In early March, HSLDA’s Scott Woodruff accused the media of “hurting the cause of child abuse reduction” by drawing attention to cases where parents have used homeschooling to hide abuse. In his piece, Woodruff writes that “experts in the field have worked to identify common risk factors in child abuse and neglect” and links to an article from the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect which he says does not include homeschooling as a risk factor. What Woodruff fails to mention is this article does list “social isolation” as a risk factor. While many homeschooled children have large social networks, homeschooling gives malicious or negligent parents the ability to isolate their children in a way they could not if their children attended school.
That homeschooling can be used to isolate children is something we can’t risk not discussing.
Woodruff quotes the director of the Jackson County, Kansas, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) stating that: “We have no evidence that children who are homeschooled are more likely to be abused or neglected.” Woodruff’s use of this quote is problematic on several levels. First, we have “no evidence” because little attempt has yet been made to conduct statistical research on this question—in other words, we do not know either way. Second, the question of primary importance is not whether homeschooled children are more or less likely to be abused or neglected but rather what happens when homeschooled children are neglected or abused.
Homeschooled children do not have the same daily contact with mandatory reporters as children who attend school. Because of this, homeschooling offers abusive parents a way to isolate their children and thereby conceal and intensify their maltreatment. We have spoken with numerous homeschool alumni who also had experience attending school; they have told us the abuse was worse when they were homeschooled, because their parents knew they didn’t have to hide their bruises. Additionally, Barbara Knox of the University of Wisconsin found that nearly 50% of the cases in her 2014 study of child torture involved homeschooling. “This ‘homeschooling’ appears to have been designed to further isolate the child,” she wrote of these cases. The ability for abusive parents to use homeschooling to isolate their victims should not be taken lightly.
When the mother of young Janiya Thomas of Florida began homeschooling, the girl’s caseworker suggested that the change might be good for her, giving her more one-on-one time with her mother. If that caseworker had been aware that unscrupulous parents sometimes use homeschooling to isolate their children and thereby conceal abuse, Janiya’s move to homeschooling amidst the household’s long history of child abuse and neglect reports might have sent up a red flag. The same is true for Emani Moss, whose parents began homeschooling her after teachers reported bruising on the girl’s back. Imani had spent several months in foster care two years prior, and her removal to homeschooling, like Janiya’s, should have sent up red flags. Dozens of children have died over the last four years alone because politicians and local government officials have not taken seriously the potential for abusive parents to use homeschooling to isolate their victims.
The real problem here is not media coverage but rather homeschool advocates’ insistence that “homeschooling” and “child abuse” should never be used in the same sentence. This is a problem we have grappled with since our inception as an organization. Many homeschool advocates, understandably concerned that an educational method they love may get a bad name, have argued that this is an abuse problem, not a homeschooling problem. But what kind of problem does it become when homeschooling is used to isolate a child and in this way playsa very real role in concealing or intensifying abuse?
We have to be able to talk about this. It is in homeschool advocates’ best interests to stop denying this problem and start addressing it. We don’t want their educational method associated with child abuse any more than they do, but the real solution is to fix the problem, not to ignore it and pretend it’s not there.
I have always wanted to go to college. I’ve always been a motivated learner, and the pseudo-classroom environments I occasionally had with other homeschoolers and parents armed with teacher’s guides were places I really enjoyed being and learning in.
Growing up, my parents’ plan for me initially included sending me to a vo-tech school to learn things I had no interest in. Over time, as my parents gradually became more conservative and more entrenched in stay-at-home daughters ideology, they looked at me and only saw a uterus. They determined that college was not God’s plan for my life and would only get in the way of my highest calling of being a wife and mother.
However, they did occasionally let me entertain the idea of going to a super conservative school after being done with homeschooling. When I was seventeen and a half, they even encouraged me to apply—I gathered my “transcript”, I wrote an essay, I had letters of recommendation, and all I needed was for my parents to sign the form. They refused, again telling me, for the final time, that I had no right or reason to pursue education, that going to college was contrary to God, and that I needed to continue my decade-long training of being a helpmeet. I was devastated.
This was just one more in a long series of unrelated blows to what I hoped was my future. But this essay isn’t about how my parents thwarted my education over and over again and left me to pick up the pieces. This is about something I discovered recently—that I’m not alone, that attending college in my mid-twenties isn’t that weird, and that community colleges have programs for people like me, people like us.
For something unrelated I was looking up how to obtain a diploma in Washington State, it was there that I found out the state community colleges have a HighSchool 21+ program in addition to the GED program. I got distracted looking at the Continuing Education/personal enrichment classes that they have, with the thought of taking an art class, but they all seemed pretty expensive. Then, I saw it, under pre-college “Adult Basic Ed. & GED”. Since I have an HSLDA printed diploma I don’t feel the need to get my GED, but, for $25 a quarter, I could totally take a math class.
Math, that subject that had been abandoned because I couldn’t teach it to myself, because I wasn’t deemed worthy enough to learn it, because I have a uterus. Suddenly, there was a way I could be in a classroom with someone who knows how to teach math, and learn enough algebra to be able to get past the blocks I was having trying to learn various programming languages.
I signed up to take the Adult Basic Ed. (ABE) class for the winter quarter (Jan – Mar) without really knowing what I was doing. I just knew that at this point, because I was in a good mental and emotional place and could afford the $25 tuition, I had no excuse not to at least try.
So I walked into class and my teacher had us write goals for the quarter. I wrote that if I improve and learn things, if I keep coming to class consistently and don’t talk myself out of it, then I will have succeeded. I surpassed my goals. For the last three months I’ve been going to school 4 nights a week, making a lot of progress in math. I learned algebra and I’m actually good at it, and being enrolled in a college—even as sort of an outsider as an ABE student—has opened up a world of opportunities, just by being a night student.
My teacher believes in me and my abilities—is impressed with how well I’ve been improving in math and encouraged me to take the placement test for english (the math gap is real). I aced it and placed in Eng 101 which I am starting in April. I’m taking my first ever actual college-level class at age 25. The other adults in my class are varying ages, some have grown children, some have babies, but we’re all in ABE because we want to improve—whether that means continuing on to college classes (like me) or getting their GED or High School Diploma to improve their job opportunities.
Personally, as an educationally neglected ex-homeschooler, taking the ABE has been so liberating—not just because I’m learning the things I was told I’d never be able to, but also because having a teacher who believes in her students and encourages questions is empowering. She encourages everyone in their progress, even if it’s small progress, because progress is progress.
If you’re an educationally neglected former homeschooler and you feel like you’re ready to attempt college but feel so lost (it’s so daunting!), see if your community college has ABE classes. Adult Basic Education helped me get my foot in the door, get used to being on campus, set me up with an advisor, and gave me the ability to see if college is right for me, and a place to ask questions about continuing my college education if that was something I wanted to do. You won’t be the only person over the age of 18, supporting yourself, and having gone through some shit.
I encourage everyone who’s curious and thinking about taking classes, but also anxious about it, to at least look into it. It’s a less expensive way to get your feet wet, and it might be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. And if not, it was still less expensive than tuition for a full college or reparative course!
For Immediate Release: Limiting Assessments Hurts Homeschooled Children
Canton, Ma., 3/30/16—Yesterday, Earl Ray Tomblin, Governor of West Virginia, signedHouse Bill 4178, deregulating homeschooling in the Mountain State. This follows the signing of a similar measure, House Bill 1013, last month by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard. “Homeschooled children are a forgotten constituency,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, an organization founded by homeschool alumni to advocate for greater safeguards for homeschooled children. “Deregulation measures generally focus not on the needs of homeschooled children but on homeschool advocates’ desire for lack of accountability.”
This year’s measures in the Mountain State and the Mount Rushmore State severely limited the number of years in which homeschooling parents must submit academic assessments to their local school district. “For some children, assessments may be the only contact they have with adults outside of their family or church communities,” said Coleman. “Removing assessments—and removing accountability from assessments—makes it harder for educational neglect to be identified and more difficult for child abuse to be recognized and reported.” The West Virginia measure allows parents to administer their children’s tests and thus making it possible for abusive or neglectful homeschooling parents to prevent their children from having any access to mandatory reporters at all. The bill also no longer requires teachers conducting portfolio evaluations (an alternative to testing) to provide their certification number, making it harder to ensure that evaluations are carried out properly.
There is some evidence to suggest that homeschooled children are at a greater risk of severe child abuse or neglect than other school-aged children. This is because homeschool parents have complete control over who their children come in contact with, and some abusive parents use homeschooling to isolate their children and hide their abuse. “I know of cases where children have been locked in a bedroom for years, starved and sexually abused,” said Coleman. “If these children had had contact with a mandatory reporter each year as part of an academic assessment, they might have had an opportunity to be rescued.” In a 2014 study of child torture, researcher Barbara Knox of the University of Wisconsin found that nearly half of the cases she examined involved homeschooling, and the Homeschooling’s Invisible Children lists dozens of cases where homeschooling children have been killed by their caretakers.
“There are ways lawmakers can act to make homeschooled children safer and improve the homeschool experience,” said Coleman. In 2005, Iowa’s homeschool oversight triggered an investigation that led to the removal of Sarah Neely from her abusive father’s home. In 2014, three children homeschooled through an online program reported the abuse they received at the hands of their step-father to their online teacher; after the teacher called 911, the children were removed from the home and the case was prosecuted. “We have a social duty to ensure that homeschooled children receive a good education in a safe home environment,” said Coleman. “Unfortunately, reducing the number of assessments only puts children in danger.”
For Immediate Release: Removing Protections Undermines Homeschooled Children’s Interests
Canton, Ma., 2/24/2016—New York Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would weaken the state’s oversight of homeschooling by allowing homeschool parents to administer their children’s standardized tests themselves, removing quarterly reports, and making it more difficult for underperforming students to find help. “New York does more than any other state to protect homeschooled children’s interests and should be commended for their dedication to these children and their education,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, an organization founded by homeschool alumni to advocate for homeschooled children’s interests. “This legislation would remove a layer of that protection and leave New York’s children at greater risk of educational neglect.”
In New York state, homeschooling takes place under Education Law sections 3204(1) and (2), which allow children to be educated “elsewhere” than a public school if they receive instruction that is “substantially equivalent” to that provided in the public schools. Using this statute as its authority, the New York State Board of Regents created Section 100.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner, which has governed homeschooling since 1988, with updates and adjustments over time. Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 are intended to take oversight of homeschooling out of the hands of the Board of Regents by turning Section 100.10 into settled law, making requirements harder to change and removing several key provisions. “Section 100.10 has served the children of New York state well for eighteen years,” said Coleman. “There’s no reason to change what isn’t broken.”
Most significantly, Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would allow homeschool parents to administer their child’s standardized assessments. While Section 100.10 requires that the individual administering students’ yearly norm-referenced achievement tests be approved by the superintendent, this new legislation would allow anyone who meets the test publisher’s criteria to administer the test, including the child’s parents. There are numerous testing services that cater to homeschooling parents and consider the parent qualified to administer their students’ tests. “Allowing parents to administer their child’s standardized assessments themselves, in their own homes, creates conditions ripe for cheating,” said Coleman. “We know that abuses occur in states that allow parents to administer their child’s standardized assessments; I have spoken personally with homeschool alumni whose parents gave them help during the test, gave them extra time, or changed their answers.”
Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would also remove the quarterly report requirement. Under Section 100.10, parents must submit a report each quarter outlining the material covered and providing letter grades or a written evaluation of the child’s progress. Under the proposed legislation, this requirement would disappear. “The quarterly report ensures that parents take time to regularly reflect on their child’s progress,” said Coleman. “I have spoken with numerous alumni in states with lower levels of oversight who feel that they would have received a better education if their parents had been subject to more accountability.”
Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would lower the threshold for adequate academic performance from the 33rd percentile to the 23rd percentile, making it harder for underperforming children to receive the remediation they need. At the same time, it would eliminate a provision allowing the superintendent to conduct home visits when a homeschool family is on probation and there is reason to believe the family is “in substantial noncompliance.” When a child’s annual assessment shows inadequate progress, the home education program is put on probation and the parent must create a remediation plan to be approved by the school district. After that the school district has only the parent’s word that the provisions of the remediation plan are being carried out. “We have spoken with numerous individuals concerned about a younger sibling, nephew, or grandchild who is receiving an inadequate and neglectful homeschool education,” said Coleman. “It is important to ensure that the superintendent has a way to ascertain whether a child’s remediation plan is being implemented should there be reason to believe otherwise.”
“New York state has long had some of the most comprehensive protections for homeschooled children in the country,” said Coleman. “I urge the legislature to maintain this record.”
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/18/16—Currently, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) requires student athletes to be “full time” students at the school they represent, thus barring homeschooled students from participating in athletics in their local public schools. This year, House Bill 76 could change that. “Granting homeschooled students access to public school extracurriculars is one of the most important ways lawmakers can support homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education.
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
Kentucky’sHouse Bill 76is part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
Critics argue that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics creates problems in fairness and access for other students. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. Critics also point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/16/16—Last year, two bills before the state legislature would have opened public school athletics to participation by homeschooled students. These bills, Assembly Bill 3678 and Senate Bill 2175, which have been carried over into the 2016 legislative session, would prohibit school districts from barring homeschoolers from interscholastic sports and thus requiring the New York State Public High School Athletic Association to open the door to these students. “Our research is clear—access to public school extracurriculars offers tangible benefits to homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “It’s time to give New York’s homeschooled students access to public school athletics.”
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
New York’s Assembly Bill 3678 and Senate Bill 2175 are part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
Homeschoolers in New York, including LEAH, the largest statewide homeschool organization, supported Assembly Bill 3678 and Senate Bill 2175 during the 2015 legislative session. Gina Varrichio, a homeschooling mother, created a website, Let Homeschoolers Play, and launched a petition to bring the bills to the floor. “The overarching aim of our public school system should be to educate the minds, exercise the bodies, and open the hearts of our children and our communities,” wrote Varrichio. “The goal should be one of supporting as many children as we can in this mission, not the fewest we’re legally allowed.”
Critics argue that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics creates problems in fairness and access for other students. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. Critics also point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/16/16—Last year, a bill to allow homeschooled students to participate in West Virginia public school athletics programs died in committee. This year, West Virginia lawmakers are trying again. House Bill 2749 would require the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission to consider homeschooled children eligible for participation in public school athletics programs at the public school they are zoned for. “Our research is clear—access to public school extracurriculars offers tangible benefits to homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “It’s time to give West Virginia’s homeschooled students access to public school athletics.”
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
West Virginia’s House Bill 2749 is part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
Critics argue that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics creates problems in fairness and access for other students. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. Critics also point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/16/16—Last year House Bill 1626, which would have granted homeschooled students access to public school athletics, passed the House (57-41) and the Senate (22-13) only to be vetoed by Governor McAuliffe. This year the state’s homeschoolers and their supporters are trying again. Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 131 would prohibit public schools from barring homeschooled students from their athletic activities and thus require the Virginia High School League (VHSL) to change its requirement that student athletes be regular students at the school they represent. “Our research is clear—access to public school extracurriculars offers tangible benefits to homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “It’s time to give Virginia’s homeschooled students access to public school athletics.”
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
Virginia’s Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 131 are part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers has been promoting sports access bills in Virginia for several years now. In 2012, they conducted a survey of state athletics associations and found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. The organization’s website features the stories of numerous homeschooled children who would like the chance to play, highlighting the benefit sports access would bring homeschooled children across the state. Critics of homeschool sports access point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
For Immediate Release: Accountability Is Critical to Homeschool Success
Canton, Ma., 2/1/2016—Last year, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed House Bill 2793andSenate Bill 444, legislation that would have removed nearly all of the state’s protections for homeschooled children. This year the West Virginia legislature is renewing its deregulation push nonetheless. House Bill 4175 would weaken the state’s assessment requirement and remove other crucial safeguards for homeschooled children. “West Virginia’s existing requirements are designed for the benefit of the state’s homeschooled children,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-founded Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “That the legislature is again trying to remove these safeguards is a travesty.”
H.B. 4175 would require parents to submit assessments of their children’s academic progress to the local superintendent only after grades three, five, eight, and eleven, rather than annually as under the current law. While parents would still technically be required to have their students assessed annually, the legislation includes no accountability measures to ensure that assessments would take place during the years when parents are not required to submit the results. “Annual assessments are important to ensure that children have access to educational resources and to identify learning disabilities,” Coleman said. Many homeschool alumni argue that assessment requirements improve the quality of education homeschooled students receive by ensuring that their parents are motivated to provide them with a solid and well-rounded education.
Perhaps the most startling provision of H.B. 4175 is that it would allow parents to administer their children’s standardized achievement tests themselves. The current statute bars parents from administering these tests for their own children in an effort to protect against cheating, but this would change under the new legislation. The Coalition for Responsible Home Education recommends that students’ assessments be carried out by someone other than the student’s parent in order to ensure accountability. “I have spoken with homeschool alumni whose parents changed their standardized test answers, allowing their educational neglect to go unnoticed,” said Coleman. “We need standards that work for homeschooled children, not standards that open the door to fraud.”
Finally, H.B. 4175 would remove the annual notice of intent requirement and allow parents to homeschool without a high school diploma or GED. Currently, homeschool parents in West Virginia are required to submit an annual notice of intent. Under the new legislation, this notice of intent would be submitted only once, when beginning to homeschool, making it easier for school districts to lose track of homeschooled children. H.B. 4175 would also remove the current requirement that homeschooling parents have a high school diploma or GED. “Parents’ level of education has a profound affect on homeschooled children’s academic achievement,” said Coleman. A recent study of homeschool alumni found that those whose parents had graduated from high school reported far higher levels of academic preparedness across a range of subject areas than those whose parents lacked a high school diploma or GED. “This legislation would allow parents to homeschool their children for grades they never completed themselves,” Coleman added. “West Virginia’s lawmakers must do better than this.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
For Immediate Release: Assessments Are Important for Homeschooled Children’s Well-Being
Canton, Ma., 2/1/2016—With House Bill 1013, South Dakota stands poised to remove its assessment requirement for homeschooled second graders. Currently, homeschooled students are assessed during grades two, four, eight, and eleven. “Assessments are critical to homeschooled children’s wellbeing,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “Removing the assessment requirement for homeschooled second graders risks decreasing the quality of these students’ early education.”
Homeschooled children benefit from assessments in a number of ways. Assessments can help reveal whether children need glasses or whether they have ADHD or autism, ensuring that parents are equipped and empowered to meet their children’s needs. Assessments also ensure that homeschooled children are being provided with educational activities and resources, providing parents with accountability. Many homeschool alumni contend that assessment requirements improve the quality of education homeschooled students receive by ensuring that their parents are motivated to provide them with a solid and well-rounded education. “Accountability is important in all walks of life,” noted Coleman.
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education recommends having homeschooled students assessed annually. “Assessments help ensure that homeschooling is provided in good faith,” said Coleman. “In some cases, abusive parents take advantage of homeschooling to isolate their children and hide their abuse.” There is some research to suggest that homeschooled children may be at greater risk of severe child abuse. In a 2014 study of child torture, University of Wisconsin pediatrician Barbara Knox found that nearly half of the cases she examined involved homeschooling. “Assessments offer a general check on homeschooled children’s wellbeing,” said Coleman.
This legislative season, South Dakota lawmakers will make a choice about the state’s assessment requirement for homeschooled second graders. Their decision will effect the state’s roughly 4,000 homeschooled children. “We need policies that center on the needs of homeschooled children,” said Coleman. “We can’t afford to gamble with these children’s well-being.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by Rachel Coleman
Why We Have to Talk About Homeschooling and Child Abuse
In early March, HSLDA’s Scott Woodruff accused the media of “hurting the cause of child abuse reduction” by drawing attention to cases where parents have used homeschooling to hide abuse. In his piece, Woodruff writes that “experts in the field have worked to identify common risk factors in child abuse and neglect” and links to an article from the National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect which he says does not include homeschooling as a risk factor. What Woodruff fails to mention is this article does list “social isolation” as a risk factor. While many homeschooled children have large social networks, homeschooling gives malicious or negligent parents the ability to isolate their children in a way they could not if their children attended school.
That homeschooling can be used to isolate children is something we can’t risk not discussing.
Woodruff quotes the director of the Jackson County, Kansas, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) stating that: “We have no evidence that children who are homeschooled are more likely to be abused or neglected.” Woodruff’s use of this quote is problematic on several levels. First, we have “no evidence” because little attempt has yet been made to conduct statistical research on this question—in other words, we do not know either way. Second, the question of primary importance is not whether homeschooled children are more or less likely to be abused or neglected but rather what happens when homeschooled children are neglected or abused.
Homeschooled children do not have the same daily contact with mandatory reporters as children who attend school. Because of this, homeschooling offers abusive parents a way to isolate their children and thereby conceal and intensify their maltreatment. We have spoken with numerous homeschool alumni who also had experience attending school; they have told us the abuse was worse when they were homeschooled, because their parents knew they didn’t have to hide their bruises. Additionally, Barbara Knox of the University of Wisconsin found that nearly 50% of the cases in her 2014 study of child torture involved homeschooling. “This ‘homeschooling’ appears to have been designed to further isolate the child,” she wrote of these cases. The ability for abusive parents to use homeschooling to isolate their victims should not be taken lightly.
When the mother of young Janiya Thomas of Florida began homeschooling, the girl’s caseworker suggested that the change might be good for her, giving her more one-on-one time with her mother. If that caseworker had been aware that unscrupulous parents sometimes use homeschooling to isolate their children and thereby conceal abuse, Janiya’s move to homeschooling amidst the household’s long history of child abuse and neglect reports might have sent up a red flag. The same is true for Emani Moss, whose parents began homeschooling her after teachers reported bruising on the girl’s back. Imani had spent several months in foster care two years prior, and her removal to homeschooling, like Janiya’s, should have sent up red flags. Dozens of children have died over the last four years alone because politicians and local government officials have not taken seriously the potential for abusive parents to use homeschooling to isolate their victims.
The real problem here is not media coverage but rather homeschool advocates’ insistence that “homeschooling” and “child abuse” should never be used in the same sentence. This is a problem we have grappled with since our inception as an organization. Many homeschool advocates, understandably concerned that an educational method they love may get a bad name, have argued that this is an abuse problem, not a homeschooling problem. But what kind of problem does it become when homeschooling is used to isolate a child and in this way plays a very real role in concealing or intensifying abuse?
We have to be able to talk about this. It is in homeschool advocates’ best interests to stop denying this problem and start addressing it. We don’t want their educational method associated with child abuse any more than they do, but the real solution is to fix the problem, not to ignore it and pretend it’s not there.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by Kieryn Darkwater
Adult Basic Education for the Educationally Neglected Homeschool Graduate
By Kierstyn Darkwater
I have always wanted to go to college. I’ve always been a motivated learner, and the pseudo-classroom environments I occasionally had with other homeschoolers and parents armed with teacher’s guides were places I really enjoyed being and learning in.
Growing up, my parents’ plan for me initially included sending me to a vo-tech school to learn things I had no interest in. Over time, as my parents gradually became more conservative and more entrenched in stay-at-home daughters ideology, they looked at me and only saw a uterus. They determined that college was not God’s plan for my life and would only get in the way of my highest calling of being a wife and mother.
However, they did occasionally let me entertain the idea of going to a super conservative school after being done with homeschooling. When I was seventeen and a half, they even encouraged me to apply—I gathered my “transcript”, I wrote an essay, I had letters of recommendation, and all I needed was for my parents to sign the form. They refused, again telling me, for the final time, that I had no right or reason to pursue education, that going to college was contrary to God, and that I needed to continue my decade-long training of being a helpmeet. I was devastated.
This was just one more in a long series of unrelated blows to what I hoped was my future. But this essay isn’t about how my parents thwarted my education over and over again and left me to pick up the pieces. This is about something I discovered recently—that I’m not alone, that attending college in my mid-twenties isn’t that weird, and that community colleges have programs for people like me, people like us.
For something unrelated I was looking up how to obtain a diploma in Washington State, it was there that I found out the state community colleges have a HighSchool 21+ program in addition to the GED program. I got distracted looking at the Continuing Education/personal enrichment classes that they have, with the thought of taking an art class, but they all seemed pretty expensive. Then, I saw it, under pre-college “Adult Basic Ed. & GED”. Since I have an HSLDA printed diploma I don’t feel the need to get my GED, but, for $25 a quarter, I could totally take a math class.
Math, that subject that had been abandoned because I couldn’t teach it to myself, because I wasn’t deemed worthy enough to learn it, because I have a uterus. Suddenly, there was a way I could be in a classroom with someone who knows how to teach math, and learn enough algebra to be able to get past the blocks I was having trying to learn various programming languages.
I signed up to take the Adult Basic Ed. (ABE) class for the winter quarter (Jan – Mar) without really knowing what I was doing. I just knew that at this point, because I was in a good mental and emotional place and could afford the $25 tuition, I had no excuse not to at least try.
So I walked into class and my teacher had us write goals for the quarter. I wrote that if I improve and learn things, if I keep coming to class consistently and don’t talk myself out of it, then I will have succeeded. I surpassed my goals. For the last three months I’ve been going to school 4 nights a week, making a lot of progress in math. I learned algebra and I’m actually good at it, and being enrolled in a college—even as sort of an outsider as an ABE student—has opened up a world of opportunities, just by being a night student.
My teacher believes in me and my abilities—is impressed with how well I’ve been improving in math and encouraged me to take the placement test for english (the math gap is real). I aced it and placed in Eng 101 which I am starting in April. I’m taking my first ever actual college-level class at age 25. The other adults in my class are varying ages, some have grown children, some have babies, but we’re all in ABE because we want to improve—whether that means continuing on to college classes (like me) or getting their GED or High School Diploma to improve their job opportunities.
Personally, as an educationally neglected ex-homeschooler, taking the ABE has been so liberating—not just because I’m learning the things I was told I’d never be able to, but also because having a teacher who believes in her students and encourages questions is empowering. She encourages everyone in their progress, even if it’s small progress, because progress is progress.
If you’re an educationally neglected former homeschooler and you feel like you’re ready to attempt college but feel so lost (it’s so daunting!), see if your community college has ABE classes. Adult Basic Education helped me get my foot in the door, get used to being on campus, set me up with an advisor, and gave me the ability to see if college is right for me, and a place to ask questions about continuing my college education if that was something I wanted to do. You won’t be the only person over the age of 18, supporting yourself, and having gone through some shit.
I encourage everyone who’s curious and thinking about taking classes, but also anxious about it, to at least look into it. It’s a less expensive way to get your feet wet, and it might be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. And if not, it was still less expensive than tuition for a full college or reparative course!
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement: West Virginia and South Dakota Measures Make Homeschooled Children More Vulnerable
For Immediate Release: Limiting Assessments Hurts Homeschooled Children
Canton, Ma., 3/30/16—Yesterday, Earl Ray Tomblin, Governor of West Virginia, signed House Bill 4178, deregulating homeschooling in the Mountain State. This follows the signing of a similar measure, House Bill 1013, last month by South Dakota Governor Dennis Daugaard. “Homeschooled children are a forgotten constituency,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, an organization founded by homeschool alumni to advocate for greater safeguards for homeschooled children. “Deregulation measures generally focus not on the needs of homeschooled children but on homeschool advocates’ desire for lack of accountability.”
This year’s measures in the Mountain State and the Mount Rushmore State severely limited the number of years in which homeschooling parents must submit academic assessments to their local school district. “For some children, assessments may be the only contact they have with adults outside of their family or church communities,” said Coleman. “Removing assessments—and removing accountability from assessments—makes it harder for educational neglect to be identified and more difficult for child abuse to be recognized and reported.” The West Virginia measure allows parents to administer their children’s tests and thus making it possible for abusive or neglectful homeschooling parents to prevent their children from having any access to mandatory reporters at all. The bill also no longer requires teachers conducting portfolio evaluations (an alternative to testing) to provide their certification number, making it harder to ensure that evaluations are carried out properly.
There is some evidence to suggest that homeschooled children are at a greater risk of severe child abuse or neglect than other school-aged children. This is because homeschool parents have complete control over who their children come in contact with, and some abusive parents use homeschooling to isolate their children and hide their abuse. “I know of cases where children have been locked in a bedroom for years, starved and sexually abused,” said Coleman. “If these children had had contact with a mandatory reporter each year as part of an academic assessment, they might have had an opportunity to be rescued.” In a 2014 study of child torture, researcher Barbara Knox of the University of Wisconsin found that nearly half of the cases she examined involved homeschooling, and the Homeschooling’s Invisible Children lists dozens of cases where homeschooling children have been killed by their caretakers.
“There are ways lawmakers can act to make homeschooled children safer and improve the homeschool experience,” said Coleman. In 2005, Iowa’s homeschool oversight triggered an investigation that led to the removal of Sarah Neely from her abusive father’s home. In 2014, three children homeschooled through an online program reported the abuse they received at the hands of their step-father to their online teacher; after the teacher called 911, the children were removed from the home and the case was prosecuted. “We have a social duty to ensure that homeschooled children receive a good education in a safe home environment,” said Coleman. “Unfortunately, reducing the number of assessments only puts children in danger.”
Read CRHE’s original press release on West Virginia House Bill 4178.
Read CRHE’s original press release on South Dakota House Bill 1013.
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices. https://responsiblehomeschooling.org
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Opposing New York Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788
For Immediate Release: Removing Protections Undermines Homeschooled Children’s Interests
Canton, Ma., 2/24/2016—New York Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would weaken the state’s oversight of homeschooling by allowing homeschool parents to administer their children’s standardized tests themselves, removing quarterly reports, and making it more difficult for underperforming students to find help. “New York does more than any other state to protect homeschooled children’s interests and should be commended for their dedication to these children and their education,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, an organization founded by homeschool alumni to advocate for homeschooled children’s interests. “This legislation would remove a layer of that protection and leave New York’s children at greater risk of educational neglect.”
In New York state, homeschooling takes place under Education Law sections 3204(1) and (2), which allow children to be educated “elsewhere” than a public school if they receive instruction that is “substantially equivalent” to that provided in the public schools. Using this statute as its authority, the New York State Board of Regents created Section 100.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner, which has governed homeschooling since 1988, with updates and adjustments over time. Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 are intended to take oversight of homeschooling out of the hands of the Board of Regents by turning Section 100.10 into settled law, making requirements harder to change and removing several key provisions. “Section 100.10 has served the children of New York state well for eighteen years,” said Coleman. “There’s no reason to change what isn’t broken.”
Most significantly, Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would allow homeschool parents to administer their child’s standardized assessments. While Section 100.10 requires that the individual administering students’ yearly norm-referenced achievement tests be approved by the superintendent, this new legislation would allow anyone who meets the test publisher’s criteria to administer the test, including the child’s parents. There are numerous testing services that cater to homeschooling parents and consider the parent qualified to administer their students’ tests. “Allowing parents to administer their child’s standardized assessments themselves, in their own homes, creates conditions ripe for cheating,” said Coleman. “We know that abuses occur in states that allow parents to administer their child’s standardized assessments; I have spoken personally with homeschool alumni whose parents gave them help during the test, gave them extra time, or changed their answers.”
Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would also remove the quarterly report requirement. Under Section 100.10, parents must submit a report each quarter outlining the material covered and providing letter grades or a written evaluation of the child’s progress. Under the proposed legislation, this requirement would disappear. “The quarterly report ensures that parents take time to regularly reflect on their child’s progress,” said Coleman. “I have spoken with numerous alumni in states with lower levels of oversight who feel that they would have received a better education if their parents had been subject to more accountability.”
Assembly Bill 9091 and Senate Bill 4788 would lower the threshold for adequate academic performance from the 33rd percentile to the 23rd percentile, making it harder for underperforming children to receive the remediation they need. At the same time, it would eliminate a provision allowing the superintendent to conduct home visits when a homeschool family is on probation and there is reason to believe the family is “in substantial noncompliance.” When a child’s annual assessment shows inadequate progress, the home education program is put on probation and the parent must create a remediation plan to be approved by the school district. After that the school district has only the parent’s word that the provisions of the remediation plan are being carried out. “We have spoken with numerous individuals concerned about a younger sibling, nephew, or grandchild who is receiving an inadequate and neglectful homeschool education,” said Coleman. “It is important to ensure that the superintendent has a way to ascertain whether a child’s remediation plan is being implemented should there be reason to believe otherwise.”
“New York state has long had some of the most comprehensive protections for homeschooled children in the country,” said Coleman. “I urge the legislature to maintain this record.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices. https://responsiblehomeschooling.org
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Supporting Kentucky House Bill 76
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/18/16—Currently, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) requires student athletes to be “full time” students at the school they represent, thus barring homeschooled students from participating in athletics in their local public schools. This year, House Bill 76 could change that. “Granting homeschooled students access to public school extracurriculars is one of the most important ways lawmakers can support homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education.
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
Kentucky’s House Bill 76 is part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
Critics argue that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics creates problems in fairness and access for other students. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. Critics also point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
2016 Statement Supporting New York Assembly Bill 3678 and Senate Bill 2175
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/16/16—Last year, two bills before the state legislature would have opened public school athletics to participation by homeschooled students. These bills, Assembly Bill 3678 and Senate Bill 2175, which have been carried over into the 2016 legislative session, would prohibit school districts from barring homeschoolers from interscholastic sports and thus requiring the New York State Public High School Athletic Association to open the door to these students. “Our research is clear—access to public school extracurriculars offers tangible benefits to homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “It’s time to give New York’s homeschooled students access to public school athletics.”
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
New York’s Assembly Bill 3678 and Senate Bill 2175 are part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
Homeschoolers in New York, including LEAH, the largest statewide homeschool organization, supported Assembly Bill 3678 and Senate Bill 2175 during the 2015 legislative session. Gina Varrichio, a homeschooling mother, created a website, Let Homeschoolers Play, and launched a petition to bring the bills to the floor. “The overarching aim of our public school system should be to educate the minds, exercise the bodies, and open the hearts of our children and our communities,” wrote Varrichio. “The goal should be one of supporting as many children as we can in this mission, not the fewest we’re legally allowed.”
Critics argue that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics creates problems in fairness and access for other students. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. Critics also point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Supporting West Virginia House Bill 2749
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/16/16—Last year, a bill to allow homeschooled students to participate in West Virginia public school athletics programs died in committee. This year, West Virginia lawmakers are trying again. House Bill 2749 would require the West Virginia Secondary Schools Activities Commission to consider homeschooled children eligible for participation in public school athletics programs at the public school they are zoned for. “Our research is clear—access to public school extracurriculars offers tangible benefits to homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “It’s time to give West Virginia’s homeschooled students access to public school athletics.”
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
West Virginia’s House Bill 2749 is part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
Critics argue that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics creates problems in fairness and access for other students. However, the Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers conducted a 2012 survey of state athletics associations which found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. Critics also point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Supporting Virginia Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 131
For Immediate Release: Access to Public School Athletics Improves Homeschool Outcomes
Canton, Ma., 2/16/16—Last year House Bill 1626, which would have granted homeschooled students access to public school athletics, passed the House (57-41) and the Senate (22-13) only to be vetoed by Governor McAuliffe. This year the state’s homeschoolers and their supporters are trying again. Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 131 would prohibit public schools from barring homeschooled students from their athletic activities and thus require the Virginia High School League (VHSL) to change its requirement that student athletes be regular students at the school they represent. “Our research is clear—access to public school extracurriculars offers tangible benefits to homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “It’s time to give Virginia’s homeschooled students access to public school athletics.”
Participation in public school athletics and other extracurriculars has been found to have pronounced benefits for children’s socialization, self-esteem, and leadership skills across the board. A recent study of homeschool alumni in particular found that those who participated in public school athletics rated their homeschooling experience more highly than did other respondents. Further, researcher Joseph Richard Barno found that college admissions officers weighted extracurriculars more heavily for homeschool graduates than for traditionally-schooled graduates, suggesting that extracurricular participation is especially important for homeschooled students who are college-bound. “Excluding homeschooled children from this important aspect of physical and personal development puts them at a profound disadvantage with respect to their peers,” Coleman said.
Virginia’s Senate Bill 612 and House Bill 131 are part of an ongoing trend toward increasing homeschooled students’ access to extracurriculars in their local public schools. Over half of all states provide homeschooled students some form of participation in athletics or other extracurriculars through their local public schools, and that number is growing. Many states also allow homeschooled students to take individual courses at their local public schools. In fact, in 2007, the most recent year for which we have data, 16% of homeschooled students were enrolled in school part time. “Cooperation between homeschoolers and local school districts benefits homeschooled students,” said Coleman. “When public schools provide homeschooled students with access to curricular and extracurricular activities, they foster a positive relationship between public schools and homeschool families.”
The Organization of Virginia Homeschoolers has been promoting sports access bills in Virginia for several years now. In 2012, they conducted a survey of state athletics associations and found that granting homeschooled students access to public school athletics has not caused problems in those states that have already done so. The organization’s website features the stories of numerous homeschooled children who would like the chance to play, highlighting the benefit sports access would bring homeschooled children across the state. Critics of homeschool sports access point to the variety of community athletic leagues available to younger children, but these options tend to narrow as children grow older, forcing parents to choose between homeschooling and athletic participation. “The evidence is clear that granting homeschooled children access to public school athletics improves homeschool outcomes,” said Coleman. “It’s time to let these children play.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Opposing West Virginia’s House Bill 4175
For Immediate Release: Accountability Is Critical to Homeschool Success
Canton, Ma., 2/1/2016—Last year, West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin vetoed House Bill 2793 and Senate Bill 444, legislation that would have removed nearly all of the state’s protections for homeschooled children. This year the West Virginia legislature is renewing its deregulation push nonetheless. House Bill 4175 would weaken the state’s assessment requirement and remove other crucial safeguards for homeschooled children. “West Virginia’s existing requirements are designed for the benefit of the state’s homeschooled children,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-founded Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “That the legislature is again trying to remove these safeguards is a travesty.”
H.B. 4175 would require parents to submit assessments of their children’s academic progress to the local superintendent only after grades three, five, eight, and eleven, rather than annually as under the current law. While parents would still technically be required to have their students assessed annually, the legislation includes no accountability measures to ensure that assessments would take place during the years when parents are not required to submit the results. “Annual assessments are important to ensure that children have access to educational resources and to identify learning disabilities,” Coleman said. Many homeschool alumni argue that assessment requirements improve the quality of education homeschooled students receive by ensuring that their parents are motivated to provide them with a solid and well-rounded education.
Perhaps the most startling provision of H.B. 4175 is that it would allow parents to administer their children’s standardized achievement tests themselves. The current statute bars parents from administering these tests for their own children in an effort to protect against cheating, but this would change under the new legislation. The Coalition for Responsible Home Education recommends that students’ assessments be carried out by someone other than the student’s parent in order to ensure accountability. “I have spoken with homeschool alumni whose parents changed their standardized test answers, allowing their educational neglect to go unnoticed,” said Coleman. “We need standards that work for homeschooled children, not standards that open the door to fraud.”
Finally, H.B. 4175 would remove the annual notice of intent requirement and allow parents to homeschool without a high school diploma or GED. Currently, homeschool parents in West Virginia are required to submit an annual notice of intent. Under the new legislation, this notice of intent would be submitted only once, when beginning to homeschool, making it easier for school districts to lose track of homeschooled children. H.B. 4175 would also remove the current requirement that homeschooling parents have a high school diploma or GED. “Parents’ level of education has a profound affect on homeschooled children’s academic achievement,” said Coleman. A recent study of homeschool alumni found that those whose parents had graduated from high school reported far higher levels of academic preparedness across a range of subject areas than those whose parents lacked a high school diploma or GED. “This legislation would allow parents to homeschool their children for grades they never completed themselves,” Coleman added. “West Virginia’s lawmakers must do better than this.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Opposing South Dakota’s House Bill 1013
For Immediate Release: Assessments Are Important for Homeschooled Children’s Well-Being
Canton, Ma., 2/1/2016—With House Bill 1013, South Dakota stands poised to remove its assessment requirement for homeschooled second graders. Currently, homeschooled students are assessed during grades two, four, eight, and eleven. “Assessments are critical to homeschooled children’s wellbeing,” said Rachel Coleman, executive director of the alumni-run Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “Removing the assessment requirement for homeschooled second graders risks decreasing the quality of these students’ early education.”
Homeschooled children benefit from assessments in a number of ways. Assessments can help reveal whether children need glasses or whether they have ADHD or autism, ensuring that parents are equipped and empowered to meet their children’s needs. Assessments also ensure that homeschooled children are being provided with educational activities and resources, providing parents with accountability. Many homeschool alumni contend that assessment requirements improve the quality of education homeschooled students receive by ensuring that their parents are motivated to provide them with a solid and well-rounded education. “Accountability is important in all walks of life,” noted Coleman.
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education recommends having homeschooled students assessed annually. “Assessments help ensure that homeschooling is provided in good faith,” said Coleman. “In some cases, abusive parents take advantage of homeschooling to isolate their children and hide their abuse.” There is some research to suggest that homeschooled children may be at greater risk of severe child abuse. In a 2014 study of child torture, University of Wisconsin pediatrician Barbara Knox found that nearly half of the cases she examined involved homeschooling. “Assessments offer a general check on homeschooled children’s wellbeing,” said Coleman.
This legislative season, South Dakota lawmakers will make a choice about the state’s assessment requirement for homeschooled second graders. Their decision will effect the state’s roughly 4,000 homeschooled children. “We need policies that center on the needs of homeschooled children,” said Coleman. “We can’t afford to gamble with these children’s well-being.”
The Coalition for Responsible Home Education is a national organization founded by homeschool alumni and dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.