A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Comply with Georgia's Homeschool Law

A Step-by-Step Guide: How to Comply with Georgia's Homeschool Law

1. Before you start homeschooling in Georgia, ensure that the person or people homeschooling your child legally have the required qualifications and know how.

You must be a parent or a legal guardian of a child before you can file a declaration of intent to homeschool that child. You may hire a tutor to help you homeschool your child to help you with the steps in home education. The teaching parent or guardian and any tutor in a home study program must have a high school diploma or a GED.

2. Submit an annual declaration of intent.

Within 30 days after you begin homeschooling, and every year thereafter by September 1, you must submit a “declaration of intent to utilize a home study program” after your child's public school withdrawal to the Georgia Department of Education. You can access online and printable versions of the declaration of intent on the department’s website along with other resources. Your declaration must include the names and ages of your students, the location of your home study program, the local school system in which your home study program is located, and the 12-month period that you consider to be your home study program’s school year.

3. Provide the required number of days of instruction.

During the school year, your home study program must provide the equivalent of 180 days of education with each school day consisting of at least four and one-half school hours, unless your child is physically unable to comply with this requirement in order to comply with the Georgia state homeschool laws and requirements.

4. Teach the required subjects.

Your home study program must provide a basic educational program overview that includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.

5. Write annual progress reports.

At the end of every school year, you must write a report of the progress that your child made in each of the required subjects. You must keep this report in your records for at least three years. It does not have to be submitted to public school officials.

6. Test your child at least every three years after he or she completes 3rd grade.

In order to comply with Georgia law, your child must be tested at least every three years, beginning at the end of the 3rd grade. You may administer the test if you do this “in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests.” Test results do not have to be submitted to public school officials.

-The Home Tribe team