As a result of COVID-19, homeschooling is on the rise. For some, this is a short-term arrangement, and others have discovered that homeschooling is perfect for their family. In case you don’t know, homeschooling is simply the practice of educating your kids from home. Some families choose to collaborate through homeschooling cooperatives and extracurricular leagues to enrich the home school experience.
Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia. When exploring the homeschooling route, please be aware that the laws and policies that govern homeschooling differ by state. If you wonder if homeschooling is a good fit for your family, you probably have questions about how to begin the process and what resources are available. Because of this, we created a series entitled, How to Start Homeschooling. In each installment, we will discuss homeschooling rules and resources for each state. In today’s installment, we will discuss homeschooling in Arkansas.
What you need to know:
- In the state of Arkansas, you must submit a Notice of Intent with your local school district superintendent before August 15th of each school year that you homeschool.
- If your kid is already enrolled in a public school, you will need to submit a Notice of Intent and then submit an official letter of withdrawal to the school.
- The teacher does not need to meet particular requirements to homeschool, however.
- There is no required number of hours per day or days per year.
- There are no particular academic subjects that you are required to teach.
- You do not have to keep cumulative records of your child’s academic performance.
- Homeschool learners do not have to let their kids participate in standardized testing.
- If you decide to go back to a public school, the school will require a transcript with courses taken and grades and a portfolio for placement into classes. The school may deem it appropriate to administer assessments for placement.
Resources
You may also want to check out The Education Alliance, the Arkansas Department of Education’s homeschool page, and Cabot Area Home Education (CAHE).
