Homeschooling Regulations by State: North Dakota

by Christina Yeager

Homeschooling requires organization, determination, vigilance and knowledge about the laws and regulations set forth by the education officials in your state.Knowing where, how and when to start with home education is an important step of the process. If you’ve been wondering where to begin to homeschooling your child in the State of North Dakota, you’re in the right place. This handy guide will get you on track to homeschooling in North Dakota in no time!
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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	The age in which all children must begin school public or non-public is age seven and they shall be required to attend until age sixteen. Exception: If your child has special needs and it has been deemed “inexpedient or impracticable” for your child to attend, then they will be excused from compulsory attendance.
Instructor Requirements	Parents or guardians wishing to homeschool are required to be qualified to do so by already possessing a high school education or equivalent. If not, the home education is to be closely monitored by a certified teacher for the first two years of the home program. This must continue yearly until the student scores above the fiftieth percentile. Once this is achieved, you may teach other children in the home without assistance.
Necessary Paperwork	A Statement of Intent form must be filed to the district or county superintendent within fourteen days of starting a home-based program or within moving to North Dakota in order to operate a homeschool. The statement must include: Name, date of birth address and grade level of your child Name, qualifications and address of the parent or home instructor Public school courses your child intends to participate in, if any Extracurricular activities your child intends to participate in and school district or approved nonpublic school hosting the activities Copy of your child’s immunization record (the North Dakota Department of Health’s certificate of immunization form will suffice) Proof of your child’s identity (certified copy of a birth certificate, a certified transcript or any evidence the superintendent considers appropriate proof of identity) You can download the Statement of Intent form here.
Formally Withdrawing From Public School	Each school district has its own system to follow when withdrawing a student from public school. Please, check with your local school district for instructions.
Instruction	At least four hours of instruction per day for a minimum of 175 days is required of homeschooling students.
​Curriculum	Students must be taught state required subjects - same as public schools. Required elementary and middle school subjects: English Language Arts Reading Composition Spelling Creative Writing Mathematics Science Social Studies United States Constitution United States History Geography Government North Dakota Geography, History, and Agriculture Health and Physical Education Physiology Hygiene Disease Control Nature and effects of alcohol, tobacco, and narcotics Required high school subjects: English Language Arts Literature Composition Speech) Mathematics Science Biology Chemistry or Physical Science Social Studies U.S. History Civics Economics Personal Finance) Physical Education Foreign Languages or Fine Arts Career and Technical Education
Testing	Standardized testing is required for grades four, six, eight and ten and may be given to the student in their learning environment or a public school. Exception: Testing may be waived if the process impedes religious, philosophical or moral beliefs. This must be stated in your annual statement of intent to homeschool.
​Immunizations	Immunization records are required by the State of North Dakota for all homeschooled students. Information regarding religious and belief exemptions is available from the state Department of Health.
Record Keeping	An annual academic assessment of a students progress should be tracked. This needs to include a record of all courses taught and achievement test results for the mandatory grades.

Visit the North Dakota State Government website for more information on home education.

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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