How to Homeschool in Massachusetts

A homeschool situation must be approved in the State of Massachusetts before instruction starts. Read a basic overview of the homeschooling laws for this state below.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Homeschooling is possible in Massachusetts as long as it is approved in advance by the local school committee or superintendent. There are no special educational requirements of the homeschool parent as long as the committee or superintendent deems them competent to teach. By law, such competence cannot be determined by level of education or possession of an actual teaching certificate.
2. All required paperwork is necessary throughout the homeschool approval process. Such paperwork would most likely include a statement of subjects that will be taught, including the amount of time that would be spent on each one. It would also include a list of textbooks and materials that will be used.
3. Keep in mind that the local school board or superintendent does have the right to decide the subjects that are necessary to teach, but they cannot dictate how they are taught. They should be simply making sure that instruction is at least comparable to that in the public school system.
4. In Massachusetts, compulsory attendance begins at the age of six. This means that there are no special homeschool requirements for kindergarten.
5. If testing has been determined to be a requirement in the homeschool approval process, then testing could very well be necessary for your homeschool. Generally speaking, most local school boards and superintendents allow submission of either standardized test results, or an agreed upon alternate assessment plan.
6. This alternate plan may include dated work samples, progress reports, a review of a student portfolio, or even an assessment by a certified teacher. The intent of submitting some kind of assessment results is to ensure the education of the involved child is progressing adequately.
7. English language, grammar, reading, spelling, arithmetic, drawing, music, U.S. history, geography, health (including CPR), physical education and good behavior are all required topics that must be taught throughout Maine whether in a home school or in a public school. Generally speaking, 180 days of instruction a year is expected.
8. The burden of proving that any given homeschool is not performing adequately is placed on the local school district, since the Massachusetts court has determined that homeschooling is protected under the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution.

Tips & Warnings

• Check with the Massachusetts Board of Education for the entire law before starting to homeschool in this state.