Q. My child is four and will miss the September 30 cut-off date for kindergarten by a few days. If I homeschool him this year, will they take him as a first grader next year in public school?

A. You can definitely homeschool your child and use an appropriate level kindergarten curriculum. There are no homeschool notification requirements because he is not five by September 30.

If you continue to homeschool him, he will always be at the grade level that is best for him. Home education allows a parent to choose an individualized curriculum that is appropriate for a child’s age and maturity. It is parent-controlled education–you decide on the curriculum and schedule that best fits your child’s needs, maturity, and learning style.

However, if you put him in government school after homeschooling him for a year, local school personnel will determine his grade level based on their policy, not his individual needs. There is no guarantee the public school will enroll him in first grade.

Q. Does Virginia have a law or guideline as to how many hours a day a homeschooler needs to be schooled? Also, how many days of the year count for one school year? Is it the same as the 180 for public school?

A. The law says in part in 22.1-254 (A) that parents shall send a child to a public or private school, have a child taught by a tutor, or homeschool him according to 22.1-254.1 (the homeschool statute). The only time requirement given is “…during the period of each year the public schools are in session and for the same number of days and hours per day as public schools.” Interestingly, in recent years, public school days and schedules are not the same throughout Virginia–some districts even have year-round school now.

The homeschool statute, 22.1-254.1 referenced above, does NOT require homeschoolers to keep any records of the days and hours parents teach. Neither does the homeschool law require homeschoolers to turn in forms or attendance records.

With these facts in mind, your homeschool schedule should be reasonable and fit your family’s needs taking into account that a typical public school day has quite a bit of unproductive time and may also include times for study hall, physical education, and library visits.

Q. What records do I need to keep while I homeschool? How does a homeschooled student graduate from high school? Does a homeschooled student get a valid diploma?

A. From grades K through 8, parents may choose to keep grades and informal school records for their own reference. The superintendent’s record of a parent’s Notice of Intent only verifies that the parent has complied with the Virginia homeschool law and the compulsory attendance law. It does not lead to a high school diploma.

At ninth grade, which is considered the beginning of high school, parents should begin developing a more formal record of courses and grades. This type of record is known as a high school transcript.

I recommend The High School Handbook by Mary Schofield. This book will help you narrow down the goals you have for your student and develop a course of study in keeping with these goals. For each course, you will assign and record appropriate grades and credits for completed high school work.

When your high school student has completed the course of study you have planned, you then sign and issue a diploma. Parent-generated, homeschool diplomas and transcripts are accepted by community colleges, state and private colleges, employers, and by a variety of other post-secondary educational training facilities.

For more information about high school, click here!

Q. My homeschooled son will be entering eleventh grade and wants to attend public school. They will not accept any of his homeschool credits. What can we do?

A. Based on Virginia law, each school district makes its own policies for students transferring into government high schools whether they are public, private, or homeschooled students. The policies you mention concerning not accepting homeschool credits are similar in most other counties.

Credits for graduation begin at ninth grade. Government schools are NOT REQUIRED under Virginia law to accept credits from non-accredited schools, including private schools or homeschools. At the same time, they are NOT prohibited from accepting them. It is up to each district to determine its policy. In addition to evaluating credits, SOL tests from previous years often must be taken for placement.

Parents are no longer in control of important educational decisions when their students enter government schools, so there is little a homeschool parent can do other than object and try to negotiate. After trying to negotiate, you must ultimately submit to the policy decision of your local school board and the school counselor when sending your child back to public school.

Q. This is my first year homeschooling. Up until this fall, my child has been in public school. Can I get a copy of his school records? I am not sure what my legal rights are.

A. Yes, you have a legal right to a copy of your child’s public school records. You may go to his previous school’s office and request a copy. According to the Freedom of Information Act, referenced in § 2.2-3705.4 (1), a parent or legal guardian has a right to have a copy of this information. It’s possible the secretary may not know the law.

If the secretary does not respond positively, you may need to respectfully help him understand his responsibility by providing a copy of the law. You may be required to show identification and sign a release form in order to obtain a copy of the records.

You child’s permanent record may have helpful information about his progress, learning issues, and educational development. This may help you plan a program of study that will better fit his individual needs.

Q. Does my teen need a work permit to get a job? If so, how does he get one? Are there any hour restrictions for homeschooled teens?

A. A 16-year-old does not need to have a work permit in order to get a job. He may be employed in any job allowed by law that does not endanger the teen’s health and safety. He may work in many types of jobs—construction, auto repair, dry cleaning, manufacturing, radio and TV repair, printing, hospitals, hotels, theaters, warehouses, fairs and carnivals, etc.

Also, 16- and 17-year-olds have no restrictions on their hours of work. Due to health and safety concerns, however, certain occupations and job tasks are prohibited for teenagers. You can view more details on the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry’s website.

If a teen needs a work permit, it can be obtained from a local high school or possibly from a private school, even though he does not attend these schools. Your school board or Department of Social Services may also issue work permits, but call first. An official “issuing officer” must give you the permit.

Federal work regulations are the same for all teens whether they homeschool or go to a government school. I have personally lobbied on Capitol Hill for changes to work hours for homeschoolers, especially since homeschool students are not on a government school schedule. I hope we will see law changes in the future.

We have a comprehensive Q&A on teens and jobs on the HEAV website.

Note: You can view the actual study referred to here.

Contact: Ian Slatter, Home School Legal Defense Association, 540-338-8663

PURCELLVILLE, VA, August 3 /Christian Newswire/ – Last week, a study titled “Exploring Academic Outcomes of Homeschooled Students” was released and showed that homeschooled college students significantly outperformed their peers. “This is great news for the homeschool community,” said Michael Smith, president of HSLDA.  “Once again, homeschooling parents have shown they are more than capable of preparing their children for all aspects of life,” he added.

The study covered homeschoolers from 2004-2009 at a mid-sized college in the upper Midwest. Among the major findings:

Homeschooled students earned a higher first-year GPA (3.41) when compared to other freshman (3.12).

Homeschooled students earned a higher fourth-year GPA (3.46) when compared to other freshman who completed their fourth year (3.16).

Homeschooled students achieved a higher graduation rate (66.7 percent) when compared to the overall student population (57.5 percent).

Other research has shown that parents spend on average $500 per child, per year to homeschool. In comparison, the average public school spends over $10,000 per child, per year. Homeschooling is proving itself everyday to be a credible and cost-effective method of educating children.

Other examples of homeschool success can also be found in the college preparatory area. Patrick Henry College Preparatory Academy, which conducts online AP* classes with a Christian worldview, released its results today for the May 2010 United States Government and Politics AP* Exam.

Reported scores for homeschooled students who studied with PHC Prep averaged “3.75″ on a scale of 1-5 (with 3 being a pass). Last year’s national average for the same exam was “2.78.”

As millions of children go back to school in the next few weeks, it’s important to remember the hundreds of thousands of homeschool families (representing over 2 million homeschooled children) who are achieving amazing results on a fraction of the budget.

*Advanced Placement and AP are registered trademarks of the College Board, which was not involved in the production of, and does not endorse, this product.

Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) is a 27-year-old, 85,000 member non-profit organization and the preeminent association advocating the legal right of parents to homeschool their children. ]]> http://blog.heav.org/homeschoolers-did-it/new-study-shows-homeschoolers-succeed-in-college/feed/ 0 http://blog.heav.org/general/phone-scam-aimed-at-homeschoolers-2/ http://blog.heav.org/general/phone-scam-aimed-at-homeschoolers-2/#comments Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:25:40 +0000 Blog http://blog.heav.org/?p=820 The note below, which recently went out to state homeschool leaders, shares about a phone scam targeted at homeschoolers.

Dear State Leader,

It has come to our attention that multiple homeschool leaders have received phone calls from a person falsely saying they are from the Home School Foundation.

This caller, who is believed to be male but identifies himself as a woman, will often claim to be calling from the Home School Foundation and indicate that you have been nominated for a grant or award of some sort. This individual usually states that “she” has 10 children and a degree in psychology, before proceeding to ask questions about your family’s homeschool practices to follow up on the grant/award that you have been “nominated” for. The questions quickly get around to your disciplinary methods and practices. Please note, HSF has no need to ask you about your disciplinary methods with your children!

If you are ever on the phone with someone saying they are from HSF and you become even slightly suspicious, or if the questions don’t directly relate to the work of the Foundation (i.e., helping families homeschool through hard times), please ask for a name and number and offer to call back. The Foundation’s number is 540-338-8688. If you are given a different number and/or receive a call from an individual that fits the above description, please alert us immediately!

We are trying our best to find out who this caller is and stop him from harassing homeschoolers in our name. This is not actually a new issue; we had a similar situation many years ago and came close to finding the caller before he went underground. This may be the same person.

If you receive such a phone call, write down the date, time and as much information as you can about the caller. Personal information disclosed by the caller and the questions he asked would be helpful. Also collect any information displayed on your caller ID or obtained from tracing the phone number (often by dialing *69). Contact HSLDA or HSF with this information and we will collect it to help authorities in their attempt to track this individual down.

If you have any details that may help us find out more about this caller, please email them to info@homeschoolfoundation.org with “impersonator” in the subject line.

Also, please forward this e-mail on to other homeschool leaders you know—if people are aware of the issue ahead of time, we are more likely to stop it.

Thank you,

Mike Smith, President

Dear Friends of the Harris Family,

I am sending this message to you with confidence that you will act and pass it along and together we can make a difference!

Over the years as a home educating father, I have been mentored, encouraged, and inspired by Gregg & Sono Harris and their incredibly talented family: Joshua, Joel, Alex, Brett, Sarah, Isaac and James. You are probably familiar with Gregg and Sono’s tireless efforts to encourage and create in-roads for homeschooling over the last three decades. Josh gave young adults a biblical approach to dating by penning I Kissed Dating Good-Bye and most recently God has used Alex and Brett to encourage youth to Do Hard Things.

About a month ago, I was in a hotel room in South Africa when I first heard that Sono was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. I can remember dropping to my knees in my room and crying out to God to have mercy on her.

How has the Harris family dealt with this life-changing event? Although difficult beyond words, they have walked through this with the same grace and courage as they have other challenges; by seeking and trusting in almighty God. You can read Joshua’s latest updates on his blog here. www.joshharris.com

At the end of last week I spoke with Gregg. He shared that God has been very gracious toward Sono in that she has experienced very little pain, however, he also shared that her body is weakening and she speaks of seeing Jesus soon. Although they have not been given any indication as to timing, Gregg said that it could be any time now.

As the devoted husband and Godly family leader that he is, Gregg has stepped down from his speaking engagements and away from his daily business responsibilities to care for his wife. Obviously this has taken a major toll on their household income and the medical bills are mounting. Gregg mentioned to me that he believed some homeschool organizations were trying to gather donations for the family. According to Gregg “now is better than later,” and I believe the truth is — action needs to happen quite quickly to help save this dear family from more distress.

Each year in his annual “How to End the Year” blog, Doug Phillips, President of Vision Forum Ministries, reminds me to remember those individuals and ministries who have invested in my family’s life. In Luke 17, Jesus teaches us of those ungrateful recipients of blessings who simply went their way without demonstrating gratitude, and Doug’s challenge stems from that concept. “When was the last time I responded to their investment in my life with gratitude, blessings, and even money?”

If the Harris family has been an encouragement or an inspiration to you and your family, would you consider responding to their investment in your life at this time of need?

Cards and notes can be sent to:

Gregg and Sono Harris and family – 6920 SE Hogan Road, Gresham, OR 97080

You can also donate to Noble Institute, marking the donation Friends of Sono Harris Fund. www.nobleinstitute.org

It is my prayer that we, as the body of Christ, would pour out our love and comfort and help “bear one another’s burdens” with the Harrises.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please feel free to forward to others as you feel led.

Grace and peace,
John and Kristi Collins
The Extreme Group, Inc.

1. Learn how to start homeschooling: Free how-to-begin-homeschooling workshops will be held on Thursday, and parents of preschoolers who are first-time convention participants may attend the convention for FREE!
2. Be equipped to affect the culture for Christ with Focus on the Family’s The Truth Project: This special three-hour training session at the convention will equip you to live out a Christian worldview in everyday life.
3. Be inspired by nationally known speakers: Come hear Michael Farris, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association; Ken Ham, president/CEO and founder of Answers in Genesis-U.S.; Dr. S.M. Davis; Cynthia Tobias; and many others. Learn about the legal threat to parental rights, and about why so many youth are abandoning the faith.
4. Find used curriculum at bargain prices: The Used Curriculum Sale offers thousands of pre-owned educational resources at discount prices, with opportunities to buy and sell.
5. Save on shipping: Get the resources you need from the Exhibit Hall where you’ll find more than 310 booths of every type of curriculum and educational resource imaginable, from textbooks to unit studies to educational games to science experiments!
6. Obtain the information you need from more than 125 workshops: Topics include education, homeschooling, business, childrearing, time and home management, parenting, and more.
7. Change the life of your family: Be inspired not only in homeschooling, but also in your marriage, in parenting, in networking, in your business or work, and in your spiritual life. Get a vision of life done in a way that honors God, prioritizes family, and prepares children for their future.

The Virginia Homeschool Convention, presented by the Home Educators Association of Virginia, is one of the largest homeschool conventions in the nation. Come and be challenged, encouraged, inspired, and equipped to make a lasting difference in your family. Don’t miss out! See www.heav.org/convention for details.