Homeschooling Regulations by State: Tennessee

by Christina Yeager

​The thought of homeschooling your child should never be intimidating. What may be worrying you is uncertainty of teaching or simply not knowing how to start. We can help. Knowing the state homeschool laws and regulations will help immensely! We've crafted a simple guide that can help you get started homeschooling in Tennessee to ease the process! 

Image by Lynn Clemons [L.C. Photography]

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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	Compulsory school age for all children residing in Tennessee is age six for beginning enrollment through age eighteen.  Exceptions: If you feel your child is not ready to begin school at age six, you may appeal the local school district to defer enrollment for up to one year. However, if your child is under the age of six and has been enrolled for six weeks or more, he/she must continue to attend. If the student is enrolled under one of the homeschooling option offered by the state, he/she is only required to attend until age seventeen. Early graduation is permitted if the student demonstrates excellent progress in GED certification classes.
Instructor Qualifications	Parents and/or guardians that wish to homeschool must possess a high school diploma or GED certification.
Homeschooling Choices	Independent Homeschool To simple teach your children at home you may wish to choose the option of Independent Homeschool. This option requires the following: Submit an annual Notice of Intent to homeschool that includes the names, ages, grades, location of the homeschool, proposed curriculum, hours of instruction and qualifications of the instructor (parent/guardian). Maintain proper attendance records for all students. ​Submit immunization records to prove that they are up to date. Agree to instruct 4 hours per day at least 180 days per year. Agree to submit student to the same standardized testing as public school students for grades 5, 7 and 9, but not required to take high school sufficiency testing. Church-related Umbrella School Parents/guardians that choose this option will be required to provide proof of enrollment into a Church-related Umbrella School. A Notice of Intent is not required for this option. Record keeping and testing is to the discretion of the school in which the child is enrolled. Accredited Online School Appropriate accreditation requirements are mandatory for this option. It is up to the parent to make sure the online program is sufficient to the laws set forth by the State of Tennessee. A list can be found here.
Necessary Paperwork	​Each and every year, a Notice of Intent to homeschool must be filed to the local school district that contains the following: Names of children in the homeschool program Ages of the children being instructed Grades the instructed children are in Location of the homeschool Proposed curriculum for each student for the upcoming school year An agreement statement of instructing the required daily hours and instruction days for the academic year to come Qualifications of the instructor (parent/guardian) ​The Intent to Homeschool form for the State of Tennessee can be found here.
Instruction	The State of Tennessee mandates that at least 180 instructional days per school year at 4 hours per day must be met to comply.
Testing	Standardized testing is mandatory for all students in the state for grades 5, 7 and 9. The test is to given by a someone qualified and the parent and/or guardian must be present for the 5th grade testing.
Immunizations	Proof of immunizations are required and/or an official medical or religious statement of exemption must be presented.
Record Keeping	Proper records of attendance must be kept to be in compliance with Tennessee homeschool laws. At end of each school year, these records should be submitted.

To learn more about the state homeschool laws in Tennessee, visit the Tennessee Department of Education online!

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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