The Lone Star State
In 2020, Texas reported what percent of students were homeschooled
4.5%
In 2020, Texas was ranked 42 of 50 in the rate of students homeschooled
Limited access to teachers and education specialist
Con
Critics feel that homeschooled students are at a disadvantage because they are learning in an isolated environment, free from diversity.
In the 1970s, this American author and educator questioned the efficiency of schools and the sustainability of school learning.
John Holt
He argued that schools focus on strictly doing "skill drill" instead of other methods of learning. This led to an increased interest in homeschooling
30 states do not require homeschools to undergo outside evaluation, such as standardized testing.
Leeper et al vs Arlington ISD et al is the case that established homeschooling as a legal alternative in Texas in this year
1994
This state reported having the highest percentage of homeschooled students in 2020
Alaska (16.1%)
Oklahoma (8%) was second and Idaho (7.6%) was third
In the 2015-16 school year, more than 3% of school aged children were homeschooled
Texas homeschool curriculum must include the five basic subjects of Reading, Writing, Grammar, Mathematics, and this
Good Citizenship (similar to Civics)
Homeschooled students have limited interaction and can display diminished personal skills
Con
May limit opportunities for social interaction and require extra effort to ensure socialization through activities, clubs, and community groups.
Homeschooling is a legal option in this number of US states
50
Homeschooling is a legal option in all 50 states; however, restrictions, guidelines, and statues will vary in each state
21 states do not require specific subjects in a homeschool curriculum.
This Texas Supreme Court case upheld a lower court's decision that children being taught at home are exempt from the compulsory attendance requirement to the same extent as students enrolled in private schools.
Leeper et al. v. Arlington ISD et al. (1994)
This percentage of parents that opted for homeschooling indicated they did so in part because of concerns about the environment and safety
80.3-91%
74.7-77% Religious or moral instruction
74.6% Helps keep the family together
74% Desired customized education tailored to the individual child's needs.
The top three reasons regularly cited for homeschooling are concerns about school environment, dissatisfaction with academic instruction, and a desire to provide moral instruction.
Texas homeschool graduates are awarded this type of diploma when they graduate by the Texas Education Agency
None - the TEA does not award homeschool graduates a diploma
Homeschooling is defined as the decision to educate children at home, rather than send them to a neighborhood school
Both
The number of states that allow homeschooling WITHOUT major regulations
10
Alaska, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and Texas
10 states do not make homeschool families register with state or local education agencies.
In State v. Peterman (1904) course ruled that home school was the same as this type of school
Private School
Since that time (1904), homeschooling has gone through a lot of ups and downs while continuing to evolve to meet the needs of families across the country
This percentage of homeschool parents have a bachelor's degree or higher
64-66.7%
Additionally, 66.9% of homeschooled children graduate from college; Public Schools - 63%; Private for Profit - 30%
The profile of a homeschool parent is White, may/may not work, may/may not have a college degree, and are more likely to live in poverty than not.
In 2021, the percent of Texas students enrolled in a homeschool program rose from 4.5% (2019-2020) to this percentage
12%
The percentage of homeschool students reported after COVID essentially skyrocketed
Homeschooling provides the ability for the parent to create an individualized education plan for their child(ren)
Both
Homeschools are classified as this type of school (public, private, nonprofit, for profit)
Private School for students age 6-19 years old
Military Academies have even begun accepting homeschool graduates, beginning with the Air Force in the 1990's.
In Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) the rights of this group to keep their children out of public schools for religious reasons were supported by the courts
Amish
The courts ruled that parents have a fundamental right to "establish a home and bring up children" and the right to "worship God according to the dictates of their own conscience."
A common misconception about homeschooling is that most homeschooling families are religious fundamentalist.
This percentage of families with homeschooled children identify as White
59% White
8% African American
26% Hispanic
3% Asian
One of the Texas requirements to homeschool is that "Your schooling must be this" the Latin term for genuine or real
Bona Fide
Simply put, the home school can not be a sham and there must be a legitimate attempt to actually provide education. Additionally, the curriculum must be in visual form, such as a book, workbook, or video
Homeschooling provides a lack of competition in the classroom
Both
Homeschooled students are doing quite well and routinely have higher GPAs in college, are described as more self-directed by professors and more willilng to take risks.
This state reported having the lowest number of home schoolers with as low as .2% of students home schooled
Connecticut (22,000)
However, their numbers have grown after the pandemic and are estimated to be as high as 5% (45,000)
In 'Weird Home School Laws' across the nation, this state requires the subjects of substance abuse and traffic safety
New York
Mississippi requires the SSN of all students to be reported
Iowa requires Special Education parents to attend a class on the hazards of withdrawing students
Colorado has mandatory standardized testing for 11th graders
The distribution of income levels among homeschooling families in 2021 found that this percentage had an average income over $100,000
34%
15% - $75,001-$100,000
21% - $50,000-$75,000