6. Health;
   7. Physical education;
   8. Fine arts, including music; and
   9. First aid, safety and fire prevention;
2. A brief outline of the curriculum for the current school year;
3. A list of textbooks, correspondence courses, commercial curricula or other basic teaching materials that you plan to use; and
4. Your signature.

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No. In Ohio, parents who want to educate a child at home may do so. First, you must notify the superintendent of the public school district where your family resides of your intention to home school your school-age child or children. Here is a sample notification form.

Within 14 days of receiving the notification, the district superintendent formally excuses your child or children from attendance laws for traditional schools. This means that the child is not required to attend school per state law in order for you to home school the student.

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Yes. The home school notification process is an annual requirement. Each school year, the superintendent of the district in which your family resides must review your notification and determine that you are in compliance with the home education regulations. Notification must be received no later than the first week of the start of the public school building the child would attend in the school district of residence or within one week the date on which the child begins to reside in the district or within one week from the child's withdrawal from a school. After the first year of home schooling, you must submit with each annual notification, assessment reports that comply with the options provided in the home education regulations.

The annual assessment can be:

1. Results from a certified standardized test that shows reasonable proficiency; or
2. A written narrative from a certified teacher or other person mutually selected by you (the parent) and the superintendent who has reviewed a portfolio of your child’s work and confirms that the student demonstrates progress in learning according to the child’s abilities; or
3. An alternative assessment mutually agreed upon by you (the parent) and the superintendent.

Within 14 days of receiving the notification, the district superintendent formally excuses your child or children from attendance laws for traditional schools.
 

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As a parent or guardian of an excused child, you decide how to teach the required subjects. You select the curriculum and educational materials and take full responsibility for the education of your child or children. There is no state financial assistance for families who choose this option.

You are not required to include any concept, topic or practice that conflicts with sincerely held religious belief of you or your family.

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Ohio law may allow some students to receive high school diplomas. Please see section 3313.6110 of the Ohio Revised Code.

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Your home-schooled child may be a part-time student in the district. The option for part-time enrollment and related policies is the decision of the local public school district. 

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Yes. Legislation allows home school students the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities in public schools. An “extracurricular activity” is a pupil activity program that is run by a school or school district and is not included in a graded course of study. Activities include any offered at the school that your child would attend if enrolled in the public school district the family resides. If the school district does not offer a particular activity, then your child may request to participate in another district’s program. The superintendent of the other school district may choose to allow your child to participate as an out-of-district student.

Home-educated students must meet the same nonacademic and financial requirements as any other student participating in the activity. Fees and ability in sports, where there are cuts, apply.

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Ohio public eSchools are online community schools and are not the same as home schooling. Even though students participate in eSchools from home, the online schools are responsible for providing curriculum and educational resources.

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If you are home schooling and decide to enroll your child or children into the public school, the superintendent of the district in which your family lives will determine the appropriate grade level placement for each child. For high school students, the superintendent will evaluate which credits MAY be applied toward the district's requirements for graduation.

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Yes. EdChoice Scholarships are available to eligible home-schooled students who wish to enroll in participating nonpublic schools. Eligibility is based upon the performance of the public school building to which the student would be assigned or the income level of the family. More information here.

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