How to Homeschool in New Hampshire

If you are wondering about how to homeschool in New Hampshire, take a look at this brief overview of what is expected of homeschooling families, and what requirements you are responsible for.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Annual notice of intent to homeschool
• Portfolio for each homeschooled child
• Assessments

1. New Hampshire does recognize the right of parents to home school their child. There are no special qualifications that parents must meet in order to teach their child at home.
2. An annual notice is required to be submitted to the local district superintendent or the principal of a non-public school. This notice could also be sent to the state’s Commissioner of Education, but it is preferred that one of the other two options is utilized. The child’s name, address, and birth date must be included in this annual notice. It must be filed within 30 days of the start of each school year, or within 30 days of withdrawing from the public school, or within 30 days of moving into the school district’s jurisdiction. Home schools should begin instruction on the same day as the public schools do to avoid any confusion about meeting legal attendance requirements.
3. A portfolio of the child’s school work should also be kept. This portfolio should include a reading materials log, writing samples, workbooks used, creative materials made by the child, and worksheets used.
4. Compulsory school attendance begins at age six. Thus, there are no Kindergarten home school requirements in New Hampshire. All paperwork should then begin when a child is in first grade.
5. Some form of assessment is required in New Hampshire. The first option is to file standardized test results that indicate the student is performing at or above the 40th percentile. It is also acceptable to submit results from a state student assessment test used in the local school district showing that the child is performing at or above the 40th percentile. A written evaluation made by a certified teacher is another possible option, as is using the results from some other form of assessment that the local school board has deemed as acceptable. Whatever assessment that is decided upon, its results must be submitted by July 1 to the same location that the original home school notice was sent.
6. If for any reason the child involved does not show sufficient academic performance, then the parent has one full year to bring that student up to the expectation. If improvement is not made, then home schooling rights may be suspended for that child so that adequate education is possible.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with the NH Department of Education for very specific guidelines, as this is just an overview.

Who Can Help: