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This information is also available in printable form. Click here to download it.
- What is Home-Based Education according to Washington State Law?
- RCW 28A.225.010(4) defines instruction as home-based if it consists of planned and supervised instructional and related educational activities, including curriculum and instruction in the basic skills of occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the development of an appreciation of art and music provided for a number of hours per grade level established for approved private schools and if such activities are provided by a qualified parent.
- What are the total annual program hours per grade level established for approved private schools?
- RCW 28A.150.220 defines the total annual program hours as being: Kindergarten, at least a total of 450 hours. Grades 1 through 12, an annual average total of 1,000 hours. The statute further states that the Legislature recognizes that home-based instruction is less structured and more experiential than the instruction normally provided in a classroom setting. Therefore, the provisions relating to the nature and quantity of instructional and related educational activities shall be liberally construed.
- Duties of Home Schooling Parents - RCW 28A.200.010
- Each parent whose child is receiving home-based instruction under
RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall have the duty to:
(1) File annually a signed declaration of intent that he or she is planning to cause his or her child to receive home-based instruction. The statement shall include the name and age of the child, shall specify whether a certificated person will be supervising the instruction, and shall be written in a format prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction. Each parent shall file the statement by September 15 of the school year or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester with the superintendent of the public school district within which the parent resides or the district that accepts the transfer, and the student shall be deemed a transfer student of the nonresident district. Parents may apply for transfer under RCW 28A.225.220;
(2) Ensure that test scores or annual academic progress assessments and immunization records, together with any other records that are kept relating to the instructional and educational activities provided, are forwarded to any other public or private school to which the child transfers. At the time of a transfer to a public school, the superintendent of the local school district in which the child enrolls may require a standardized achievement test to be administered and shall have the authority to determine the appropriate grade and course level placement of the child after consultation with parents and review of the child's records; and
(3) Ensure that a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education is administered annually to the child by a qualified individual or that an annual assessment of the student's academic progress is written by a certificated person who is currently working in the field of education.
The state board of education shall not require these children to meet the student learning goals, master the essential academic learning requirements, to take the assessments, or to obtain a certificate of mastery pursuant to *RCW 28A.630.885. The standardized test administered or the annual academic progress assessment written shall be made a part of the child's permanent records. If, as a result of the annual test or assessment, it is determined that the child is not making reasonable progress consistent with his or her age or stage of development, the parent shall make a good faith effort to remedy any deficiency.
The state hereby recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home- based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall be subject only to those minimum state laws and regulations which are necessary to insure that a sufficient basic educational opportunity is provided to the children receiving such instruction. Therefore, all decisions relating to philosophy or doctrine, selection of books, teaching materials and curriculum, and methods, timing, and place in the provision or evaluation of home-based instruction shall be the responsibility of the parent except for matters specifically referred to in this chapter. - If a student is instructed at home throughout high school, may a parent issue the student a diploma?
- There are no statutes that authorize the issuance of a high school diploma. Chapter 180-51 WAC High School Graduation Requirements specifies what courses of study are required for graduation from a high school in Washington State. There appears to be nothing that would enjoin a parent from issuing a diploma from a home-based instruction program which meets the requirements found in chapter 180-50 WAC. However, parents and students should be advised that businesses, institution of higher learning, and branches of the armed services establish their own criteria for determining the credibility of a diploma and may or may not honor a diploma or any other documentation that they deem unacceptable for their purposes.
- What are Credits?
- A credit is a unit earned with the completion of one year’s worth of work at high school level or above. In Washington, a credit can be earned through 120 hours of instruction or by completing a textbook intended by the publisher to be a full year high school course.
- Who can earn high school credits?
- Students who are working at 9th – 12th grade levels or who have reached the 14th birthday are eligible to earn high school credit.
- May a student under age 14 or below 9th grade earn high school credit?
- Some students who have not reached the 9th grade may be capable of completing high school level work. But be aware that the credit earned in earlier grades is probably not transferable into the public schools, and some may not be recognized by colleges.
- What types of courses may earn credits?
- A TEXT course is that from a textbook which contains
instructional material, exercises, reviews and tests. Nothing more is
used to complete the study.
TEXT-PLUS courses include all of a textbook plus additional resources and activities. Biology plus lab is an example of a Text-Plus course.
SELF-DESIGNED courses may or may not include portions of a text but also draw on other resources and activities such as: lectures, videos, websites, interviews, newspapers, magazines, museums, internet, brochures, research, travel study and work-related studies.
UNIT STUDIES will focus on a topic but cover a number of subject areas. An example of a unit study is U.S. history through art and literature. Some curriculum publishers specialize in unit studies i.e.: Sonlight and Beautiful Feet. - How should courses be documented for the portfolio review process?
- For a TEXT course, show the work completed and
all of the tests graded. The course grade usually would consist of the
averages of all the tests. Be ready to prove that all of the tests were
taken.
For a TEXT-PLUS course, show the text book used, the work completed and the activities or projects from the other resources added. It would be advisable to log the hours invested in this course.
For SELF-DESIGNED courses, Use the GOALS-BASED GRADING TOOL to create a course description with objectives at the outset of the study to give the student focus. Log the hours invested and save all the work to be shown at the portfolio session.
For UNIT STUDIES, decisions need to be made regarding the percentage of time covering the specific subject areas and if the grade is the same for each. Write a course description with objectives at the beginning the study. Evaluate the objectives using the GOALS BASED GRADING TOOL. Show all the work done and the grades given. - What are the graduation credit requirements?
- Minimum High School Graduation Credit Requirements determined by
the Washington State Board of Education vs. Minimum Four-Year Public
College Admission Requirements established in 2000 A.D. and still in
effect as of 2009:
Subject WA Minimum Public Requirements College Admission Requirements
Check your college of interest
websites for varying informationEnglish 3 4 Mathematics 3 3 Science 2 (1 lab) 2 Social Studies 2.5 3 Arts 1 1 World Language 0 2 Health & Fitness 2 n/a Occupational
Education1 n/a Electives 5.5 n/a Totals: 19 15 - What changes are coming to graduation requirements?
- A draft rule at the state level, not yet in effect as of 2009, calls
for students to take a progressive sequence of mathematics courses:
Algebra I, Geometry, and Algebra II, or Integrated Mathematics I, II
and III. Career and technical education courses that are the equivalent
of any of these courses may be substituted. Students who have a defined
career path will have the opportunity to substitute another math course
for Algebra II, but they must obtain approval from a parent/guardian
and high school official. The new standards are tentatively scheduled
to take effect for the class of 2013. The Higher Education Coordinating
Board (HECB ) is required by state law to establish minimum college
admission standards for use by all of Washington’s public baccalaureate
institutions. The standards apply to students who seek admission as
freshmen to Washington’s public institutions. In May 2007, the HECB
adopted new minimum college admission standards which will be fully
implemented beginning with the 2012 summer academic term. See
http://www.hecb.wa.gov/research/issues/admissions.asp
CORE 24 Graduation Requirements Policy Framework
Subject Current Requirements HECB Minimum CORE 24 English 3.0 4 4.0 Math 2.0 3 3.0 through
Algebra 2,
A math course
taken senior yearScience 2.0 (1 lab) 2 (2 lab) 3.0 (2 labs,
1 algebra-based)Social Studies 2.5 3 3.0 Arts 1.0 1 2.0 Fitness 2.0 0 1.5 Health 2.0 0 0.5 Career 1.0 0 3.0 World Language 0 2 2.0 Students pursuing
"career emphasis"
requirements may
substitute other
coursesElectives 5.5 n/a 2.0 - What is the HED registration procedure?
- For credits that will be directly transferred into accredited secondary
institutions, meet with a H.E.D. representative who can help direct
the student to suitable curriculum fulfilling graduation requirements
of specified public school districts or private schools.
For those seeking credit for home school work, call the office for an appointment for guidance in the process. There is no cost for this initial visit. The registration form can be printed off from the website www.homeeducationdesigns.org and found in the back of this manual. The form can be submitted with a $50 registration fee. (This non-refundable fee allows H.E.D. to prepare for the portfolio process). - How much does HED cost?
- The cost for transcript work by HED is:
- $100 for up to one full credit
- $200 for up to two full credits and
- $300 for up to 3 or more credits
Each academic year reported on the transcript requires a different portfolio session - What is required at the portfolio session?
- For the portfolio meeting with the H.E.D. representative, the parent
should bring:
- 1. A signed homeschool transcript
- 2. A list of resources used for each course
reported, including levels assigned by the publisher of the textbooks,
and a description of how the course was graded
- A. For text credits, bring the work completed, dated and graded and the textbook or copy of the Table of Contents.
- B. For text-plus, self-designed and unit studies, bring
evidence of the hours invested, course descriptions
with objectives, and grades based on objectives.
Also for unit studies, determine what percentage of the hours logged are given to each subject area. Think through if the same or different grade will be given to each of the subject areas.
- 3. Bring evidence that the student was involved with the learning process. Proof could include work that the student has done in their own handwriting, written assessments done by a supervisor or classroom instructor which include the instructor’s signature and date, the student’s name on a brochure along with a date of the course or event proving it happened within the school year. Videotapes of performances (music, speeches, plays etc.), dated certificates of completion or awards which include the student’s name and signature of supervisor can all be considered. If you have any questions on “proof” please call the H.E.D. office for guidance.
- 4. If the course is p.e., music or art, a GRADING TOOL FOR SELF-DESIGNED COURSES may be used; supervisors, teachers or coaches can sign and date the document to make it “official”. Student self-assessments may be used but the final grade for the course should not rest solely on the student’s opinion of the work quality.
- What is meant by "Integrity of Study?"
- This is an important issue for course work that is not always done under direct supervision. It means that the work completed by the student shows his/her own efforts. “Open book tests or exercises” and plagiarism are not practiced by the student. For the work shown in the portfolio session, the H.E.D. representative needs to know if there is reasonable evidence that verifies the student studied and learned the material or skills. Parents and students will be asked to sign a statement declaring that the work shown in the courses was completed with integrity.
- Grading Student Work
- Home Education Designs has prepared a HOMESCHOOL WORK ASSESSMENT
MANUAL to help equip parents to grade students’ work. If the
course is self-designed, the GOALS-BASED GRADING TOOL
is one of the best way to go about assessing the outcome of the course
work. Stating the objectives at the outset keeps the studies focused.
For essays, the QUICK GUIDE is an easy form to use. Discussions, book reports, p.e. and study habits, speeches and hands-on projects all have forms available for parent use.