Arkansas State Legislature
Arkansas Home Schooling
Compulsory School Age
Between 5 and 17 years of age on
or before September 15 of that school year.
Teacher certification required -
No.
Parents are required to notify
local school superintendent of intent to homeschool by
filling out a Letter of Intent and signing a waiver before
Aug. 15 or Dec. 15 each year. Parents withdrawing children
from public school during the school year must wait 14
calendar days after filing LOI to begin homeschooling. This
requirement can be waived by superintendent or school board.
Testing is done in grades 5, 7, 10. The homeschooled student
must not be more than two years beyond the normal age for
the appropriate grade. Students under disciplinary action or
having excessive unexcused absences may not be allowed to
begin homeschooling until they have met certain criteria.
6-15-501. Definition.
As used in this subchapter unless the context otherwise
requires, "home school" means a school primarily conducted
by parents or legal guardians for their own children.
6-15-502. Rules, regulations, and procedures for
monitoring and enforcing
provisions.
(a) The provisions of § 6-18-201(a) shall be
self-executing, and the State Board of Education shall have
no authority to promulgate rules, regulations, or guidelines
for the enforcement or administration thereof.
(b) The State Board of Education is empowered to make
such reasonable rules and regulations required for the
proper administration of this subchapter which are not
inconsistent with the intent of this subchapter.
(c) In addition, the State Board of Education shall cause
procedures to be developed which will insure that the
provisions of this subchapter and 6-18-201(a) are properly
monitored and enforced. 6-15-503. Prerequisites to home
schooling.
(1) Parents or guardians desiring to provide a home
school for their children must comply with the following
requirements: (A) Give written notice to the
superintendent of their local school district by August
15, or by December 15 for the spring semester, of each
school year of their intent to provide a homeschool for
their child. Notice must include:
- The name, date of birth, grade level, and the name
and address of the school last attended, if any, of each
student involved;
- The location of the home school;
- The basic core curriculum to be offered;
- The proposed schedule of instruction; and
- The qualifications of the parent/teachers.
6-15-503. Prerequisites to home schooling.
(a)(1) and (2) Parents or guardians desiring to
provide a home school for their children must give written
notice to the superintendent of their local school district
of their intent to provide a home school for their child.
and sign a waiver acknowledging that the State of Arkansas
is not liable for the education of their child during the
time that parent chooses to home school:
(A) the beginning of each school year but no later
than August 15 or
(B) By December 15 for parents who decide to start
home schooling at the beginning of the spring semester
or
(C) Subject to the provisions of subsections (d) and
(e) of this section, fourteen (14) calendar days prior
to withdrawing the child from the local school district
and at eh beginning of each school year thereafter. The
superintendent or the local school board may waive the
fourteen (14) day waiting period.
(2) Parents or guardians moving in the school
district during the school year must give written notice
to the superintendent of their local school district of
their intent to provide a home school for their child
and sign a waiver acknowledging that the State of
Arkansas is not liable for the education of their child
during the time that parent chooses to home school
within 30 days (30) calendar days of establishing
residency within the district.
6-15-504. Home-schooled students - Achievement tests -
Enrollment or reenrollment in local schools.
(a) Each student enrolled in a home school program who is
seven (7) years of age through sixteen (16) years of age on
May 1 of each school year shall be tested annually by May 1
using a nationally recognized standardized achievement test
chosen by the parents from a list of such tests provided by
the State Board of Education.
(b) The test administered to a student who is seven (7)
years of age shall be for the purpose of obtaining
educational baseline data on the student.
(c) The administration of the test required of home
school students shall be by the Director of the Department
of Education, General Division, or his designee, which may
include a school district or an educational cooperative.
(d) Such administration shall include purchasing the test
materials, giving the test, scoring and interpretation of
the test, and reporting test results.
(e) The parent/teacher may be present when home school
students are tested, but in such instance, both the parent
and the student shall be under the supervision of the test
administrator.
(f) The cost of testing required by this subchapter shall
be reimbursed to the state by the parent or guardian of the
student.
6-15-505. Report of test results - Unsatisfactory
Results.
(a) (1) Test results shall be reported to the
parent/teacher of the home school, the superintendent of the
school district in which the home school is located, and the
Department of Education. (2) Personally identifiable test
scores shall be confidential and shall not be released
without the consent of the parent. (3) When test results of
the home school student are unsatisfactory, a program of
remediation should be planned and implemented by the
parent/teacher. (4) Any student eight (8) years of age or
older whose test results are unsatisfactory shall be
enrolled in a public, private, or parochial school unless,
prior to the beginning of the next school year, such student
retakes the same test and achieves a satisfactory score.
(b) (1) Unsatisfactory test results on the standardized
achievement battery shall mean, for all grades, achieving a
composite score on reading, mathematics, and language arts
that is more then eight (8) months below expected grade
level plus, for grade 6 and above, scores on science and
social studies tests which are more than eight (8) months
below expected grade level. (2) Unsatisfactory test results
on the minimum performance test shall mean not achieving the
standard of mastery established for such test by the State
Board of Education.
(c) Remediation must be provided for students scoring
below the mastery level on the minimum performance test, and
all students must pass this test before entering the ninth
grade.
(d) Notification that a student has not scored
satisfactorily on the standardized achievement battery and
thus must return to a public, private, or parochial school
will come from the Department of Education.
(e) Any student required to return to a public, private,
or parochial school must continue attendance at a public,
private, or parochial school until the student achieves
satisfactory test results as defined by this section.
(f) Authority is specifically given to the Department of
Education to make an exception where improvement on test
scores indicates that continued home education would not be
adverse to the child's interest.
6-15-506. Children Needing Special Education.
(a) Any student who has been identified pursuant to the
provisions of Public Law 94-142 and Sec. 6-41-201 et seq. as
needing special education services shall not be eligible to
meet the requirements of compulsory attendance by
participating in a home school program unless the
parent/teacher of such child holds a valid certification
from the State of Arkansas to teach special education
courses in a public or private school.
(b) Any student participating in a home school program
whose performance on the tests required by this subchapter
indicates the student may be in need of special education
service shall be referred for evaluation in accordance with
the provisions of Public Law 94-142 and Sec. 6-41-201 et
seq. and the regulations promulgated thereunder. If the
student is identified as needing special education service,
the student shall be enrolled in a public, private, or
parochial school unless the parent/teacher of such student
holds a valid certification from the State of Arkansas to
teach special education in a public, private, or parochial
school and submits procedures for implementing an
individualized education plan (IEP) which includes specific
goals and objectives.
6-15-507. Ineligibility of home schools for local,
state, or federal funds.
(a) Home schools authorized by this subchapter are not
entitled to local, state, or federal funds allocated to a
public school district. For purposes of this section,
eligible children with disabilities, identified under the
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §
1400 et seq., in home school settings shall be given the
same consideration afforded to students in private school
settings for special education services as provided for in
the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. §
1400 et seq.
(b) School districts providing services to home school
students shall be eligible for local, state, or federal
funds allocated or approved for such services.
