HOME SCHOOLING
Parents/guardians who wish to have their children fulfill the compulsory school
attendance law through equivalent education by home schooling must comply with
the provisions of 20-A MRSA § 5001-A(3)(A)(4).
A. The student’s parent/guardian must provide a written notice of intent to
provide home instruction
simultaneously to the Superintendent of the school unit in
which the student resides and to the
Commissioner of the Department of Education within ten
calendar days of the beginning of home
instruction. The notice must contain the following
information:
1. The name, signature and address of the student’s
parent/guardian;
2. The name and age of the student;
3. The date the home instruction program will begin;
4. A statement of assurance that indicates the home
instruction program will provide at least 175
days annually of instruction and will
provide instruction in: English and language arts, math,
science, social studies, physical
education, health education, library skills, fine arts, and, in at least
one grade from grade 6 to 12, Maine
studies. At one grade level from grade 7 to 12, the student
will demonstrate proficiency in the
use of computers; and
5. A statement of assurance that indicates that the home
instruction program will include an annual
assessment of the student’s academic
progress that includes at least one of the forms of
assessment described in 20-A MRSA §
5001-A(3)(A)(4)(b) and paragraph B below.
B. On or before September 1 of each subsequent year of home instruction, the
student’s
parent/guardian must file a letter with the Superintendent of
the administrative unit in which the
student resides and to the Commissioner stating the intention
to continue providing home instruction
and enclose a copy of one of the following forms of annual
assessment of the student’s academic
progress:
1. A standardized achievement test administered through the
administrative unit in which the student
resides or through other arrangements
approved by the Commissioner. If the test is administered
through the administrative unit in
which the student resides, that administration must be agreed to
by the Superintendent/designee of the
administrative unit prior to submission of the written notice
of intent to provide home
instruction;
2. A test developed by the Superintendent/designee of the
administrative unit in which the student
resides appropriate to the student’s
home instruction program, which must be agreed to by the
Superintendent of the administrative
unit prior to submission of the written notice of intent to
provide home instruction;
3. A review and acceptance of the student’s progress by an
identified individual who holds a current
Maine teacher’s certificate;
4. A review and acceptance of the student’s progress based
on, but not limited to, a presentation of
an educational portfolio of the
student to a local area home schooling support group whose
membership for this purpose includes
a currently certified Maine teacher or administrator; or
5. A review and acceptance of the student’s progress by a
local advisory board selected by the
Superintendent of the administrative
unit in which the student resides that includes one
administrative unit employee and two
home instruction tutors. A “home instruction tutor” means
the parent/guardian or other person
who acts or will act as a primary teacher of the student in the
home instruction program. This
provision must be agreed to by the Superintendent of the
administrative unit in which the
student resides prior to submission of the written notice of intent to
provide home instruction.
C. Dissemination of any information filed under 20-A MRSA § 5001-A(3)(A) (which
applies to
alternatives to attendance at public day school, including
home schooling) is governed by the
provisions of 20-A MRSA § 6001 (dissemination of
information); the federal Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, 20 USC § 1232g (2002); and
the federal Education for All
Handicapped Children Act of 1975, 20 USC § 1401-1487 (2002),
except that “directory
information” as defined by the federal Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is
confidential and is not subject to public disclosure unless
the parent/guardian specifically permits
disclosure in writing or a judge orders otherwise. Copies of
any information filed under 20-A MRSA
§ 5001-A(3)(A) must be maintained by the student’s
parent/guardian until the home instruction
program concludes. The records must be made available to the
Commissioner upon request.
D. If the home instruction program is discontinued, students of compulsory
school age must be enrolled
in a public school or an equivalent instruction alternative
as provided for by law. The receiving school
shall determine the placement of the student. At the
secondary level, the principal of the receiving
school shall determine the value of the prior educational
experience toward meeting the standards of
Maine’s system of Learning Results.
The Board accepts no responsibility for the unit in the application, review,
approval, or oversight of home instruction programs except as provided for by
law or this policy .
Participation by home-schooled students in the public school program shall only
be permitted as described elsewhere in Board policy.
The Superintendent shall maintain a roster of all students eligible to attend
school within the school unit who are receiving equivalent instruction, as
provided in Department of Education rules.
Legal Reference: 20-A MRSA§ 5001-A(3)
Ch. 125 § 12.02, Ch. 130 (Me. Dept. of Ed. Rules)
Cross Reference: JEA – Compulsory Attendance Ages
IHBGA – Home Schooling—Participation in School Programs
IHBGB – Statement of Rights for Private School/ Home Schooling Students with
Disabilities
JGAB – Assignment of New Students to Classes and Grade Levels
DATE ADOPTED: July 1, 2003
REVISED: February 4, 2004