North Dakota

Parents must submit a statement of intent to the local superintendent at least five days before beginning to homeschool or within 14 days of moving into a school district, and annually thereafter. This statement must include the child’s name and address, date of birth, and grade level, as well as the name, address, and qualifications of the supervising parent and a list of any public school courses or extracurricular activities in which the child will be participating. The statement of intent must be accompanied by a copy of the child’s immunization record and the child’s birth certificate or other proof of identity. Parents homeschooling a child with a developmental disability must also submit a copy of the child’s diagnosis and a services plan. For more, see “other” below. Each local superintendent must submit the number of statements of intent filed to the superintendent of public instruction. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-02 and 15.1-23-14.

The supervising parent must (1) hold a high school diploma or GED or (2) be monitored by a licensed teacher for the first two years of homeschooling. The monitor may be chosen and compensated by the local school district, or chosen and compensated by the parent. The monitor must submit a report of the child’s progress to the local superintendent twice each year. If the child is tested and scores below the fiftieth percentile, this monitoring may be extended. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-03, 15.1-23-06, and 15.1-23-07.

Instruction must take place for at least four hours each day for at least 175 days each year. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-04.

A parent supervising home education must include instruction in those subjects required by law to be taught to public school students. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-04. North Dakota law requires public elementary and middle schools to provide instruction in English language arts, including reading, composition, creative writing, English grammar, and spelling; mathematics; social studies, including the United States Constitution, United States history, geography, government, North Dakota studies; science, including agriculture; physical education; health; and computer science, including cybersecurity. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-21-01. North Dakota law requires public high schools to make available four units of English language arts; four units of math; four units of science; four units of social studies; one half unit of health; one half unit of physical education; two units of fine arts; two units of the same foreign or native American language; one unit of advanced placement course or dual-credit course; two units of career and technical education; one half unit of North Dakota studies; and one unit of computer science or cybersecurity. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-21-02.

Supervising parents must maintain an annual record of courses taken and academic progress assessments for each child, including standardized tests. This record may be requested should the student later enroll in public school. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-05.

(1) Homeschooled students in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10 must take either a standardized achievement test used by the local school district or a nationally normed standardized achievement test. This test may be taken in the child’s learning environment or, at the parent’s request, in a public school, and administered by a licensed teacher. If the parent chooses the standardized test used by the local school, the district will cover the cost of the test and its administration. If the parent chooses a nationally normed standardized achievement test not used by the school district, the parent must cover the cost of the test. If the parent chooses the test administrator, the parent must cover the cost of administration. Otherwise, the test may be administered at the local public school at the expense of the district. The results of these standardized tests must be filed with the local superintendent. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-08, 15.1-23-09, 15.1-23-10, and 15.1-23-11. (2) If the parent notifies the local school district of a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized testing, and the parent is licensed to teach, holds bachelor’s degree, or has made a passing score on a national teaching examination, this testing requirement is waived. Parents must notify the local school district of this objection, along with required documentation, when filing the statement of intent. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-09(2). 

(1) If the child’s score is less than the thirtieth percentile nationally, the child must be assessed for learning problems by a multidisciplinary assessment team. If it is determined that the child does not have learning disabilities, the parent must create a remediation plan with the advice and consent of a certified teacher and file the plan with the local superintendent. If the parent does not file a remediation plan, the parent will be deemed to be in violation of compulsory school attendance rules and may no longer operate the home school. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-11. The remediation plan provides a basis for determining reasonable academic progress and shall remain in effect until the child achieves a standardized achievement test score at or above the thirtieth percentile, or a score that, when compared to the previous year’s test score, shows one year of progress. The parent may amend the remediation plan with the advice and consent of a certified teacher. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-12. (2) If the multidisciplinary assessment team determines that the child is disabled and requires specially designed instruction due to the disability, the parent must file a services plan with the local superintendent. If the parent does not file said services plan, the parent will be deemed to be in violation of compulsory school attendance rules and may no longer operate a home school. If the multidisciplinary assessment team determines that the child has a developmental disability, the parent must submit a services plan, which the superintendent will use annually to determine whether the child is making reasonable progress, and may continue homeschooling the child under the section of the law for children with developmental disabilities. See “other” below. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-13. (3) Should a child’s services plan team agree that the child is not making adequate progress or maintaining progress made based on academic ability, they must notify the local superintendent and request that the child be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team appointed by the local superintendent. See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-15.

(1) Parents homeschooling a child who has been determined to have a developmental disability by a licensed psychologist must submit to the local superintendent a copy of the child’s diagnosis and a services plan. This plan may either be developed privately or through the local school district and must demonstrate that the child’s special needs are being addressed by qualified individuals and lay out what qualifies as reasonable academic progress. By November 1st, February 1st, and May 1st of each year, the parent must file with the local superintendent a report on the child’s progress prepared by the child’s services plan team. If at any time the services plan team agrees the child is not making adequate progress or maintaining progress made based on academic ability, the child is to be evaluated by a multidisciplinary team in the local district. See N.D. Cent. Code §§ 15.1-23-13, 15.1-23-14, and 15.1-23-15. (2) “No state agency, school district, or county superintendent may be held liable for accepting as correct the information on the statement of intent or for any damages resulting from a parent’s failure to educate the child.” See N.D. Cent. Code § 15.1-23-18.