Maryland State
Legislature
Maryland Home Schooling
Compulsory School Age
Between 5 and 16 years of age.
Teacher qualifications - No
No testing is required, but you may volunteer
to participate in the yearly standardized test administration carried
out by your public school.
Current regulations in Maryland provide
flexibility for homeschoolers. To start, parents submit an Assurance of
Consent form 15 days before taking their child out of the school system.
The law requires that parents provide "regular and thorough instruction"
but does not specify what that entails. Thus there are no requirements
such as a set number of days per year or hours per day. There are
basically three ways to demonstrate compliance with the regulations:
submit a portfolio for review, register with an approved satellite
program, or register with an umbrella program.
All children between the ages of five and sixteen must attend a public
school or receive regular, thorough instruction during the school year
in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the
same age.
Title 13A
State Board of Education
Subtitle 10 Home Instruction
13A.01.01 General Regulations
Authority: Educational; Article s7-301,
Annotated Code of Maryland
.01 Home Instruction Program.
A. Purpose. The purpose of this regulation is to establish a
procedure to be used by the superintendent of each school system to
determine if a child
participating in a home instruction program is receiving regular,
thorough instruction during the school year in the studies usually
taught in the public schools to children of the same age.
B. Written Agreement. A parent or guardian who chooses to teach his
or her child at home shall initially sign a statement on a form
prescribed by the State
Department of Education which:
(1) Indicates consent to the requirements set forth in sections C, D,
and E of this regulation; and
(2) Shall be submitted to the local superintendent at least 15 days
before beginning of a home instruction program.
(3) Annual Verification. Annually thereafter, prior to the beginning
of the school year, a parent or guardian shall verify the continuation
of homeschooling for his or her child with the local school
superintendent or with the supervising nonpublic school or institution
described in Regulation .05 in this chapter.
(4) Change in Status. A parent or guardian shall notify the local
school superintendent or the nonpublic school or institution described
in Regulation .05 of this chapter if a change occurs in the homeschool
status of a child during the school year.
C. Instruction Program. The home instruction program shall:
(1) Provide regular, thorough instruction during the school year in
the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same
age;
(2) Include instruction in English, mathematics, science, social
studies, art, music, health, and physical education; and
(3) Take place on a regular basis during the school year program and
be of sufficient duration to implement the instruction program.
D. Educational Materials. A parent or guardian who chooses to teach a
child at home shall maintain a portfolio of materials which:
(1) Demonstrates the parent or guardian is providing regular,
thorough instruction during the school year in the areas specified in
sections C (1) and (2).
(2) Includes relevant materials, such as instructional materials,
reading materials, and examples of the child's writing, worksheets,
workbooks, creative materials, and tests.
(3) Shall be reviewed by the local superintendent or the
superintendent's designee at the conclusion of each semester of the
local schools system at such time as is mutually agreeable to the local
superintendent and the parent or guardian.
E. A parent or guardian shall agree to permit a representative of a
local school system to review the portfolio of educational materials,
discuss the educational program, and observe instruction provided that
all of the following requirements are met:
(1) The review is at a time and place mutually agreeable to the
representative of the local school system and the parent or guardian;
(2) The purpose of the review is to ensure that the child is
receiving regular, thorough instruction as set forth in section C;
(3) There are not more than three reviews during the school year.
F. Additional Requirements. A local school system may not impose
additional requirements for home instruction programs other than those
in these regulations.
.02 Voluntary Participation in Standardized Testing.
Upon request of a parent or guardian, a child receiving home
instruction may participate in the regularly scheduled standardized
testing program that are administered in the public school the child is
eligible to attend.
.03 Noncompliance with Requirements.
A. Failure to Consent. If a parent or guardian does not agree to the
requirements of Regulation .01B, C and D above, a child shall be
enrolled promptly in a public school or nonpublic school as defined in
COMAR 13A.09.09.02.B(4)(a).
B. Deficiencies in the Program. If a local superintendent determines
on the review of the home instruction program or inspection of the
portfolio that the child is not receiving a regular, thorough
instruction program in conformity with Regulation .01C and D, the local
superintendent shall notify the parent or guardian in writing of any
deficiencies in the program. The following apply:
(1) Within 30 days of receipt of notification of any deficiencies,
the parent or guardian shall provide evidence to the local
superintendent that the deficiency has been or is being corrected.
(2) If the local superintendent determines there is not a
satisfactory plan to correct a deficiency or if a deficiency is not
corrected, a child shall be enrolled promptly in a public school or
nonpublic school as defined in COMAR 13A.09.09.02.B(4)(a).
.04 Placement in Public School.
Upon application of a child for admission to a public school from a
home instruction program, the local superintendent shall determine by an
evaluation the placement of the child and any credits to be awarded
toward high school graduation. The evaluation may include administration
of standardized tests and examinations and interviews with the child.
.05 Home Instruction Under Supervision of Nonpublic School.
A parent may provide instruction for a child at home without
compliance with requirements of this regulation, other than the
requirements of Regulation
.01B(2) and .04, if that instruction is offered through
correspondence courses and is under the supervision of a:
A. School or institution offering an educational program operated by
a bone fide church organization, and the supervision includes at a
minimum all of the following components:
(1) Pre-enrollment conferences with parents or guardians.
(2) Textbooks, lesson materials and other instructional materials or
equipment designed to be used independently by the pupil at a site other
than the school,
(3) Annual visits by the supervisory personnel to the site where the
pupil is receiving instruction, and
(4) Conferences with parents or guardians at appropriate intervals
during the period of enrollment; or
B. Nonpublic school with a certificate of approval from the State
Board of Education, and the supervision includes at a minimum all of the
following components:
(1) Textbooks, lesson materials, and other instructional materials or
equipment designed to be used independently by the pupil at a site other
than a school, and
(2) Assignments of a school-based teacher to assist the home teacher
in using the correspondence courses and to assist the pupils by issuing
progress reports,
and marking papers, and grading tests.
C. Annual verification.
1. The supervising nonpublic school or institution described in
Section A and B of this regulation shall:
(a) Verify with the local school superintendent the identification of
homeschooled students whose instruction is continuing under its
supervision;
(b) Notify the local school superintendent of the identification of
homeschooled students whose instruction is newly added to its
supervision; and
(c) Provide the local school superintendent the identification of
homeschooled students whose instruction is no longer under its
supervision.
2. Change of status. The supervising nonpublic school or institution
described in Section A and B of this regulation shall notify the local
school superintendent if a change occurs in the status of a homeschooled
student whose instruction was under its supervision during the school
year.
