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VIRGINIA HOMESCHOOL LAW
Compulsory
School Age: 5 - 18 (by September 30)
Virginia
state law offers three legal homeschooling options: 1) operate
a homeschool, 2) operate a homeschool under the religious exemption law, or
3) use of a private tutor.
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The first option
is to operate a homeschool. Parents wishing to school their
children at home are required to file an annual notice of intent
with the local school superintendent by August 15. Parents are
also required to submit a description of the curriculum for the
school year. Families beginning homeschool after the school
year has started have 30 days to file a notice and other required
information in order to be in compliance with Virginia statute.
Parents/teachers are considered to be qualified and are permitted to
instruct their child at home if they meet or submit to one of the
following:
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Hold a high
school diploma or higher (high school equivalencies are not
accepted for this option).
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Meet teacher
qualifications set by the State Board of Education. The
parent or instructor must have a teaching license or a letter of
eligibility for licensure in Virginia and submit a copy to the Board of
Education.
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Enroll the
child in a correspondence program approved by the State Superintendent
of Schools. Parents must submit evidence of
enrollment.
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“Provide a
program of study or curriculum, which, in the judgment of the
division superintendent, includes the Standards of Learning
objectives adopted by the Board of Education for language arts
[English] and mathematics, or provides evidence that the parent
is able to provide an adequate education for the child."
Homeschool
students must be assessed every year through either standardized
testing or another school board accepted means of evaluation.
The results of the assessment must be submitted to the local school
superintendent by August 1. There are no regulations requiring
attendance, subjects, or recordkeeping for this option.
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The second
option is to operate a homeschool under the religious exemption
statute. Parents must file a request with the Chair of the
School Board to honor/acknowledge an
exemption of compulsory school attendance based on the individual's religious beliefs. This exempts parents and
students from all requirements; thus there are no regulations
requiring attendance, subjects, teacher qualifications,
recordkeeping, or testing for this option.
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The third and
final option for homeschooling in Virginia is to use a private
tutor. The private tutor must be a licensed teacher.
Parents must file a written notice of intent with the Board of
Education. There are no regulations requiring attendance,
subjects, recordkeeping, or testing for the private tutor option.
Find a homeschool group in Virginia.
View these
websites for more information about Virginia homeschool laws:
Please note: This is a brief summary of Virginia homeschool law and is
presented for informative purposes only and not as legal advice.
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