Since homeschooling requirements vary from state to state, it is important to know the requirements before you begin homeschooling your child. In Georgia, homeschooling is overseen by the Georgia Department of Education, and students ages 6 to 16 must complete 180 days of instruction, just like their public school counterparts. The age cutoff date is September 1 (so a student who turns 6 by that date would need to be enrolled in home school or traditional school).
If a parent will be the primary educator for a child’s homeschooling program, the parent must have a high school diploma or GED. All tutors hired by parents to homeschool their children must have the same credentials.
Compared to other states, Georgia’s homeschooling requirements aren’t terribly strict. Here are some of the rules to remember if you plan to homeschool your child in Georgia.
Georgia Homeschooling and the Statement of Intent
Within 30 days of beginning homeschooling, and by September 1 of each school year, parents must file a Statement of Intent with their local school system. You can find this form on your county school website or on the GaDOE site.
This is the only official documentation that parents must submit to the state of Georgia to homeschool their children. This form can be completed electronically or sent by mail. If mailing, be sure to send it certified, so you can confirm receipt by the school district. You should keep a copy for your records.
The statement must include the names and ages of all homeschooled students, the home address or address where instruction takes place, and the dates of the school year.
Georgia Homeschool Assistance Requirements
Home schooled students must complete the equivalent of 180 days of school each year and 4.5 hours of school per day. Parents must report attendance at the end of each month to their local school superintendent. Forms are available on your school district’s website, and in some counties, you can report attendance online. The state of Georgia does not require parents to report the attendance of homeschooled students.
Georgia Homeschooling Curriculum
Specific curriculum options are up to the parents, but the law states that lessons must cover reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science. School districts cannot monitor homeschoolers’ curricula, and are not required to provide books and lessons to homeschooled students.
Georgia Homeschooled Student Tests
Homeschoolers in Georgia are not required to participate in standardized tests at the state level. But homeschooled students are required to take a nationally recognized assessment every third year (thus, in grades 3, 6, 9, and 12). The record of this test taking must be kept for three years. Examples of acceptable tests include the Stanford Achievement Test or the Iowa Test of Basic Skills.
Report Cards for Georgia Homeschooled Students
Homeschooling parents do not have to issue formal report cards, but must write an annual progress report in each of the five required areas (reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science) and retain that assessment. for three years.
