This listing of sports access bills is not yet complete. If you have a sports access bill we should add to this list, whether for the current legislative session or for a previous session, please email us at research@responsiblehomeschooling.org.
2015 Legislative Session
Arkansas
Senate Bill 331, which would require the Arkansas Activities Association to allow member schools to play homeschool teams, was introduced on February 11th and referred to the education committee. See HB331.
Hawaii
House Bill 468, which would allow homeschooled student to participate in extracurricular activities in the school district they would have attended, was introduced on January 26th and referred to the education and finance committees. See HB468.
Kansas
Senate Bill 60, which will allow homeschooled students to participate in any public school activities, including athletics, was introduced on January 22nd and passed by the senate by a 30-9 vote on February 26th. The bill has been referred to the house education committee. See SB60.
Mississippi
Senate Bill 2329, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities in their local public schools, was introduced on January 19th and referred to the education committee. On February 12th, the senate voted against the bill 31-17. See SB2329.
Missouri
House Bill 232, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in athletics and band at their resident public school, was introduced on January 7th and referred to the elementary and secondary education committee. On March 3rd, the bill passed the elementary and secondary education committee and was referred to the committee on education. See SB232.
Nebraska
Legislature Bill 103, which would allow public schools to require homeschooled students to enroll in no more than one course in order to be eligible to participate in extracurriculars, including athletics, was introduced on January 8th and referred to the education committee. See LB103.
New York
Assembly Bill 3678 and and Senate Bill 2175, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in district interscholastic sports, were introduced on January 27th and January 1st and referred to the assembly and senate education committees. See A3678 and SB2175.
Tennessee
House Bill 545, which would allow students homeschooled through church schools to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on February 10 and referred to the education committee. See HB545.
Texas
House Bill 347 and Senate Bill 391, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, were introduced on November 20, 2014, and January 28, 2015. The bills are currently before the house and senate education committees. See HB347 and SB391.
South Carolina
House Bill 3552, which would require the state athletic association to allow member schools to play homeschool teams, was introduced on February 11th and referred to the education committee. See HB3552.
Virginia
House Bill 1626, which prohibits public schools from joining athletics associations that bar homeschooled students from competing for member schools, was introduced on January 8th and passed the house and senate on January 29th and February 17th. The governor has yet to either sign or veto the bill. See HB1626.
West Virginia
House Bill 2749, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics and other extracurriculars, was introduced on February 13th and referred to the education committee. See HB2749.
2014 Legislative Session
Alabama
House Bill 503, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate on public school athletic teams, was introduced on February 18th and referred to the education committee where it was postponed indefinitely. See HB503.
Georgia
House Bill 1149, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate on public school athletic teams, was introduced on March 13th and referred to the education committee, but died in committee. See HB1149.
Mississippi
Senate Bill 2515, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in any extracurricular activities at their local public schools, including athletics and band, was introduced on January 20th and referred to the education committee where it died in committee. See SB2515.
Missouri
House Bill 1347, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school athletic activities, was introduced on January 14th and passed the education committee on April 2nd and the rules committee on April 28th. However, the bill was never put up for a vote and subsequently died in the chamber. See HB1347.
New Jersey
Senate Bill 125 was introduced on January 14th and referred to the education committee, and subsequently referred to the budget and appropriations committee on June 9th. Assembly Bill 3430 was introduced on June 23rd and referred to the education committee. These identical bills would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics. Both bills failed to progress out of committee. See A3430 and S125.
New York
Senate Bill 1715, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school interscholastic sports, was reintroduced and again referred to the education committee, this time on January 8th. The bill died in committee. See SB1715.
Michigan
House Bill 5613, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in any public school extracurricular activities, was introduced on March 29th and referred to the education committee but died in committee. See HB5613.
Virginia
House Bill 63, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on December 5th, 2014, and immediately referred to the education committee. The bill passed the house on January 30th, 2015, and was referred to the senate committee on education and health, where it failed to make further progress and ultimately died. See HB63.
West Virginia
House Bill 4230, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on January 20th and referred to committee, where it failed to make further progress. See HB4230.
2013 Legislative Session
Arkansas—Passed
House Bill 1789, which opened the door for homeschooled students to participate in athletics and extracurriculars at their resident public school and prevented superintendents from requiring homeschooled athletes to be enrolled in more than one class period per day, was introduced on March 7th and referred to the education committee. The bill passed the house and the senate in April, with only one nay vote, and went into force on April 22nd. See HB1789.
New York
Senate Bill 1715, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school interscholastic sports, was referred to the education committee on January 9th. The bill failed to make further progress and died in committee. See SB1715.
Hawaii
House Bill 1050, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school extracurriculars, including athletics, was introduced on January 24th and referred to the education and judicial committees. On December 18th, the bill was carried over to the 2014 regular session but made no further progress. See HB1050.
Ohio—Passed
House Bill 59, the state’s omnibus spending bill, was introduced on February 12th and was signed into law on June 30th. Tucked within this bill was a provision requiring school districts to allow homeschooled students to participate in extracurricular activities in their local public schools. See HB59.
Tennessee—Passed
Senate Bill 240, which allowed some homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on January 29th and referred to the education committee on January 31st. The bill passed the senate on March 4th and the house on March 25th and was signed into law by the governor on April 19th. See SB240.
North Carolina
Senate Bill 569, which would have allowed homeschooled students access to public school athletics and other extracurriculars, was introduced on April 1st. The bill was referred to the rules committee on April 2nd, and died in committee. See SB569.
Mississippi
Senate Bill 2129, which would have offered homeschooled students access to public school athletics, was introduced on January 14th and referred to the education committee, where it died in committee. See SB2129.
Indiana—Policy Change
The Indiana High School Athletic Association voted on April 29th to allow homeschooled students who enroll in one public school class to participate in athletics at the school where they are enrolled. This was a change over the previous policy, which allowed only students enrolled full time to participate in athletics governed by the association. See here.
New Jersey
Senate Bill 3043, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic sports programs in their local school districts, was introduced on November 14th and referred to the education committee. It was referred to the budget and appropriations committee on December 16th, where it died in committee. See S3043.
2012 Legislative Session
Alaska—Passed
Senate Bill 119, which opened public school athletics to students educated at home through the state’s popular correspondence schools, was introduced on April 1, 2011, but did not make progress until March 2012. The bill was passed by the senate and house in April and signed into law in June. The bill did not open sports participation to students educated at home under the state’s homeschool statute, as it only allowed for participation by students educated in “accredited” homeschools, and such accreditation does not exist. See SB119.
South Carolina—Passed
Senate Bill 149, which required school districts to allow homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic activities, including athletics and other extracurriculars, was introduced on January 1, 2011, and referred to the education committee. The bill made no progress until April 2012, when it was approved by the committee and sent to the house. The bill was passed by the house and then the senate in May, and was signed by the governor in June. Each vote was unanimous. See SB149.
2011 Legislative Session
Arkansas
Senate Bill 774, which would have opened public school athletics and other extracurriculars to homeschooled students, was introduced on March 3rd and referred to the education committee. The bill was passed by the senate on March 29th, but died in the house. See SB774.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Supporting Iowa’s House File 214
For Immediate Release: Homeschool Statutes Should Support Homeschooled Children
Canton, Ma., 3/6/15—Iowa lawmakers are considering restoring oversight that has historically safeguarded the interests of homeschooled children in the state. House File 214, which is currently before the house education committee, would provide accountability and support for both homeschooled students and homeschooling parents. “By passing House File 214, Iowa lawmakers have the opportunity to show that they value homeschooled students,” said Rachel Coleman, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education.
Prior to 2013, Iowa did more to protect the interests of homeschooled children than nearly any other state in the country. Parents homeschooled under the state’s “competent private instruction” statute, which allowed parents to choose between homeschooling with the support of a certified teacher and having their children’s academic progress assessed annually by standardized test or portfolio review. This made Iowa’s homeschooling laws one of the best in the country for both homeschooled students and homeschooling parents.
In 2013, an amendment to House File 215 gutted the state’s homeschool law by creating an “independent private instruction” provision. Under this option, parents are not required to notify their local school districts that they are homeschooling or to have their children participate in any form of assessment. “When a state fails to provide protections for homeschooled students or support for homeschooling parents, both groups suffer,” said Coleman. “Under its current law, the state of Iowa does nothing to ensure that homeschooled children receive an education. By passing House File 2014, Iowa lawmakers have the chance to restore their state’s record of protecting the interests of homeschooled children.”
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: 23 March, 2021 by CRHE
Statement Supporting the Report of the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission
For Immediate Release: Commission’s Proposal Aims to Support Homeschooled Children
Canton, Ma., 3/6/15—On March 6, 2015, the Sandy Hook Advisory Commission presented its final report to Connecticut Governor Dannel P. Malloy. The report contains recommendations that parents of homeschooled children with significant emotional, social and/or behavioral difficulties create individual education plans in cooperation with public school special education personnel, and that they file annual progress reports. “These recommendations are an important step forward for homeschooled children,” stated Rachel Coleman, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “I applaud the Committee for crafting a proposal that aims to foster cooperation between homeschooling parents and local special needs providers and works to ensure that the needs of troubled children are not ignored.”
Like children in other groups, many homeschooled children struggle with mental health issues. According to 2011 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 15% of homeschool parents report homeschooling because of their child’s physical or mental health problems. Also in 2011, the Cardus Education Survey found that some homeschool graduates struggled with more feelings of helplessness and lack of direction than their peers. A 2014 survey conducted by Homeschool Alumni Reaching Out (HARO) found that approximately 25% of the 3,700 homeschool graduates surveyed had been diagnosed with a mental illness by a mental health professional. Homeschooled children do not always have access to appropriate mental health care—nearly one in five of the homeschool graduates surveyed by HARO reported that they suffered from mental health issues while being homeschooled, but that nothing was done to help them.
“Homeschooled children have rights, needs, and interests that do not always align perfectly with those of their parents,” Coleman added. “One of those interests is being able to access mental health care even in cases where parents may be negligent about getting them help. We need to reimagine children’s mental health care in a way that ensures that all children—including homeschooled children—receive the mental health care they need.” The Sandy Hook Advisory Commission’s proposal is a step in the right direction.
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: 31 July, 2015 by Rachel Coleman
Homeschool Sports Access Timeline
This listing of sports access bills is not yet complete. If you have a sports access bill we should add to this list, whether for the current legislative session or for a previous session, please email us at research@responsiblehomeschooling.org.
2015 Legislative Session
Arkansas
Senate Bill 331, which would require the Arkansas Activities Association to allow member schools to play homeschool teams, was introduced on February 11th and referred to the education committee. See HB331.
Hawaii
House Bill 468, which would allow homeschooled student to participate in extracurricular activities in the school district they would have attended, was introduced on January 26th and referred to the education and finance committees. See HB468.
Kansas
Senate Bill 60, which will allow homeschooled students to participate in any public school activities, including athletics, was introduced on January 22nd and passed by the senate by a 30-9 vote on February 26th. The bill has been referred to the house education committee. See SB60.
Mississippi
Senate Bill 2329, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic extracurricular activities in their local public schools, was introduced on January 19th and referred to the education committee. On February 12th, the senate voted against the bill 31-17. See SB2329.
Missouri
House Bill 232, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in athletics and band at their resident public school, was introduced on January 7th and referred to the elementary and secondary education committee. On March 3rd, the bill passed the elementary and secondary education committee and was referred to the committee on education. See SB232.
Nebraska
Legislature Bill 103, which would allow public schools to require homeschooled students to enroll in no more than one course in order to be eligible to participate in extracurriculars, including athletics, was introduced on January 8th and referred to the education committee. See LB103.
New York
Assembly Bill 3678 and and Senate Bill 2175, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in district interscholastic sports, were introduced on January 27th and January 1st and referred to the assembly and senate education committees. See A3678 and SB2175.
Tennessee
House Bill 545, which would allow students homeschooled through church schools to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on February 10 and referred to the education committee. See HB545.
Texas
House Bill 347 and Senate Bill 391, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, were introduced on November 20, 2014, and January 28, 2015. The bills are currently before the house and senate education committees. See HB347 and SB391.
South Carolina
House Bill 3552, which would require the state athletic association to allow member schools to play homeschool teams, was introduced on February 11th and referred to the education committee. See HB3552.
Virginia
House Bill 1626, which prohibits public schools from joining athletics associations that bar homeschooled students from competing for member schools, was introduced on January 8th and passed the house and senate on January 29th and February 17th. The governor has yet to either sign or veto the bill. See HB1626.
West Virginia
House Bill 2749, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics and other extracurriculars, was introduced on February 13th and referred to the education committee. See HB2749.
2014 Legislative Session
Alabama
House Bill 503, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate on public school athletic teams, was introduced on February 18th and referred to the education committee where it was postponed indefinitely. See HB503.
Georgia
House Bill 1149, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate on public school athletic teams, was introduced on March 13th and referred to the education committee, but died in committee. See HB1149.
Mississippi
Senate Bill 2515, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in any extracurricular activities at their local public schools, including athletics and band, was introduced on January 20th and referred to the education committee where it died in committee. See SB2515.
Missouri
House Bill 1347, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school athletic activities, was introduced on January 14th and passed the education committee on April 2nd and the rules committee on April 28th. However, the bill was never put up for a vote and subsequently died in the chamber. See HB1347.
New Jersey
Senate Bill 125 was introduced on January 14th and referred to the education committee, and subsequently referred to the budget and appropriations committee on June 9th. Assembly Bill 3430 was introduced on June 23rd and referred to the education committee. These identical bills would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics. Both bills failed to progress out of committee. See A3430 and S125.
New York
Senate Bill 1715, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school interscholastic sports, was reintroduced and again referred to the education committee, this time on January 8th. The bill died in committee. See SB1715.
Michigan
House Bill 5613, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in any public school extracurricular activities, was introduced on March 29th and referred to the education committee but died in committee. See HB5613.
Virginia
House Bill 63, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on December 5th, 2014, and immediately referred to the education committee. The bill passed the house on January 30th, 2015, and was referred to the senate committee on education and health, where it failed to make further progress and ultimately died. See HB63.
West Virginia
House Bill 4230, which would allow homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on January 20th and referred to committee, where it failed to make further progress. See HB4230.
2013 Legislative Session
Arkansas—Passed
House Bill 1789, which opened the door for homeschooled students to participate in athletics and extracurriculars at their resident public school and prevented superintendents from requiring homeschooled athletes to be enrolled in more than one class period per day, was introduced on March 7th and referred to the education committee. The bill passed the house and the senate in April, with only one nay vote, and went into force on April 22nd. See HB1789.
New York
Senate Bill 1715, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school interscholastic sports, was referred to the education committee on January 9th. The bill failed to make further progress and died in committee. See SB1715.
Hawaii
House Bill 1050, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in public school extracurriculars, including athletics, was introduced on January 24th and referred to the education and judicial committees. On December 18th, the bill was carried over to the 2014 regular session but made no further progress. See HB1050.
Ohio—Passed
House Bill 59, the state’s omnibus spending bill, was introduced on February 12th and was signed into law on June 30th. Tucked within this bill was a provision requiring school districts to allow homeschooled students to participate in extracurricular activities in their local public schools. See HB59.
Tennessee—Passed
Senate Bill 240, which allowed some homeschooled students to participate in public school athletics, was introduced on January 29th and referred to the education committee on January 31st. The bill passed the senate on March 4th and the house on March 25th and was signed into law by the governor on April 19th. See SB240.
North Carolina
Senate Bill 569, which would have allowed homeschooled students access to public school athletics and other extracurriculars, was introduced on April 1st. The bill was referred to the rules committee on April 2nd, and died in committee. See SB569.
Mississippi
Senate Bill 2129, which would have offered homeschooled students access to public school athletics, was introduced on January 14th and referred to the education committee, where it died in committee. See SB2129.
Indiana—Policy Change
The Indiana High School Athletic Association voted on April 29th to allow homeschooled students who enroll in one public school class to participate in athletics at the school where they are enrolled. This was a change over the previous policy, which allowed only students enrolled full time to participate in athletics governed by the association. See here.
New Jersey
Senate Bill 3043, which would have allowed homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic sports programs in their local school districts, was introduced on November 14th and referred to the education committee. It was referred to the budget and appropriations committee on December 16th, where it died in committee. See S3043.
2012 Legislative Session
Alaska—Passed
Senate Bill 119, which opened public school athletics to students educated at home through the state’s popular correspondence schools, was introduced on April 1, 2011, but did not make progress until March 2012. The bill was passed by the senate and house in April and signed into law in June. The bill did not open sports participation to students educated at home under the state’s homeschool statute, as it only allowed for participation by students educated in “accredited” homeschools, and such accreditation does not exist. See SB119.
South Carolina—Passed
Senate Bill 149, which required school districts to allow homeschooled students to participate in interscholastic activities, including athletics and other extracurriculars, was introduced on January 1, 2011, and referred to the education committee. The bill made no progress until April 2012, when it was approved by the committee and sent to the house. The bill was passed by the house and then the senate in May, and was signed by the governor in June. Each vote was unanimous. See SB149.
2011 Legislative Session
Arkansas
Senate Bill 774, which would have opened public school athletics and other extracurriculars to homeschooled students, was introduced on March 3rd and referred to the education committee. The bill was passed by the senate on March 29th, but died in the house. See SB774.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement Supporting North Dakota’s House Bill 1070
For Immediate Release: Access to Special Needs Services Benefits Homeschooled Students
Canton, Ma., 3/6/15—Recently introduced legislation would prevent school districts in North Dakota from denying special needs services to homeschooled students. “House Bill 1070 would ensure that homeschooled students with special needs have access to the services they need to grow and thrive,” said Rachel Coleman, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “Barring homeschooled students from special needs services offered through local public schools is detrimental to these children’s development and prevents them from accessing the same opportunities as their peers.”
North Dakota has one of the most supportive laws in the country for homeschooled children with special needs. Homeschooled children who score poorly on their semi-annual standardized tests are tested for special needs to ensure that learning disabilities are identified and appropriate intervention is provided. Parents homeschooling children with special needs develop annual services plans, either privately or through the school district, and submit regular progress reports.
HB 1070 would offer homeschooled students with special needs access to physical, occupational, and speech therapy programs offered by public schools. While federal law requires that some of these programs be open to private school students, there is no corresponding law granting access to homeschooled students. In some rural areas, special needs services may only be available through public schools, limiting homeschooled children’s access.
According to 2011 data from the National Center for Education Statistics, 15% of homeschool parents report homeschooling because of their child’s physical or mental health problems. Homeschooling a child with special needs is no small undertaking. These parents need support and resources, something public schools have the ability to offer. “Granting homeschooled students access to the vital services offered by their local public schools builds cooperation between schools and families, providing both parents and children with needed support,” said Coleman. “By passing House Bill 1070, North Dakota has an opportunity to become become a model for the rest of the country.”
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 Arkansas’ House Bill 1381
For Immediate Release: Arkansas’ Homeschool Testing Requirement Benefits Homeschooled Children
Canton, Ma., 3/6/15—With House Bill 1381, Arkansas stands poised to remove its testing requirement for homeschooled students. “Arkansas’ state-mandated testing benefits homeschooled students by giving their parents an objective standard and helpful feedback,” stated Rachel Coleman, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “Removing this testing does Arkansas’ homeschooled students a disservice.”
Arkansas’ homeschool law has no subject requirements and does not require homeschooling parents to provide their children with instruction. Currently, the state’s only requirement is that homeschooled students be tested each year via a nationally recognized norm-referenced achievement test. “This assessment gives parents feedback on their students’ progress, enabling them to homeschool more effectively,” Coleman said. The required testing is organized by the Home School Testing Office and paid for by the Department of Education, thus ensuring that cost is not an issue for families.
In Murphy v. Arkansas (1988), the Eighth Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals found that “the state has a compelling interest in ensuring that all its citizens are being adequately educated.” “If the legislature eliminates testing for Arkansas’ homeschooled students, they will have failed in their responsibility to ensure that all Arkansas students—including homeschooled students—are adequately educated,” said Coleman.
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 HB 2793 and SB 444
For Immediate Release: Removing Accountability is Detrimental to Homeschooled Children
Canton, Ma., 2/26/15—With House Bill 2793 and Senate Bill 444, West Virginia stands poised to remove legal provisions which have protected homeschooled children in the state from educational neglect for the past three decades. “The changes these bills propose are detrimental to the interests of West Virginia’s 9,000 homeschooled students,” stated Rachel Coleman, Executive Director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education.
Under HB 2793 and SB 444, homeschooling parents would no longer be required to submit their children’s annual academic assessments (either standardized tests or portfolio reviews) to the county superintendent. Superintendents would thus have no way to determine whether students are making academic progress, or to ensure that assessments are actually taking place. “Homeschooling parents need to be held accountable for educating their children,” Coleman stated. “Without accountability, homeschooled children can fall through the cracks.”
HB 2793 and SB 444 would also remove the requirement that homeschooling parents have a high school diploma or equivalent. A recent study of homeschool alumni found that respondents whose parents had graduated from high school reported far higher levels of preparedness than those whose parents had not. “Parents’ level of education is extremely important to homeschooled children’s academic success,” Coleman said. “These bills would allow parents to homeschool their children for grades they never completed themselves.”
HB 2793 and SB 444 also remove annual notification of homeschooling and allow homeschooling parents to administer their children’s standardized tests themselves, which can open the door for cheating. “Having standards is a sign of respect for the importance of the task homeschool parents are taking on,” added Coleman. “When these standards are removed, the negative impact on homeschooled students can be profound.”
The Coalition for Responsible Education is a national organization 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: 23 March, 2021 by CRHE
CRHE Statement on Alecia Pennington and Identification Abuse among Homeschoolers
February 16, 2015
Last week, homeschool alum Alecia Pennington’s story took the social media world and online publications by storm. Alecia released a video on YouTube explaining that, as her parents had never obtained a birth certificate or social security number for her, she is unable to prove her identity as an American citizen, and is thus unable to drive, work, vote, or attend college. We support Alecia’s efforts to obtain the documentation she needs and thank her for calling attention to the documentation problems that homeschooled students can face.
While the vast majority of homeschooling parents obtain birth certificates and social security numbers for their children, a small percentage choose not to do so. Families that plan home births may knowingly fail to file a birth certificate, especially when births are unassisted or attended by unlicensed midwives. Parents are generally required to provide their children’s birth certificates when enrolling their children in school, but only homeschooling parents in five states (AZ, LA, ND, NE, SD) are bound by this requirement. As a result, it is possible for homeschooled children to reach adulthood without ever obtaining identifying documentation.
This problem is not limited to identification documents—homeschool alumni may also lack access to documentation of their academic accomplishments, which in most states is under the complete control of homeschooling parents. Diplomas and transcripts are created and issued by homeschooling parents, which can result in serious problems for homeschool alumni whose parents are abusive or controlling. In some cases, homeschooling parents withhold these documents in order to keep their children living at home long past the age of majority, or to dictate their children’s college or career choices. (Click here to read more.)
While responsible homeschooling parents obtain identification documentation for their children, keep good academic records, and make both available to the kids when they graduate, this is unfortunately not universal. A survey conducted by Homeschool Alumni Reaching Out in 2014 found that 3.65% of respondents had experienced some form of identification abuse. These are situations where parents withhold important identification documents from their adult children, often in an effort to sabotage or manipulate them. (You can read some of these stories here.)
We recommend that parents be required to submit a copy of each child’s birth certificate to the local school district or state board of education when they begin homeschooling. This would hold homeschooling parents to the same standard as public and private school parents and ensure that any missing documents are noticed and addressed. We also recommend implementing annual assessments for homeschooled students, the results to be kept on file at the local school district or by the state board of education, subject to the same standard privacy restrictions as public and private school students’ information. These documents would be made accessible to homeschooled students when they came of age, thus guaranteeing them access to their academic records. Implementing these policy recommendations would be a step toward protecting at-risk homeschooled children from identification abuse without unduly burdening responsible homeschooling parents.
While the vast majority of homeschooling parents obtain standard identification documents for their children and provide their children with the necessary documentation of their education, we should not ignore the homeschooled children in our communities who are the victims of identification abuse.
Signed,
The board of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education
Kathryn Brightbill
Rachel Coleman
Alisa Harris
Kierstyn King
Giselle Palmer
Ryan Stollar
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: 11 February, 2015 by CRHE
Statement Supporting Kentucky’s Decision to Track Homeschool Transfers
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Homeschooling Should Not Be Used to Pad High School Graduation Rates
Canton, Ma.—Kentucky Education Commissioner Terry Holliday recently announced that his department will begin tracking the number of high school students who withdraw to be homeschooled. The state raised its compulsory attendance age to 18 beginning in fall 2013, and the Kentucky Department of Education has received complaints about school administrators encouraging parents of dropouts to list their children as homeschooled.
“We applaud Holliday’s decision to ensure that administrators are not using homeschooling to pad their graduation rates,” said Coalition for Responsible Home Education Executive Director Rachel Coleman. The department will be tracking dropout and homeschool transfer numbers in each school district, and will intervene when the numbers appear to be out of order. “This policy is in the best interests of both homeschooled and public schooled students across the state,” Coleman added.
Kentucky is not the first state to have this problem. In 2010, the revelation that administrators in Texas were listing dropouts as homeschool transfers to improve their school ratings led to a state probe. “Closing the home schooling loophole will actually increase the stature of home schooling by removing the current cloud of uncertainty concerning dropout rates,” said Robert Sanborn of Children at Risk about the situation.
In some states, lax homeschooling laws have made it difficult to enforce truancy laws. “I despise the law, because the families I deal with use it as a loophole,” Kalamazoo County attendance officer Jerry Jansma said of Michigan’s lax homeschool law in 2012. “Improved homeschooling laws would make the difference between homeschooling and truancy more clear and compulsory attendance laws easier to enforce,” said Coleman.
“At the Coalition for Responsible Home Education, we believe that homeschooling should be an intentional and child-centered educational option, not a way for administrators or parents to cover up a high school dropout problem,” said Coleman. “We support greater oversight of homeschooling to ensure every homeschooled child receives a good education in a safe home environment.”
The Coalition for Responsible Education is a national organization 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: 31 May, 2017 by CRHE
Eleanor Skelton: “I saw no balance”
“My homeschooling put me on the dean’s list in college. But I didn’t know anything about life beyond academics. … My parents focused so much on academics, shunning extracurricular activities, that I had no idea how to do anything else.”
I was homeschooled K-12 from 1994-1999 in southeast Texas, from 1999-2003 in rural southwestern Colorado, from 2003 to 2005 in the Dallas metroplex, and from 2006 to 2008 in Colorado Springs. Preschool began by age 2, and I could read Nancy Drew books by the end of first grade.
My parents chose homeschooling for me and my two younger siblings because they had been bullied in public school, and they wanted to shelter us from ungodly influences. The school shootings in the 1990s, especially Columbine, seemed to justify their decision.
We had standardized Iowa testing every odd numbered grade year, and both my sister and I took the ACT and SAT in our junior year of high school. My brother started high school this year. Because my family used the A Beka Academy video distance education program, my sister and I graduated with an accredited high school diploma that colleges recognized.
Texas did not require standardized testing, but my mom did it anyway since she feared she wasn’t prepared to teach us, even with a structured program. But Colorado required both the testing and that my parents send a letter of intent to home-educate to our local school district, describing our curriculum.
Homeschooling prepared me for the university in a strictly academic sense. I maintained a 3.9 GPA while I completed 119 credits during my first three years through courses like calculus and organic chemistry. My parents weren’t surprised, because I had scored in the 90th percentile throughout middle and high school.
English professors praised my critical reading skills, and I tutored general chemistry at the Science Center on campus.
But I knew I was lucky.
I met two sisters through Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse magazine pen pal program in high school. Both of them were homeschooled. They told me they weren’t going to college because they were in training to be mothers. The 20-year-old sister read and wrote short stories at a middle school level. But the younger one’s letters had only first grade vocabulary, and she often confused basic spelling rules. She was 17 years old, and her parents were about to graduate her. Neither one knew mathematics beyond basic algebra.
My study buddy in college was homeschooled and later graduated from her Apostolic Pentecostal church school. Her mother created a high school transcript for her, but our university required she take the GED to earn her bachelor’s although she already had an associate’s degree from the local community college.
She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology despite constant struggles with spelling and grammar. My friends and I often proofread her papers so she could make it through an assignment. Her mother wrote papers for her associate’s degree. But she felt guilty and inadequate. After community college, she did not allow her mother to interfere again.
But while I could ace courses, I was not prepared to live as an independent adult when my parents told me I could either transfer to Bob Jones University or move out of their house over two years ago. I’d read Harry Potter and asked for a curfew later than 7:30 p.m.
My parents focused so much on academics, shunning extracurricular activities, that I had no idea how to do anything else.
And after I left, I found out that if corporal punishment left marks, it was abusive. I realized my parents made me wear long sleeves and didn’t let me wear bathing suits after spankings with the belt to hide what they had done. Not because government agencies were against the divine plan for discipline of children.
Homeschooling gave me a head start in academics, but I’ve had to catch up culturally and socially the last two years. Figure out how to interact with people. And isolation made my pain invisible.
And although my friends and I were homeschooled to fulfill religious agendas, I saw no balance in the community between undereducation because the world is evil on the one hand and an overemphasis on academia without socialization on the other.
This is how I came to support homeschool oversight.
Eleanor Skelton was homeschooled from 1994 to 2008 in Texas and Colorado. For additional thoughts and experiences from other homeschool alumni, see our Testimonials page.
Last Updated: 26 October, 2023 by CRHE
Statement on the Goochland County School Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Homeschool Alumni and Advocates Ask Goochland County School Board To Give Students a Voice in Religious Exemption Policy
Goochland County, Va.—On Tuesday, January 13th, the school board in Goochland County, Virginia, repealed a new policy that would have asked students over age 14 to affirm their personal religious beliefs before granting them a religious exemption from school attendance. Under Virginia’s religious exemption clause, parents remove their children from attendance at school but are exempt from following the academic or assessment requirements of the state’s homeschooling statute. Now that the school board has repealed its new policy, students no longer have a say in whether they are taught at home under rules that bypass academic requirements.
“The Goochland County school board has done these students a grave disservice,” stated Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Coalition for Responsible Home Education. “By conceding to opposition from parents who are unwilling to allow their children to state their own beliefs, the school board has robbed children of their ability to express their own views on school attendance. Children homeschooled under Virginia’s religious exemption clause have a legal right to be heard.”
State law authorizes school districts to grant a religious exemption from school attendance only in cases where both the pupil and the parents have a religious objection to school attendance. In a 2013 Washington Post article, Josh Powell spoke of being educationally neglected at home and begging local school officials to admit him to public high school, but to no avail. The Goochland County school board’s now-repealed policy, which invited students to voice their own beliefs about school attendance, would have prevented parents like Powell’s from denying their children an education against their explicit desires, and it would have brought the school board into compliance with state law.
“At CRHE, we believe that children should be able to give input into their own education, especially when children are taught at home under a religious exemption that allows parents to bypass the regular homeschooling requirements,” said Coleman. “It is long past time to give these children a voice in their own education.”
For more information, see our longer analysis HERE.
The Coalition for Responsible Education is a national organization dedicated to raising awareness of the need for homeschooling reform, providing public policy guidance, and advocating for responsible home education practices.
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