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TENNESSEE HOMESCHOOL LAW
Compulsory
School Age: 6 - 17
Tennessee
state law offers three legal homeschooling options: 1)
establish and operate a homeschool, 2) establish and operate a homeschool
as an affiliate of a church school, or 3) operate a homeschool as a satellite program of
a church school.
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The first option
is to establish and operate a homeschool. Parents wishing to
homeschool their children under this option must annually submit a
notice of intent to the local school superintendent by August 1.
Homeschool students are required to attend 4 hours of
instruction a day for 180 days a year. Students in grades 9 -
12 are required to participate in a college preparatory course of
study or a general course of study and parents must submit in
writing which course of study the student plans to follow.
There are no required subjects for grades K - 8. Parents must
meet minimum teacher qualifications set by the state. Parents
with children in
grades K - 8 must hold a high school diploma or GED.
Parents with students in grades 9 - 12 must hold a bachelor's degree
or request an exemption by the Department of Education.
Attendance records must be maintained and made available to the
local school superintendent at the end of each year.
Standardized tests are administered to students in grades 5, 7, and
9.
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The second
option is to establish and operate a homeschool as an affiliate of a
church school. Students in grades 9 - 12 must be registered
with the local school district annually. No school board notification
requirements exist for students in grades K - 8 under this option.
Attendance is required for 180 days per year. The church
school will determine which subjects are required. Parents of
children in grades K - 8 are not required to meet minimum teacher
qualifications. Parents of students in grades 9 - 12, however,
must hold at least a high school diploma or GED. Required testing is limited to students in
grades 9 - 12 and must be the same standardized test used by the
local school district. There are no regulations requiring
recordkeeping.
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The third and
final option is to operate a homeschool as a satellite program of a
church school. Students schooling under this option must
attend 180 days of instruction each year. Required subjects
and testing are determined by the church school.
Parent/teacher qualifications, school board notification, and
recordkeeping are not required for this option.
Find a homeschool group in
Tennessee.
View these
websites for more information about Tennessee homeschool laws:
Please
note: This is a brief summary of Tennessee homeschool law and is
presented for informative purposes only and not as legal advice.
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