What is a home school, really? Actually, there is no official definition. Some authorities say home schools are defined by the parents or guardians. Others base their definition on state criteria, which is usually enforced by the department of education and/or districts. The closest thing to a formal definition would be the states laws, which vary from state to state.
For example, if you live in South Carolina, you're a home school if you meet the following criteria:
- You must register with an association recognized by the DOE
- You must be a parent or guardian
- The parent or guardian must have a high school diploma or GED
- The instructional year must be a minimum of 180 days
- You must teach the required subjects
- Parent and guardians must maintain educational records
By comparison, if you live in Idaho you will find there are practically no state requirements set in place for home schools. In fact, Idaho’s DOE has posted in big bold capital letters from their Web site that "IDAHO DOES NOT REGULATE OR MONITOR HOME SCHOOL EDUCATION".
http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp?State=ID
http://www.sde.idaho.gov/site/home_school/
Is the Grass greener on the other side? You have to admit, upon reviewing the differences with South Carolina and Idaho’s home school law’s, Idaho does appear more appealing. However, home schooling in Idaho does not come without its hurdles and once you get past the surface you may decide it’s not worth the move.
Wherever the lines are drawn, it's clear that home schooling is growing in popularity across the states and is increasingly making its mark on the nation as a whole. For all sorts of reasons, it's a great time to home school regardless of which state you reside in.
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Home School Snapshot
According to the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI):
- There are nearly 2 million home schoolers in the United States
- Most parents home school because they believe they can give their child a better education at home
- Home schooled students score better, on average, than those in conventional state-run schools
- Home schooling continues to grow at a rate of 7-15% each year
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Home schoolers are securing scholarships, gaining access to more and more quality institutions for higher education, receiving due fair treatment from government organizations such as the military, and are earning recognition within their communities.
Over the past few years, an abundance of resources has become available to support the growing ranks of the home school community. It's easier for families to find the information and tools they need to get their program up and going. Curriculum providers are much friendlier to the needs of home schoolers than they were even 10 years ago. Moreover, a slew of facilities across the country now offer affordable courses, both in traditional classrooms and online, to help fill in any gaps.
As of 2003, there were between 1.7 and 2.1 million home schooled students in the United States in what is perhaps the fastest growing form of education in the country. On average, home schoolers outperform their public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects, according to the National Home Education Research Institute, a nonprofit organization based in Salem, Oregon. Home schooled students with parents whose educational backgrounds range between “less than high school education” and “college education” outperformed public school students under similar circumstances. Test score averages were consistent regardless of state regulation being low, moderate, or high. Unlike public school statistics, math and reading scores for minority home school students show no significant difference when compared to non-minority students. When addressing questions and concerns regarding socialization, data results, accessible through the “Home Schooling Achievement” report, indicates home school children engage in 5.2 activities outside the home, with 98% involved in two or more. (Source: NHERI and HSLDA).
http://www.nheri.org
http://www.hslda.org/research/faq.asp#1