| More parents are deciding to homeschool
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| | children placed in the 62nd to the 91st
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| their children each year. As early as the
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| | percentile of national norms, depending
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| late 1960's homeschooling increased from
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| | on grade level and subject area.At least
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| 10,000 to 15,000 children. In 1999 the
| |
| | one intriguing study suggests that
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| number of homeschooled children had risen
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| | student achievement for homeschoolers is
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| to 850,000, and by 2003 the number jumped
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| | not related to the educational attainment
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| to 1.1 million children which represents
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| | of the parent. This is consistent with
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| a 29 percent relative increase over the
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| | tutoring studies that suggest the
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| 4-year period.Students are considered to
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| | education level of a tutor has little to
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| be homeschooled if their parents reported
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| | do with achievement of a tutored
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| them as being schooled at home instead of
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| | child.College admission also may suggest
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| at a public or private school for at
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| | success. Homeschoolers have reported
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| least part of their education and if
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| | admission to over 1,000 different U.S.
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| their part-time enrollment in public or
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| | colleges and universities.People disagree
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| private schools did not exceed 25 hours a
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| | about whether homeschooling helps or
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| week. Students who were schooled at home
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| | hinders a child's social development.
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| only because of a temporary illness were
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| | Homeschooling children spend less time
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| not included as homeschoolers.Most
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| | with peers and more time with people of
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| Important Reasons for
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| | different ages. Most participate in
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| HomeschoolingThirty-one percent of
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| | scouting, church groups, and other
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| homeschoolers had parents who said the
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| | associations. Many volunteer in their
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| most important reason for homeschooling
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| | communities. Some operate a business.
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| was concern about the environment of
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| | There is no conclusive research
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| other schools.Thirty percent said the
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| | suggesting that additional time with
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| most important reason was to provide
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| | same-aged peers is preferable to more
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| religious or moral instruction.Sixteen
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| | time with individuals of varying
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| percent of homeschooled students had
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| | ages.What Is the Legal Status of
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| parents who said dissatisfaction with the
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| | Homeschooling?Today homeschooling is
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| academic instruction available at other
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| | legal in all states. State law generally
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| schools was their most important reason
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| | requires homeschooling parents to file
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| for homeschooling.Families that elect to
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| | basic information with either the state
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| educate their children at home come from
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| | or local education agency. Over half the
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| all major ethnic, cultural, and religious
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| | states require some kind of evaluation
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| backgrounds, and all income levels.
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| | under some or all of the homeschooling
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| However, homeschoolers are more likely to
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| | options available under state law.
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| be religious, conservative, white, better
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| | Usually, this evaluation involves testing
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| educated, and part of a two-parent
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| | of students, but some states accept
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| family, compared with the average
| |
| | portfolio evaluations or a teacher
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| American family. Homeschooling families
| |
| | evaluation. Much less frequently, states
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| tend to have more children and be
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| | have education or testing requirements
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| middle-class.Parents who homeschool their
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| | for parents. Some states require
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| children are more likely to vote,
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| | submission of a curricular plan. Parents
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| contribute money to political causes,
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| | do not need teaching certificates.Public
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| contact elected officials about their
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| | programs are growing. Alaska sponsors the
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| views, attend public meetings or rallies,
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| | Alyeska Central School, where teachers in
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| or join community and volunteer
| |
| | Juneau work with students all over the
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| associations. This holds true even when
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| | state via mail, the Internet, telephone,
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| researchers compare only families with
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| | and occasional home visits. In
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| similar characteristics, including
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| | California, children can enroll in a
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| education, income, age, race, family
| |
| | public school's independent-study
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| structure, geographic region, and number
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| | program. Washington and Iowa laws require
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| of hours worked per week.What Resources
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| | public schools to admit students
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| Do Homeschooling Families Use?Parents
| |
| | part-time. Some public schools offer
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| are, of course, the primary resource.
| |
| | specialized homeschooling centers where
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| Typically, the mother takes the lead,
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| | families may obtain resources and
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| though fathers usually pitch in. Perhaps
| |
| | instructional support, or where children
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| as many as one out of ten fathers takes
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| | may take classes. An estimated 18 percent
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| the primary responsibility.How Well Do
| |
| | of children who are homeschooled enroll
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| Homeschoolers Perform Academically and
| |
| | in school part-time; 5 percent enroll for
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| Socially?Researchers cannot tell whether
| |
| | 9 or more hours per weekLocal and state
|
| the same children would perform better or
| |
| | support groups offer advice and
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| worse academically in a classroom or at
| |
| | assistance. Sometimes, several families
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| home. State testing data does not
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| | will share instructional duties. Local
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| necessarily reflect all homeschoolers
| |
| | support groups form readily if there are
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| because not all comply with the testing
| |
| | a sufficient number of homeschooling
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| requirement. Other testing efforts rely
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| | families in an area. There is at least
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| on volunteers.Keeping that caveat in
| |
| | one state-level homeschooling association
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| mind, where testing data is available,
| |
| | in every state, and in some states there
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| homeschoolers do well. For example, in
| |
| | are a dozen or more regional
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| Alaska, the state's Alyeska Central
| |
| | associations. Often, parents may examine
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| School has tested its homeschooling
| |
| | instructional materials at a book fair or
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| children for several decades. As a group
| |
| | association meeting.Other popular
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| they usually score above average in any
| |
| | resources include libraries, museums,
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| subject area and at all grade levels. The
| |
| | colleges, parks departments, churches,
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| largest study to date, commissioned by
| |
| | local businesses, and schools. Many large
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| the Home School Legal Defense
| |
| | and small publishers offer curricular
|
| Association, involved 12,000 students
| |
| | packages, books, periodicals, and other
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| tested through the Bob Jones University
| |
| | materials for use in home instruction.
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| testing services. The homeschooled
| |
| |
|
