District of Columbia

Parents must provide written notification to the OSSE 15 business days prior to beginning home instruction on a form developed by that office. For each subsequent year, parents must provide written notification by August 15. Parents must also provide written notice 15 business days before discontinuing homeschooling. The official code requires parents to report the name, sex, address, and date of birth of each child being withdrawn for private instruction. See D.C. Code Ann. § 38-205.

Parents providing instruction must have a high school diploma or its equivalent. A parent who does not meet this requirement “may petition the OSSE for a waiver” and “must provide evidence” of the “ability to provide thorough, regular education.” See DCMR 5207.

Each student’s homeschool program must “provide thorough, regular instruction of sufficient duration to implement the home school program” and “provide instruction that includes, but need not be limited to, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education.”  Homeschooling parents need not use the programs or methods of the public schools or adhere to any specific curricular framework or any other program of instruction adopted by the public schools. See DCMR 5204.2

Parents must maintain a portfolio of home schooling materials for each child which includes evidence of the child’s current work, such as examples of the child’s writings, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials, assessments, or any other materials that demonstrate that the child is engaged in thorough, regular educational activities in a range of subjects.” This portfolio “should be maintained for at least one year and made available for review by the OSSE upon written request.” See DCMR 5205. The official code requires each individual providing private instruction to keep “an accurate daily record of the attendance” of all students receiving instruction. This record must be open for inspection. See D.C. Code Ann. § 38-203.

Up to twice a year, the OSSE may request in writing to review a student’s portfolio “at a time and place mutually agreeable” to the the official representative and the parent. The purpose of the review is “to ensure that the child is receiving thorough, regular home schooling instruction, consistent with this chapter.” However, “a regular periodic review of all portfolios” is not required by law. See DCMR 5206.

If the OSSE determines, upon review of a portfolio, that a “thorough, regular education” is not being provided, it shall provide the parents with a Notification of Deficiencies. The parents must then provide the OSSE with a Corrective Action Plan (CAP) that includes “evidence that each deficiency has been or is being corrected.” The OSSE shall notify the parents of the acceptance of the CAP or of the need for further modification. Throughout this entire process, the parent may request a meeting with the OSSE to discuss the deficiencies or the OSSE’s response to the CAP. Should the CAP fail to correct deficiencies, the OSSE shall issue a Letter of Non-Compliance. The parent may appeal to the State Superintendent of Education, and then to judicial review. See DCMR 5208.

“Student records, documents, correspondence, and other materials received in accordance with the provisions of this chapter shall be reviewed pursuant to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, 20 U.S.C. §1232g; the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 34 CFR Part 99, and any other applicable District or federal confidentiality laws or regulations.” See DCMR 5200.2.