How to register your child for homeschool

File an Intent to Operate a Home School

Definition of a Home School

In order to legally provide for their child’s education at home and meet North Carolina compulsory attendance laws parents must file a Notice of Intent to Home School (General Statute 115C-563(a)).

The Division’s school year runs July 1 and ends June 30. Notice of Intent's may be submitted or filed July - April. Home schools may not be opened ONLY for the summer term or for “grade recovery”. A Notice legally opens a school, which must remain in continuous operation with enrolled students until the Chief Administrator closes the home school.

The home school must meet the following requirements:

Consist of the children of not more than two families or households
The parents or legal guardians or members of either household will:
Determine the scope and sequence of the academic instruction,
Provide academic instruction,
And determine additional sources of academic instruction.
Follow the legal requirements to operate a home school.
Notify the Division at any time the home school address or enrollment changes.
Respond to communications from the Division in a timely manner to confirm continued operations.

To File a Notice of Intent to Operate a Home School

When to file: The State of North Carolina home school academic year for reporting purposes begins each July 1 and concludes the following June 30. Schools may open during the months of July –April and must document attendance and instruction for 9 calendar months of that academic year (including any time spent in a traditional school). If you plan to begin school in the fall you would open no earlier than July.
Only ONE school: Each household may have only ONE Notice of Intent on file (or one open home school). You do not need to renew the Notice of Intent every year – operation continues until the school is officially closed.
Reopen a school: If at any time in the past you have had a home school, you will need to “re-open” that school rather than complete a new Notice of Intent. Your information is already in our file and only needs updating.

Opening a New Home School

You will be directed to the online system. After you establish a user name and password you will be able to complete the Notice of Intent. All confirmation will be sent through email; please remember to check your spam folder for these important documents.

A helpful one page document to explain this process is found here.

Re-Opening a Home School

If you have had a home school open in the past you will need to re-open that school. If you never properly closed the school you must update your record. You will be directed to the main menu of the DNPE SYSTEM where you will create a user name and password. After you have created your account access you will be directed to the menu.

From the System Menu Choose one of the following options:

will enter your information and then be directed to create a user name and password if it is the first time you have visited the system.

If your school is closed you will have the opportunity to update the information, upload additional diploma evidence if necessary and then click “re-open” to activate your school. This information will be reviewed by a staff member and you will receive an email confirmation once you are officially open again. Only the previous chief administrator can submit a request to Re-Open or update a Home School record.

Files

Notice of Intent to Establish a Home School

North Carolina Homeschool Laws & Requirements

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Although North Carolina is considered to be a medium-regulation state for homeschooling, the NC Department of Non-Public Education (NCDNPE) has established a parent-friendly process for the things you’ll need to get started including:

Making sure you have the proper educational credentials
Filing your notice of intent
Tracking attendance
Planning for annual standardized testing

Being fully aware of what is expected of you as a homeschooler can put you much firmer footing for your first year’s adventure of teaching at home. Below, you’ll find an overview of NC homeschool requirements and how to enroll a homeschooled child in public school in North Carolina, if you need to for any reason.

How to Register for Homeschool in NC
Your Notice of Intent
Homeschool Recordkeeping in North Carolina
North Carolina Homeschool Graduation Requirements
Enrolling in Public School after Homeschooling
Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in North Carolina

*This should by no means be interpreted as legal advice. It is your responsibility to interpret and understand the laws that you will be homeschooling under.

How to Register for Homeschool in N.C.

The key requirements for homeschooling in North Carolina include:

Parents must have at least a high school diploma (or equivalent).
Families must file a notice of intent to homeschool with the NC Department of Non-Public Education (NCDNPE).
Families should keep attendance and immunization records on file for each homeschool student.
Homeschooled students should take a nationally standardized test each year and keep the results on record for one year.
The homeschool should operate on a regular schedule for at least nine months of the school year.
Families should notify the NCDNPE when closing their homeschool

For a full explanation of each of these regulations, including forms that will be helpful in staying compliant, visit the NC Home School Information Portal.

More information relating to the home education rules for North Carolina can be found at A2ZHomeschooling.com.
Full Details of North Carolina’s Homeschool Laws

Your Notice of Intent to Homeschool in NC

The North Carolina Department of Non-Public Education is the division of state government that regulates homeschooling (and the only one like it in the country!) As such, they require families with children between 7 and 16 years of age to open a homeschool by filing a notice of intent. This intent form will include information such as whether or not the parent holds a high school diploma (or equivalent), the chosen name of the homeschool, the name of the administrator, and the homeschool address.

Families can file their intent to homeschool at any time of the year. The NCDNPE requests that families update their record if their homeschool address changes, and to also notify them if they will be closing their homeschool. Families do not need to renew their intent each year, however.

Homeschool Recordkeeping in North Carolina

The records that homeschoolers are required to keep in North Carolina do not have to be submitted to the NCDNPE unless specifically requested. However, it is a good idea to keep a detailed, accurate, and professional homeschool portfolio of items for each student. Information that you might want to include in your homeschooler’s portfolio could be:

Subjects covered each school year
Parent-administered or online school report cards or assessments
Yearly standardized test scores
High school transcript for any student in grades 9-12

Having this information handy can be especially helpful if your homeschooler returns to school because it can help establish an appropriate grade level for the student’s enrollment. Also, when applying to colleges, an accurate homeschool transcript is every bit as important (and valid) as one supplied by a public or private school.

North Carolina Homeschool Graduation Requirements

As you are doing your initial research on homeschooling in North Carolina, you are likely curious about how a home educated student gets their diploma. The simple answer is that each homeschool sets their own graduation requirements. Once your student has accomplished the coursework, tests, and goals that you prescribe, you can administer your own homeschool diploma!

How do you decide on what those requirements will be? It’s important to keep your student’s post-secondary goals in mind. If college is in your teen’s future, then you’ll want to research the expectations of individual colleges your student may want to attend and align your high school homeschool path accordingly. For students who may want to head right into the workforce after graduation, then a heavier focus on vocational coursework and apprenticeships may be appropriate.

As you plan out your high school curriculum, it can also be helpful to review the graduation guidelines of traditionally schooled students in North Carolina. Time4Learning offers the following chart to help you with quick comparisons between public school and homeschool graduation requirements.

	Public/Private School	Homeschool
North Carolina diploma requirements	Students must have a minimum of 22 completed credits to graduate in North Carolina and receive a diploma.	Parents determine when their student has fulfilled graduation requirements and can issue their own homeschool diploma; students of private/online schools may receive diplomas from those institutions.
North Carolina high school testing requirements	There are no graduation testing requirements for the state of North Carolina.	Homeschool students are also not subject to testing requirements for graduation.
North Carolina high school transcripts	NC public school transcripts include identifying information, standardized test scores, attendance information, credit totals and a complete credit history by course including course titles, grades received each semester, and cumulative grade average for each.	Homeschool parents may create their own student transcripts, and may include any information they deem pertinent to colleges, military, and/or future workplace organizations.
North Carolina high school course credits	In order to graduate, NC high schoolers must have 4 sequential English credits, 4 mathematics credits, 3 science credits (including a physical science, biology, and an earth/environmental science course), 4 social studies credits, 1 health/physical education credit, and 6 elective credits.	Parents determine when their student has fulfilled graduation requirements; for the purpose of creating transcripts, some homeschool parents do assign credits to individual courses.
GED eligibility	NC has two paths to a high school equivalency diploma: GED and HiSET. These are offered through the Basic Skills Plus program of the community college system in NC.	The same requirements for eligibility apply to homeschoolers as to public school students.

Enrolling in Public School after Homeschooling

Even if you plan to homeschool all the way through graduation, there are sometimes circumstances that make it necessary for a student to return to public school after a time of homeschooling. In those cases, you’ll need to know how to transfer from homeschool to public school. In North Carolina, there are basically two steps you need to take to return your child to school:

Notify the NCDNPE of your intent to close your homeschool. (You can always reopen it later, if you wish.)
Contact the school principal of the school you will be enrolling in to find out their enrollment process.

It’s worth noting that each school may have a different policy in regards to enrollment by a formerly homeschooled student. Some may simply let you register your child for the grade you wish him/her to attend. Others may request information on your student’s homeschool curriculum and progress or even require your child to take assessment tests to establish their appropriate grade level.

Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in North Carolina

Have other questions about homeschooling in North Carolina? You may find the following pages helpful.

Homeschooling in North Carolina
North Carolina Homeschool Associations
North Carolina Homeschool Groups and Co-ops
Homeschool Field Trips in North Carolina

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Step by step transition to family education

Basic concepts

To prepare for the transition to family education, learn the basic terms. This will help to correctly fill out applications and negotiate with schools.

Family education is a form of education outside of school (Article 17 of the Law “On Education in the Russian Federation”). It implies independent development of the main educational program. Parents are responsible for the quality of education.

Self-education - same as homeschooling, only for children over 15 years of age or those who have completed a nine-grade certificate.

Externship is a form of attestation for family education and self-education. When a child is attached to a school to pass intermediate and final examinations, he acquires the status of an external student and equal academic rights with other students.

Step 1. Notify the education authorities

When switching to family education, first of all inform the department or department of education at the place of residence about the change in the form of education. It is not possible to leave school for homeschooling without notice. This can be regarded as improper performance of parental duties and brought to administrative responsibility.

When to apply

You can send a notification at any time: before the start of the school year or in the middle of it. Just consider the response time (on average, the procedure takes from a week to a month), as well as regional requirements. In some subjects of the Russian Federation there are clear dates for informing about changing the form of education.

How to fill out

A notice of transition to family education can be made in free form or a template can be requested from local authorities.

Sample Application →

To whom to send

A notice of transfer to homeschooling is sent to the department or department of education at your physical address, not at the place of registration.

How to send

Choose a method convenient for you:

In person. Fill out an application for family education in two copies. Be sure to mark your notification as registered.
By mail. Sending by certified mail with a list of attachments and acknowledgment of receipt will help confirm that the obligation to notify the authorities of the choice of family education has been fulfilled.
Remote. If the education authority has an "electronic reception", you can send a notice of transfer to family education electronically. It is recommended to take a screenshot when submitting.

Step 2. Drop out of school

The second, no less important stage in the transition to family education. If the child has already studied, take his personal file and other documents from the educational organization. It is necessary to be expelled from the contingent of the school, even if you do not plan to change schools and want to take assessments in the same place where you studied.

When to apply

It usually takes about a month to be attached to the school as an external student and sign a contract.

How to fill out

Ask for the template at the administration of the educational institution.

‍Sample Application →

To whom to send

Write an application to the principal of the school.

How to send

Complete the application in duplicate, one for yourself and one for the school, and hand it in in person or send it by certified mail. Specify the possibility of remote submission in the administration of the educational organization.

What's next

If your "old" school is homeschooling children, go to the next step. If not, and it is important for you to pass certifications there, get a written refusal from her to transfer the child to the family form of education. In this case, you can file a complaint with the regional department of education. But it's easier to just find another school and arrange family education without any hassle.‍

Step 3. Choose a school for certification

The next important step in transferring a child to family education is choosing a school and attaching to it. To confirm knowledge, a homeschooler needs to enroll in an accredited school that has a license for educational activities. Having chosen a school with a comfortable certification schedule, send an application there.

When to apply

Anytime, but better before the start of the school year, when the school forms the curriculum. Then you will be able to transfer the child to family education in time.

How to complete

Free form or request a form from the school.

Example →

To send to

To the principal of the school.

How to send

In person or by mail as described above.

Step 4. Sign the agreement when transferring to family education

This is an optional step, but highly recommended when transferring a child to family education. The agreement on the procedure for conducting attestations will determine the rights and obligations of the parties, the frequency and form of examinations.

When to apply

May be brought along with the application for admission as an external student.

How to fill out

An attestation agreement usually consists of an introductory part, main sections and annexes. The latter indicate the procedure, form and period of intermediate certification, laboratory, practical work, consultations. Questions for preparation in subjects, tickets for oral exams, samples of tests and tests are also introduced.

An example of an attestation agreement →

To whom to send

The agreement is signed by the parents and the director of the educational organization.

Step 5. Organize the educational process

Family education implies freedom in choosing the format of education. Someone teaches children himself, others prefer to entrust it to professionals.

Foxford External and Home School can help you organize family education from grades 1 to 11. This is a virtual school that almost completely replaces the usual one. Classes are held in real time, you can ask questions to teachers from Moscow State University, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Higher School of Economics. The program includes basic courses, which is the minimum required to pass certifications, as well as advanced and olympiad courses to develop the strengths of the child. Student progress and motivation are monitored by personal mentors.

Step 6. Enjoy the results after transferring your child to family education

The formalities for the transfer and organization of family education have been completed, and now a new page in the life of your family begins. Now you and your child prioritize learning and make plans on your own.

Good luck!

Transfer to family education in 2023: conditions and step-by-step plan

Hello! In this article, we will tell you from which class you can switch to family education and how to do it in 2023. We will figure out when it is better to write an application, what reason to indicate in it and whether it is necessary to detach from your school.

Family education is a form of education in which the student studies at home on a full-time basis. It is provided only for children from the first to the ninth grade. For adolescents over 15 years of age who have completed 9 classes, there is a different system - self-education.

A child in homeschooling (homeschooling) learns independently, that is, he masters the program without the help of school teachers. He does not attend classes, but passes certification:

Intermediate. The format is determined by the school, for example, 1-2 times a year in the form of a control in the main subjects.
Final is the OGE, which the homeschooler takes together with other students at the end of the 9th grade. After successfully passing the exams, he receives the same certificate as students in full-time (traditional) schooling.

Parents are solely responsible for the educational process and the quality of education. They work with the child on their own, hire tutors or enroll them in a private online school. In the first case, they themselves make the curriculum. There are no strict requirements for the training program, but the main thing is that the student learns all the material that is required within the framework of the Federal State Educational Standard.

The only reason for transferring a child to family education is his own desire and the consent of his parents. No good reason is required to switch, unlike, for example, a home-based one. In the latter case, the student also studies at home, but for medical reasons, while he studies with school teachers who themselves come to his home (hospital).

We list the common reasons why parents transfer a student to family education:

Dissatisfied with the Russian education system. For example, you want your child to study according to the author's or Western methods.
Conflicts with classmates, teachers or school administration.
The family constantly changes their place of residence - travelers, artists or the military often move.
Outstanding ability. There is a category of children who do not fit the standardized school curriculum: young geniuses, professional athletes, musicians, programmers, etc.

If this is the wish of the parents

All you have to do is fill out an application and indicate that you want to transfer your child to family education of your own free will. It is not necessary to indicate and argue the reason, to coordinate the transfer with the school administration, the department of education and other supervisory authorities.

The transfer can take place for any reason, such as religious beliefs or the desire of parents to spend more time with the child and to educate him on his own. You are not required to answer questions about why a student is switching to homeschooling.

Selection of courses Distance school education from grades 1 to 11 in 2023

See selection

You can switch to family education at any time - there are no requirements in this regard in the current legislation. When can you start homeschooling:

At the beginning of the school year, for example, apply at the end of August.
In the middle of the school year. You don't have to wait until the end of the month or calendar year. You can contact the education department at any time, and the school has no right to refuse you (for example, referring to the fact that you need to close the quarter).
At the end of the school year. For example, a child has passed all tests for the 5th grade, and starting from the 6th, he studies at home. Moreover, if he or his parents decide to return to school, then there is no need to wait for the beginning of the 7th grade. You can also pay back at any time.

It is possible to switch to home schooling even after grade 9, but only in the form of self-education - it is she who operates in grades 10-11. In both cases, the child studies at home, but in the first situation, the decision to transfer is made by the parents, and in the second, the student himself after passing the OGE.

There are 3 options for schoolchildren in family education:

Independently . In elementary school, not many subjects are studied, so parents can also study with the child. You can borrow Russian language and mathematics textbooks from the library, buy or download workbooks on the world around you on the Internet, etc. If you wish, you can devote more time to one discipline, for example, arithmetic.
With tutors or on courses. It is not necessary to invite a teacher to your home or go to a children's training center yourself - you can study remotely. Learning takes place through video communication: the child listens to a lecture, asks questions to the teacher in real time, and does homework after each lesson.

Distance school. In this case, the child also studies at home, but only online: attends classes, studies the school curriculum, participates in "live" webinars, listens to lectures, answers teacher's questions, does homework, communicates with teachers, passes certification, etc. e. You can transfer to a private online school from a regular municipal school without switching to family education. The distance school will tell you what you need to translate.

Let's talk about 6 features of transferring a child to family education.

The reason for the transition can be any.

You don't have to explain your motives to school. No one has the right to refuse you a transfer to home education.

You can switch to family education at any time.

Only you determine the timing of the transition - at the beginning or end of the school year, in the middle of a quarter, in the middle of the week, etc. The school has no right to force a student to "finish his studies".

You make your own curriculum and schedule.

It is important that the child study the material required by the Federal State Educational Standard, as it is necessary to pass an intermediate assessment, and at the end of the 9th grade, he will have to take exams. But otherwise you are not limited. At the same time, you are not obliged to report to someone about how the educational process works, to coordinate the program, etc.

You can restrict contact with the school.

A student comes to school only to pass an intermediate or final assessment. At the same time, he has the right to use all the free services of the public school: borrow books from the library, attend circles (if any), seek help from a school speech therapist or psychologist.

Any school is suitable for certification.

You can attach yourself to the school where the child studied before the transfer, or to another that accepts external students. You can choose the educational institution whose conditions suit you best, while it can be both public and private, in the city of residence or any other - the main thing is that the organization is accredited.

You can also return to the traditional (full-time) form of education at any time.

You can attend scheduled lessons even from the middle of the school year. The exception is the failure to pass the certification. If the child did not pass the certification in a timely manner, then by law he is obliged to return to the usual format of education, that is, to school. Even if the parents object to the reverse transfer.

The transfer procedure must be carried out correctly. You can’t just stop going to school, because in this case, parents can be fined or invited to PDN.

Tell us more about how to switch to family education:

1. Contact your local department or department of education. Find out in advance which agency in your area is dealing with this issue. Specify the nuances:

is there a standard application form;
for what period before the transfer it is necessary to inform the department of education;
how quickly you will receive an answer, etc.

Conditions may vary by region.

2. Submit a transfer notice to homeschooling. If the local department of education does not have a template, then the document can be made in free form. The application must be sent to the actual address, and not to the place of your registration. For example, if you are registered in Moscow, but live in Nizhny Novgorod, contact the Nizhny Novgorod branch. How to deliver a notice:

In person. Bring 2 copies and have yours stamped as received.
By registered mail. You must list the attachment and request a return receipt.
Electronically if the option is available on the website of the local education department. It is recommended to take a screenshot when submitting.

3. If you are sending documents by mail, wait for a written response that you have received the notice.

4. Drop out of school. Write a free-form application stating that you want to voluntarily dismiss your child and attach a notice from the district education department to it.

5. Select a school to be assessed. You can stay in the same school, in which case its administration will draw up a local regulation on the transfer of a student to family education. If you wish, you can attach to any other educational institution that has accreditation for receiving external students. To do this, it is enough to write an application addressed to the principal of the school. It is optional, but desirable, to do this at the beginning of the school year.

6. Notify the new school of the transfer. The notice can also be sent by mail or electronically, but it is better to contact in person, talk to the director, find out the conditions for certification, agree on the form of intermediate certification, etc. After discussing all the details, all that remains is to sign an agreement with the new school.

What documents are required to transfer a child to family education: