Iowa
Homeschooling in Iowa
The summaries below describe two different approaches, or alternative ways, the state of Iowa offers homeschooling families to meet state compulsory education requirements. Additional and more extensive help can be found within our e-book: Iowa Homeschool Legal Workbook: Your Guide to Compliance - Facts & Forms, prepared by HomeSchoolLegal.com.
Approach 1 |
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| Approach: | Provide competent private instruction (Homeschool) |
| Restrictions: | Teacher certification not required |
| Reporting: | Complete the Report of Competent Private Instruction (available from school district and must file 2 copies) by September 15 or within 14 days of commencing homeschooling. Note: If a child has been identified as requiring special education, prior written approval must be obtained from the special education director. |
| Recordkeeping: | None required |
| Requirements: | Attend 148 days per year. Subjects: No specific subjects required. |
| Testing: | If a family is not working with a certified teacher (Approach 1), they must take a standardized test the first year of homeschooling. Thereafter, they may submit to the local school district by June 30th of the current school year either (1) test results from an acceptable standardized test, or (2) a portfolio for review. |
| Compulsory Attendance: | Applies to children who are age 6 by September 15 until age 16. For a child who turns 16 after September 15 while enrolled in school, he remains of compulsory attendance age until the end of that school year. |
| Source of Law: | Iowa Code Annotated, Section 299A.1 - 299.10 |
| NOTE: | This is not intended to be legal advice and is offered only as an educational service for visitors to www.Home-School-Inc.com and www.HomeSchoolLegal.com. It is not a substitute for competent legal advice. Requirements may change at any time, and interpretations of the law and regulations can differ. Consult a legal services provider and a local homeschooling support group for more specific information. |
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Approach 2 |
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| Approach: | Homeschool under the supervision of a licensed teacher |
| Restrictions: | Supervising teacher must be certified. |
| Reporting: | Complete the Report of Competent Private Instruction (available from school district and must file 2 copies) by September 15 or within 14 days of commencing homeschooling. Note: If a child has been identified as requiring special education, prior written approval must be obtained from the special education director. |
| Recordkeeping: | None required |
| Requirements: | No specific subjects required. Attend 148 days per year. |
| Testing: | Testing not required, but must meet with the supervising teacher twice per quarter. |
| Compulsory Attendance: | Applies to children who are age 6 by September 15 until age 16. |
| Source of Law: | Iowa Code Annotated, Section 299A.1 - 299.10 |
| NOTE: | This is not intended to be legal advice and is offered only as an educational service for visitors to www.Home-School-Inc.com and www.HomeSchoolLegal.com. It is not a substitute for competent legal advice. Requirements may change at any time, and interpretations of the law and regulations can differ. Consult a legal services provider and a local homeschooling support group for more specific information. |
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