Home schooling is a parent-initiated educational alternative to compulsory school attendance.
If you are a parent or legal guardian, you must accept complete responsibility for the education of your child while they are being home-schooled. The Department is responsible for ensuring that satisfactory progress is made in the education of the home-schooled child and carries out this responsibility by reviewing your child’s annual progress report and monitoring student progress through the required tests at grades three, five, eight and 10. When necessary, schools carry out their fiduciary responsibilities for the education of the child by following Department procedures for educational neglect.
FAQs
Where do I submit my notice of intent to home-school?
An Exceptions to Compulsory Education Form (Form 4140) (PDF) or a letter of intent to home-school should be sent to the principal of your child’s designated home public school.
What is required to begin home-schooling my child?
Form 4140 must be completed and sent to your child’s designated home public school. A letter of intent, signed by the parent, can be used in place of Form 4140.
When can I begin home-schooling my child?
Home-schooling may begin as soon as the signed Form 4140 or letter of intent is sent to your child’s designated home public school.
What needs to be included in the letter of intent?
Your child’s name, address, telephone number, birth date and grade level, as well as a parent signature and date of signature.
Do I need to submit any other records?
Parents are not required to officially enroll and un-enroll students in order to home-school their child; therefore, no birth certificate or proof of residency is required.
How do I know if the school has acknowledged my intent to home-school?
The school and complex area office acknowledge the notice of intent submitted by the parents by sending the parents the original Form 4140 after it is signed by the principal and complex area superintendent; or by writing “acknowledged” on the bottom of the parent’s letter of notification along with the signature of the principal and complex area superintendent. Signed copies of Form 4140 or the letter of intent are kept on file at the school and district office.
Do I need to submit any health records to the neighborhood school?
Health records are not required for home-schooled children. It is not necessary for the home-schooled child to submit the TB (tuberculosis) test clearance or Form 14 (Student Health Record).
Is my child required to participate in annual assessments?
Students who are home-schooled may participate in the Smarter Balanced assessment(s) and Hawaiʻi State Assessment (HSA) Science assessments or the HSA Alternate assessments at the request of the parent or guardian.
Do I need to re-submit intent to home-school annually?
No. The only time a new Form 4140 or a new letter of intent to home-school needs to be resubmitted is when the child transitions from elementary to intermediate/middle school or intermediate/middle school to high school, or if the child moves to another neighborhood.
Do I need to submit a curriculum to the Department?
You are not required to submit their curriculum to the Department or the school of record for review unless the school has reasonable cause to believe that there may be educational neglect. You are responsible for keeping a record of the planned curriculum for the child. The curriculum shall be structured and based on educational objectives as well as the needs of the child, be cumulative and sequential, provide a range of up-to-date knowledge and needed skills, and take into account the interests, needs and abilities of the child. A principal at the school of record may request to view the curriculum if the annual report is not sufficient to show satisfactory progress.
Who is qualified to teach home schooling?
A parent teaching his/her child at home shall be deemed a qualified instructor regardless of educational background or training.
How do I know what to teach my child while home-schooling?
Schools are responsible for informing parents what basic units of study should be covered for a particular grade level. Information on the standards and benchmarks for each grade level can be found on the Subject Matter Standards page.
How can I end home schooling?
Whenever you choose to terminate home schooling, you are required to notify the principal of the school of record (school where intent to home-school was sent). The child shall be re-enrolled in their designated home public school or a licensed private school unless a new alternative educational program is presented within five school days after the termination of home schooling. Notification may be written or verbal.
What grade level will my elementary child be placed after home schooling has ended?
For grades one through eight, the home-schooled child shall re-enroll at the appropriate grade level by birth date. For example, if the home-schooled child by birth date should be an eighth grader, then he/she is enrolled as an eighth grader.
Can I challenge the grade level of my re-enrolled child?
Once the child is enrolled, if the school or parent has a concern about appropriate grade level placement, then the school shall evaluate the student (as it would any other student) and make adjustments accordingly, including placement at another grade level. You should be informed and involved in the assessment, as feasible. The principal’s decision about grade placement is final.
Will my child receive a high school diploma at the completion of home schooling?
Home-schooled students do not receive a high school diploma. A home-schooled student who wants to earn a high school diploma from the local public high school shall attend high school for a minimum of three full years to meet the graduation credit requirements.
Is there a way to receive a high school equivalency?
Yes, a home-schooled student with a valid form 4140 who has been receiving home-school instruction for at least one semester may earn a high school equivalency credential and a Hawaiʻi Adult Community School Diploma from the Community School for Adults. To earn this high school equivalency credential, the student must attain a passing score on either the General Educational Development (GED) or HiSET test.
May my child apply to college after completing home schooling?
Your child who is being home-schooled may participate in any college entrance examination, which is made available to all other students. The principal of your child’s designated home public high school shall, upon request, supply written acknowledgement that a child has been home-schooled in compliance with the requirements of Chapter 12, Hawaiʻi Administrative Rules (PDF). The letter is written for home-schooled children whose parents have met the requirements of Chapter 12, i.e., submitted an annual progress report and test data for appropriate grade levels.