|  | | For anyone considering homeschooling, Alabama would be an excellent state to live in. Alabama homeschool parents have tremendous liberties with few requirements. In fact, Alabama is one of the most lenient states in the nation for homeschooling requirements. It is also one of the most unique states in its approach to homeschooling. Technically the state has no special legal requirements for homeschooling because homeschool kids are treated exactly the same as private and public school students. All kids from ages 7 to 16 are required by law to attend school. However, the state of Alabama recognizes an unusually wide range of entities as a school. This unique approach makes the state of Alabama a true haven for homeschoolers. In addition to traditional public and private schools, the state of Alabama also recognizes two other entities as schools. These include umbrella church schools and private tutors. Requirements for each of these are as follows: | | - Umbrella Schools - The state of Alabama recognizes church cover schools, also called umbrella schools. These umbrella schools are roughly the equivalent of what other states would consider to be a homeschool group. Under this option, parents must submit a notice of enrollment and attendance to the church school or umbrella school superintendent with the provided form. The form must be signed by the parent and the church school director, then submitted to the local school district superintendent. Although there are no specific requirements regarding the number of days required for student attendance, parents are required to keep daily attendance records using forms provided by their umbrella school.There are no requirements regarding the subjects taught, teacher qualifications, or testing for these "schools". If students withdraw from the school, the school must submit a notification to the local school district superintendent.
- Private Tutor - With a private tutor, Alabama requires each student to receive 3 hours of instruction a day between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. for 140 days per calendar year. Private tutors must be state certified teachers. Required subjects include reading, spelling, writing, arithmetic, English, geography, U.S. history, science, health, physical education, and Alabama history. A statement must be filed with the local school superintendent indicating the child to be instructed, the subjects to be taught, and the period of instruction. A record must be kept of the child's work and daily attendance, and reports should be made to the State Board of Education as needed. There is no testing required under this homeschooling option.
These are the only requirements imposed by the state of Alabama. However, each umbrella school might have additional requirements. While opponents of homeschooling argue that the lack of government control puts student's education at risk, test scores on standardized tests indicate the opposite is true. The average homeschool student consistently scores in the 83rd percentile on national standardized tests, well above the national average. Anyone who is genuinely interested in improving children's education should fully support homeschooling and the liberties allowed by the state of Alabama. Let the results speak for themselves. See homeschool groups in Alabama Visit the Alabama Department of Education Note: This is a brief summary of Alabama homeschool law and is presented for informative purposes only and not as legal advice. |
