Idaho Department of Education

Parents need to make an informed decision and determine if they have the capacity to provide the instruction and oversight necessary for home schooling. Access to high quality curriculum; ability to accurately track or assess learning, and time to provide the instruction and oversee the work are just a few of the items to consider when looking at home schooling.

No. Idaho has no teacher certification requirement for a parent/guardian who chooses to provide an education for his/her child at home.

No. It is the sole responsibility of parents or guardians to monitor their child’s progress and attendance in a homeschool. It is important to keep schedules and records of the instructional time provided to prevent any issues related to truancy.

Parents should contact the school office, in person and/or in writing, to let the school know that the child will be instructed at home and is being withdrawn from public school. The school may have a withdrawal form to be completed by the parent or guardian. If a parent does not withdraw the child, the child may remain on the school attendance list and may be considered truant.

No. Idaho does not have a state diploma, and school districts issue diplomas for students who have taken their course work in that school system and completed the district’s requirements for graduation. Parents or guardians can learn more about the specific school district policies on home instruction by contacting the district in which they reside.

No. A parent or guardian has the responsibility of setting hours of instruction per day and deciding what days of the week instruction occurs. Parents should be aware of the instructional time requirements for public schools:

• Kindergarten, four hundred fifty (450) hours per year
• Grades one through three (1-3), eight hundred ten (810) hours per year
• Grades four through eight (4-8), nine hundred (900) hours per year
• Grades nine through twelve (9-12), nine hundred ninety (990) hours per year
• Grades nine through twelve (9-12), sixty (60) hours of total instruction per credit

The State Board of Education’s Administrative Rules list of core instructional requirements for public schools are:

• Language Arts and Communication
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies

A variety of other subjects such as fine arts, health, and physical education are also listed. To review this rule in its entirety, please view the administrative rule regarding basic curriculum and instructional requirements for public schools.

Curriculum material/textbooks are available at school supply stores located throughout the state. There are also online, mail order companies that specialize in homeschool curricula.

Yes. According to Idaho Code §33-203 (commonly known as the Dual Enrollment Law), the parent or guardian of a child of school age who is enrolled in a nonpublic school or public charter school shall be allowed to enroll the student in a public school for dual enrollment purposes. Contact the school or district for more information on enrollment and policies.

This is a decision of local districts and/or charters schools. Arrangements must be made with the school before the testing period begins. Districts and charters are not required to accommodate home school students, but may be willing if space is available and arrangements are made in advance.

It is the responsibility of the school (or district) to place transferred students in an appropriate grade. The Idaho Department of Education does not dictate policy to school districts regarding the placement of students. Examples of what a district may use for determining placement include testing, review of homeschool coursework and/or records, or provisional placement in an age-level grade.

This will depend on district policy. Districts and the school will determine how the coursework completed aligns to their curriculum. At the high school level, they will determine if credit will be awarded for the work. Unless the work is completed through an accredited institution recognized by AdvancED, the districts aren’t required to accept the work.

Many occupations require students to graduate from an accredited high school. Home schooling can make it more challenging for students after they have completed the high school course work if they don’t have a diploma from an accredited institution.