When do I need to begin? How much time should I spend?
Because of the flexible nature of home education, there are countless ways schedules can be adapted to meet a particular family's needs. Many families follow a calendar similar to public schools, although there is no requirement to do so. Some families teach their children year-round, and take breaks at appropriate times during the the school year. When teaching a very young child, most parents are able to cover basic learning skills in a relatively short amount of time, gradually increasing the time studying and number of subjects taught as the child gets older. Since home school children do not have to follow a uniform schedule, time is generally not as an important factor as learning the material, however long or short it takes. Home schooling takes into account different learning styles, the child's individual abilities and the maturity level of each child in determing how much to teach and when to teach.

Does home education work?
In a word, yes. For more information, on home school student achievement, see "HOME SCHOOLING WORKS," published by the The Home School Legal Defense Association.

How do I take my children out of public school?
If your child is enrolled in public school and you want to begin home schooling sometime during the school year, it is wise to let your child's principal know that you are home schooling. Failing to notify your principal that you are taking your child out of school may possibly result in an invesigation by a truant officer as to why your child is not attending school. See also entry below.

Which school officials do I need to tell that I am home schooling?
If your child is not yet registered with the public school system, or if you are starting to home school your child at the beginning of the school year, it is not necessary to notify any public school officials. See also entry above.

Have any home schoolers had trouble with the local school district?
There have been some instances in the past of local public school officials requesting permission to examine the curriculum of a home schooling family. On one occasion, court papers were filed on a family, but the matter was resolved amicably and charges dropped before the court date. For the most part, there is a benign relationship between local home-school families and public school officials.

Can someone else home school my child for me?
According to the Leeper v. Arlington court decision, home schooling takes place "... under the direction of a parent or parents or one standing in parental authority in or through the child's home ..." Almost all home schooling parents educate their children themselves in their own home. However, some home schoolers co-op with other parents to teach certain subjects, and in this situation, it is possible for a child to go to another location to learn under another parent.

Am I required to have my children tested?
There is no requirement in Texas for home-school children to take standardized tests. If parents choose to have their children tested, they have a number of options, including arranging testing through their curriculum provider or satellite school, or making arrangements to test their child at a private school. In addition...

How do my children get a diploma when they graduate?
If children who complete their home education through 12th-grade are enrolled in an umbrella school such as Christian Liberty Academy, the umbrella school issues a diploma. Independent home schools may issue their own diplomas.

After graduation, how do I enroll my child in college?
In some cases, the school may require a home-schooled student to complete the GED test. In other cases, the student need only pass the TASP and ACT tests given by the instutition in order to qualify for admission. A rule of thumb is to call the institution in which you intend to enroll your child and ask an informed official there what the requirements are.

How do I keep track of grades? Do I need to give my children a report card?
It is a good idea to keep some record of your child's achievement, but the way in which that is done is basically up to you. If at some point you enroll or re-enroll your child in public school, admission to a certain grade level will be on the basis of results from assessment tests they give your child, not according to any grades you may have kept.

How do I re-enroll my child in public school?
According to Marshall ISD officials, home-school parents desiring to enroll or re-enroll a child in public school should contact the principal of the appropriate school campus.
Officials say some children may have more difficulty adjusting to the different environment of public schools than others, and that counseling will be available to help minimize potential problems.

Following are the portions of the Marshall ISD policy FDA (LOCAL) governing enrollment of previously home-schooled children:

"Students entering the District from nonaccredited public, private, or parochial schools, including home schools, shall be placed initially at the discretion of the principal, pending obervation by classroom teacher(s), guidance personnel, and the principal. Criteria for placement may include:
1. Scores on achievement test(s), which may be administered by appropriate District personnel.
2. Recommendation of the sending school.
3. Prior academic record.
4. Chronological age and social and emotional development of the student.
5. Other criteria deemed appropriate by the principal."

"District principals shall determine award of credit for students transferring from nonaccredited schools through testing or through examining the content of the courses being transferred to determine the extent to which they meet the essential knowledge and skills of the curriculum."

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