Know the law

Current statistics show 3,654 children are being homeschooled in NYC. Read about recent problems for homeschooling parents in NYC, and changes in eligibility for special ed services for homeschoolers in NYS. Write to your representatives and help to change the law!

Homeschooling laws and regulations require reporting to the board of ed. This paperwork may seem initally to be a big chore. But it gives us each power when we educate ourselves to know the law well, and the resulting paperwork helps to keep us organized and well-documented. Don't rely on overworked bureaucrats to inform you. Take the time to learn what is actually required by the law. A summary of what you need to file each year follows.

Regulations
Filing NYC paperwork
For new homeschoolers
Summary of NYS required paperwork
Calendar

See also:

Regulations

Note: Every state has different regulations.

The entire New York State law is available online: Home Instruction in New York State

See amendments to that law: relating to the home instruction of students of compulsory school age who wish to attend college on a full-time basis and Guidelines on Revised Rules and Regulations. See also Home Instruction - Questions and Answers

To have a free copy of the NYS regulations mailed to you, contact:

Nancy Moore
c/o Office of Non-public Schools
NYS Education Dept.
room 475-EBA
Albany, NY 12234

Find your local State Board of Education through this page from NASBE.

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Filing NYC Paperwork

Address to send all NYC homeschooling paperwork:

William Harrington
Director
Central Office of Home Schooling
333 Seventh Avenue, 12th Floor
New York, NY 10001

phone: (917) 339-1748
fax: (917) 339-1481

William Harrington's e-mail: wharrin @ schools.nyc.gov
other phone numbers: (917) 339-1750 and -1793
Henrietta Becoat's e-mail: hbecoat @ school.nyc.gov

PLEASE NOTE: current DoE policy is that official documents (Letter of Intent, IHIP, quarterlies, and annual assessments) CANNOT be sent by e-mail or fax unless Mr. Harrington makes an exception because of unusual circumstances for a particular family.

If you go in person: The office is at the NE corner of W28th St, and the nearest subway station is the 28th Street stop on the Number 1 line. Be sure to call ahead and make certain someone's there. They see visitors between ten am and noon.

IF YOU RECEIVE A NOTICE OF NON-COMPLIANCE BUT HAVE SENT IN YOUR PAPERWORK, call one of the numbers above and let them know. Many homeschoolers who filed on time received Letters of Non-Compliance this year in error. It is estimated that over one hundred of these intimidating letters were sent out in error.

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For new homeschoolers

Parents who are new to homeschooling in NYC, or whose children have never attended a NYC public school, are currently required to submit copies of birth certificates and proof of residence with their initial paperwork only.

An insurance card may be accepted in place of a birth certificate. Theoretically, any proof of age, such as a passport or perhaps even tax records, should suffice.

If you have difficulty providing the birth certificate and the proof of address, citing the Regulation of the Chancellor A-101 (pdf format) to the DoE may be helpful to you, since (in an effort to protect kids who are residents of domestic violence shelters, refugees with no birth certificates, illegal immigrants, etc.) it spells out the necessity of admitting a student into a NYC public school (and therefore into the same computer system our kids are in) provisionally (until the birth certificate and proof of address can be provided).

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Summary of NYS required paperwork

Note: this summary is brief and you are advised to study the regulations carefully. Find someone in your support group to help you the first time you do your paperwork.

See Step 9: Create and keep records.

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Letter of Intent (LOI)

You are required to submit a Letter of Intent stating your intention to homeschool your child. The LOI is due by July 1st or within two weeks of your decision to homeschool. The letter must include your child�s name, age and grade level. Download a sample LOI in MS Word or PDF format).

Comment: Although it is not required by law, I strongly advise parents who are taking their kids out of school to send a copy of their LOI (Letter of Intent) to that school. You should not rely on the Bd. of Ed. to inform the school that your child is being legally homeschooled. Your LOI, addressed to the Bd. of Ed., can also be sent to your child�s former school as a way of informing them of your intent to legally homeschool your child. -- Laurie

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Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)

By August 15th you must submit an Individualized Home Instruction Plan, which must include all mandatory subjects for that grade level (see the regulations in detail for your child�s grade level). Don�t forget to include those pesky little items like bicyle safety, health, patriotism & citizenship, and arson prevention.

See our page on Grade Levels, Standards and Benchmarks and do note that homeschoolers do not have to follow the bd. of ed. guidelines, and do not have to write IHIPs or assessments that are at "grade level."

Here is a template in Word format that you can download to fill out and use for your IHIP or Quarterly Report.

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Quarterly Reports

Four times a year you must submit Quarterly Reports that show progress with the educational goals set forth in your IHIP. These reports must also record the number of hours of instruction (225 per quarter or 900 per year in elementary school , for grades 7-12 that amount increases to 247.5 hours per quarter or 990 per year ) and the child's absences (none since, even when they are sick, homeschoolers continue to learn and are never absent). You may want to comply with your district�s request to have the quarterly reports filed at the usual times (Nov. 15, Jan. 30, April 15 and June 30, approximately), but the law states that you may furnish your own schedule for these reports.

Here is a template in Word format that you can download to fill out and use for your IHIP or Quarterly Report.

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Year-end Assessment

A Year-end Assessment is required with your fourth quarterly report (June 30). This assessment can be in the form of a narrative statement or home-made report card signed by a certified teacher or (if there is no protest) by the parent or instructor, stating that at least 80% of the educational goals have been achieved. If a certified teacher is required and none is available, a peer review committee, made up of at least two experienced homeschooling parents, will suffice. The peer review committee would sign the year-end assessment statement. Starting in 4th grade, a nationally approved achievment test is required every other year, and starting at 9th grade, every year, to serve as the year-end assessment.

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Calendar for NYS required paperwork

Note: The dates for Quarterly Reports are only suggestions, as the law states that you may furnish your own schedule for these.

July 1	Letter of Intent (LOI)
August 15	Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)
November 15	First Quarterly Report
January 30	Second Quarterly Report
April 15	Third Quarterly Report
June 30	Fourth Quarterly Report, Year-end Assessment

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This is Step 1 of the Ten Steps to Successful Homeschooling
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