Washington

Parents must submit an annual declaration of intent. “The statement shall include the name and age of the child, shall specify whether a certificated person will be supervising the instruction, and shall be written in a format prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction. Each parent shall file the statement by September 15th of the school year or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester with the superintendent of the public school district within which the parent resides or the district that accepts the transfer, and the student shall be deemed a transfer student of the nonresident district.” See § 28A.200.020(1)(a).

The parent providing instruction must meet one of four parents qualifications: either (a) instructing his or her child only and supervised by a “certified person” (the statute lays out details for what this involves); (b) instructing his or her child only and having a certain number of college credits; (c) instructing his or her child only and having completed a course in home-based study at a college or vocational institution; or (d) be “deemed sufficiently qualified to provide home-based instruction by the superintendent of the local school district.” See § 28A.200.010(4)(a, b, c).

Parents must provide instruction “for a number of hours equivalent to the total annual program hours per grade established for approved public schools.” This amounts to 180 school days or 1000 hours each year for grades 1 through 12 and 450 hours for students in kindergarten. See § 28A.200.010(4). However, these requirements must be “liberally construed.” See § 28A.200.010(5).

Instruction must consist of “planned and supervised instructional and related educational activities, including a curriculum and instruction in the basic skills of occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the development of an appreciation of art and music.” See § 28A.200.010(4). However, these requirements must be “liberally construed.” See § 28A.200.010(5).

“The standardized test administered or the annual academic progress assessment written shall be made a part of the child’s permanent records.” When transferring a student to a public or private school, parents are also required to forward a child’s immunization records. See § 28A.200.020(1)(c) and § 28A.200.020(1)(b).

Students must be assessed annually. There are two options: (a) have the student take “a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education” and administered “by a qualified individual;” (b) have an “assessment of the student’s academic progress written by a certified person who is currently working in the field of education.” While parents must keep the results as part of the child’s permanent record, they are not required to submit them to anyone. See § 28A.200.020(1)(c).

(1) Parents are not required to submit their children’s test scores or annual assessments. The statute states that “if, as a result of the annual test or assessment, it is determined that the child is not making reasonable progress consistent with his or her age or stage of development” then “the parent shall make a good faith effort to remedy any deficiency.” There is no provision for ensuring that parents take efforts to provide their children with remedial education should their test scores or assessments show deficiency. See § 28A.200.020(1)(c). (2) Parents are presumed to be providing the required instruction. “Failure of a parent to comply with the duties in this section [on filing, bookkeeping, and testing/assessments] shall be deemed a failure of such parent’s child to attend school without valid justification under RCW 28A.225.020 [enforcement of compulsory attendance]. Parents who do comply with the duties set forth in this section shall be presumed to be providing home-based instruction as set forth in RCW 28A.225.010(4) [on teacher qualifications, days/hours of instruction, and subject requirements].” See § 28A.200.020(2).

Parents who choose to homeschool are to be subject to only the minimum state requirements. “The state hereby recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall be subject only to those minimum state laws and regulations which are necessary to insure that a sufficient basic educational opportunity is provided to the children receiving such instruction. Therefore, all decisions relating to philosophy or doctrine, selection of books, teaching materials and curriculum, and methods, timing, and place in the provision or evaluation of home-based instruction shall be the responsibility of the parent except for matters specifically referred to in this chapter.” § 28A.200.020.