As a result of COVID-19, homeschooling is on the rise. For some, this is a short-term arrangement, and others have discovered that homeschooling is perfect for their family. In case you don’t know, homeschooling is simply the practice of educating your kids from home. Some families choose to collaborate through homeschooling cooperatives and extracurricular leagues to enrich the home school experience.

Homeschooling is legal in all 50 states, including the District of Columbia. When exploring the homeschooling route, please be aware that the laws and policies that govern homeschooling differ by state. If you wonder if homeschooling is a good fit for your family, you probably have questions about how to begin the process and what resources are available. Because of this, we created a series entitled, How to Start Homeschooling. In each installment, we will discuss homeschooling rules and resources for each state. In today’s installment, we will discuss homeschooling in the District of Columbia.

What you need to know:

• In Washington DC, you must fill out a Notice of Intent each year you are homeschooling by August 15th.
• If you need to remove your kid, submit a Notification of Intent, and then contact the school for any forms needed to remove officially.
• Homeschool teachers must have at least a high school diploma.
• There are no minimum required hours per day or days per year that a homeschool kid must receive instruction.
• There are eight required academic subjects: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education
• The state requires you to keep an academic portfolio of your kid’s work that contains at least a year’s worth of the following content: writing samples, worksheets, workbooks, creative content, assessment reports.
• Homeschool learners are required to participate in yearly testing. Homeschool learners can take standardized tests in the local school.

ResourcesCheck here to learn more about homeschool laws and how to homeschool in D.C. You should check out the DC Homeschooling Program and Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling Home Educators.