Homeschooling Regulations by State: New York

by Christina Yeager

Do you live in New York and considered homeschooling your child? Before you make the decision, you should know about state laws and regulations concerning educating children at home! There are state laws, there are district regulations and we’re here to help you understand both. We’ll guide you into the process of homeschooling in the State of New York.

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Each state is the U.S. has a very specific set of regulations for homeschooling. If you are thinking about teaching your child at home, you'll need to know the ins and outs of what needs to be done beforehand and during. In this series, Homeschooling Regulations by State, we'll explore information to help with the decision, what to do to get started and what to do correctly to continue.
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The regulations, laws and suggestions in this post may not reflect the needs for your particular situation. Not all apply to each individual family. To learn more about the laws and regulations in this state on homeschooling, click the link at the end of the post! This will direct you to the states’ Board of Education or government education site.

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Compulsory School Age	All children in NY must attend school in the year they will become six years old on or before December 1st and attend until they turn sixteen or graduate. Exception: Local districts in the school system reserve the right to change the attendance age from sixteen to seventeen for students who do not work. There is no list of school district available. Contact your area school district for this information.
Necessary Paperwork	Notice of intent to homeschool via Letter of Intent A Letter of Intent must be sent for each child you wish to homeschool to your local superintendent by the beginning of the school year, which falls on July 1st annually. If you decide to provide a home-based education mid-year, you must send the letter within fourteen days of beginning your homeschool program. Here’s an example of how to write a Letter of Intent. If you live in New York City (within Brooklyn, Bronx, Manhattan, Queens, or Staten Island) the Letter of Intent and all homeschooling correspondence should be submitted to: New York City Department of Education’s Office of Homeschooling 333 Seventh Avenue, 7th Floor New York, NY 10001 If withdrawing a child from a New York City public school in the middle of the school year, contact the school. Some schools have a special process.
Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)	Annually, an Individualized Home Instruction Plan or IHIP must be submitted for each child by August fifteenth or within four weeks within obtaining the  IHIP form. You will receive the IHIP form after your Letter of Intent has been filed with the state - within ten days to four weeks depending on when you sent the letter - before or after the school year begins. The form requires you to supply: Child’s name, age, and grade level List of your syllabi Curriculum materials and textbooks Plan of instruction Projected dates for submitting quarterly reports Name instructor/parent/guardian Subjects to be taught Statement explaining that your student will meet the compulsory educational requirements during full-time study (at least 12 hours a semester) at a degree-granting institution Here’s an example of the IHIP form.
Formally Withdrawing From Public School	In the event, you decide to withdraw your child from public school for any reason, or you have simply moved to the area in the middle of the school year - always contact your local school district. Each district and school is different and have their very own process. Normally this process will consist of a form or written letter. Always check first!
Curriculum ​	6,480 of educational instruction are mandatory and each grade group has its own curriculum requirements. For grades 1st - 6th: Arithmetic Reading Spelling Writing English Geography U.S. History Science Health Music Visual Arts Physical Education Bilingual education and/or English as a second language For grades 7th - 8th: English (two units) History Geography (two units) Science (two units) Mathematics (two units) Physical Education Health education Art (one-half unit) Music (one-half unit) Practical Arts Library skills In addition, the following classes should be taught at least once during the first eight grades: New York State history The Constitution of the United States The Constitution of New York State For grades 9th - 12th: English (four units) Social Studies (two units) American History (one unit) Government (one-half unit) Economics (one-half unit) Mathematics (two units) Science (two units) Art and/or music (one unit) Health education (one-half unit) Physical education Electives (three units) Education Law, sections 801, 804, 806 and 808 For ALL grades: Patriotism Citizenship Health education regarding alcohol, drug and tobacco misuse Highway safety and traffic regulations, including bicycle safety Fire and arson prevention and safety
Instruction	Each child is expected to comply with the instruction attendance requirements: The equivalent of 180 days of instruction is to be provided each school year The cumulative hours of instruction for grades one through six should be no less than 900 hours per year. The cumulative hours of instruction for grades seven through twelve should be no less than 990 hours per year Absences are to be permitted on the same basis as the district school policy of the school district for its own students Records of attendance should be recorded and maintained by the parent and made available immediately upon request Instruction provided at another site other than the home is to be provided in a building which meets local building code
Record Keeping & Reporting	Quarterly reports are mandatory and due dates for these reports are specified by the parent within the IHIP. The quarterly report will contain the following: Number of hours of instruction in that quarter; Description of the material covered in each subject listed in the IHIP Child’s grade level in each subject or a narrative assessing progress If less than 80 percent of the coursework stated in the quarterly IHIP submitted, a written explanation is needed.
Assessment and Testing	Assessment The result of a commercially published achievement test or an alternative evaluation that’s equal to the requirements. Testing One of the following standardized tests may be chosen: Iowa Test of Basic Skills California Achievement Test Stanford Achievement Test Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills Metropolitan Achievement Test State Education Department Test Another test approved by the State Education Department Testing should take place in one of the following establishments: Public school by staff Registered non-public school by staff with chief school officer approval Non-registered non-public school by staff with superintendent approval Parents’ home or another suitable location by qualified staff approved by the superintendent Other requirements of testing: The test should be scored by the administrator or qualified staff approved by parents and superintendent A test will be provided by the school district if requested. Costs for testing facilities, transportation and staff pay is the sole responsibility of the parents If a score is inadequate, the homeschool program will be put on suspension until the student’s results are satisfactory by the following means: The composite score must be above the 33rd percentile of the national average The score reflects an academic year of growth when compared to the inadequate test

Visit the New York State Education Department for more details.

Are you a homeschooler (new or veteran) seeking to share insight? Read our guidelines and thenreach out introducing yourself to obtain blogging credentials! And if you're a homeschool parent, be sure to follow the Homeschooling Heroes page on Facebook for tons of resources and insight, and join the Unschool Homeschool group to expand your horizons as to what homeschooling is/can be. And finally, if you're looking for activities to join, we have a group with New Orleans-based activities, which will be expanding to an area near you - so join our group! And be excited about that, because we offer tons of exceptional educational and extracurricular activities for homeschoolers and parents, and can't wait to include you.

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