Iowa

Iowa’s homeschool statute offers three homeschool options.

Independent Private Instruction: Parents must provide instruction in math, science, reading and language arts, and social studies, but there are no notification, parent qualification, instruction time, bookkeeping, or assessment requirements.
Competent Private Instruction (option 1): Parents must provide annual notice and homeschool under the supervision of a certified teacher who will record and monitor the child’s progress. There are no instruction time or subject requirements.
Competent Private Instruction (option 2): Parents must provide 148 days of instruction and students must make adequate progress, but there are no parent qualification, subjects of instruction, or bookkeeping requirements, and notification and assessment are optional.

(1) Homeschool Statute: Independent Private Instruction

The Independent Private Instruction option was passed into law in 2013. See Iowa Code § 299A.1(2)(b).

Notification

None. However, upon written request the parents must provide a report identifying the primary instructor, location, name of the authority responsible for the independent instruction, and the names of the students enrolled. See Iowa Code § 299A.1(2)(b)(6).

Qualifications

None.

Days Or Hours

None.

Subjects

Parents must provide instruction in mathematics, reading and language arts, science, and social studies. See Iowa Code § 299A.1(2)(b)(5).

Bookkeeping

None.

Assessment

None.

Intervention

None.

Other

n/a

(2) Homeschool Statute: Competent Private Instruction option 1

This option involves instruction provided “by or under the supervision of a licensed practitioner.”

Notification

The parent must homeschool under the monitoring of a certified teacher (chosen by the parent) that possesses “a valid license or certificate which has been issued by the state board of educational examiners.” See Iowa Code § 299A.2 and § 272.

Qualifications

According to the Iowa Department of Education, instruction must be provided for 148 days, to be broken down into at least 37 days each quarter.

Days Or Hours

Instruction must be provided for 148 days, to be broken down into at least 37 days each quarter.

Subjects

None.

Bookkeeping

None.

Assessment

The supervising teacher must monitor students’ progress.

Intervention

None.

Other

n/a

(3) Homeschool Statute: Competent Private Instruction option 2

This option involves instruction provided “by an unlicensed person.”

Notification

Parents must file a form with the local school district, but are exempted from this requirement if they do not intend for their children to participate in dual enrollment, extracurricular activities, or special needs services. This is called the private instruction exemption.

Qualifications

None.

Days Or Hours

According to the Iowa Department of Education, instruction must be provided for 148 days, to be broken down into at least 37 days each quarter.

Subjects

None.

Bookkeeping

None.

Assessment

Homeschool parents must have their children assessed by either standardized test or portfolio review and report the evaluations to their local school district, but are exempted from this requirement if they do not intend to have their children participate in dual enrollment, extracurricular activities, or special needs services. This is called the private instruction exemption.

Intervention

The law states that students must make “adequate progress.” If the student is not making adequate progress, the school district may approve continued homeschooling for up to one year under a remediation plan.

Other

None.

Services Available to Homeschooled Students

Part-Time Enrollment

CPI students (but not IPI students) may dual enroll in public school to attend individual classes.

Athletics

CPI students (but not IPI students) may dual enroll in public school to participate in extracurricular activities, including athletics.

Disabilities

All homeschooled students with disabilities have access to testing in their local public schools. CPI students (but not IPI students) may dual enroll in public school to receive services. If a child with disabilities was previously enrolled in public school and identified as in need of services, parents will need to obtain written approval from the special education director. See Iowa Code 299A.9.

Other

Some school districts operate Home School Assistance Programs (HSAP) and Iowa Code § 299A.12. These programs enroll CPI students and provide parents with assistance from certified teachers, materials and supplies, and supplemental instruction. Enrollment in a HSAP satisfies the CPI option 1 teacher monitoring requirement.

Background:

The early years of homeschooling in Iowa were difficult ones, as private instruction was not permitted without a teaching certificate. In 1991, Iowa homeschoolers successfully lobbied for House File 455, which made homeschooling without a teaching certificate legal, subject to certain requirements. In 2013, Rep. Matt Windschitl, assistant majority leader in the Republican-controlled Iowa House of Representatives, added a deregulation amendment into House File 215, a bill to reform public education. The bill passed the legislature and was signed into law. As a result, homeschooling in Iowa was completely deregulated.

For more, see A History of Homeschooling in Iowa.