(Acknowledgement: The CCHSA website is a great resource and
it was used in constructing this post. CHILD is NOT a member group of Christian
Home Educators Fellowship of Louisiana (CHEF of LA), a state-wide homeschool
umbrella organization. Their site, however, is a very valuable resource.)
The homeschooling laws in Louisiana are favorable and there
are support groups in almost every area of the state. Families are
individually responsible for choosing their method of home education.
Important: Each family chooses their own curriculum and is independently
responsible for meeting state requirements. CHILD is not responsible for these
aspects of your homeschool.
Q: How do I register my homeschool with the state of Louisiana?
A: You may
register your homeschool under either the “home study” program or as a “private
school” (La. R.S. 17:236, Act 828 of 1980).
Using the Home Study Program:
This is an option you will want to consider if you have a
child in high school or you have a student who would like to participate in the
Interscholastic Athletics program. It allows the high school senior to qualify
for TOPS (Tuition Opportunity Program for Students) which is a scholarship
program for Louisiana students who attend a Louisiana college or university. If
you will be homeschooling using the Home Study program, you will need to send
in your paperwork within 15 days of commencing classes. The home study
application, general information, guidelines, athletics guidelines and
curriculum information can be found here. (Please be aware, the initial
application requires that you submit a copy of the child’s birth certificate.
Renewal applications require documentation that provides satisfactory evidence
that the home study program offered a sustained curriculum of quality at least equal to
that offered by public schools at the same grade level.)
Effective August 2010 and thereafter, high school diplomas
awarded through your home study program approved by the State Board of
Elementary and Secondary Education are now recognized by all public
postsecondary educational institutions, all state departments, agencies,
boards, and commissions and all other state and local government entitles to
have all of the rights and privileges as those awarded by a state-approved
nonpublic school [R.S. 17:236.1.G].
Registering as a
Private School (NonpublicSchool):
This is your likely option if you have children 10th grade
and below. (It does not allow high school seniors to qualify for TOPS or
receive recognized diplomas.) You simply register as a private school and are
only required to give the name of your “school”, number of students and name of
the parent/educator. If you plan to homeschool in a Private School setting, you
must inform the state in writing, no later than 30 days after commencing
classes. See this Sample Letter to File with the State of Louisiana for an
example of what you need to send. You may also download this Microsoft Word file and personalize. The state guide book for registered nonpublic schools can
be found here.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: As of May 1, 2013, you may now register
online with the Department of Education. More information can be found here.
Please follow the links below to register with the State of Louisiana online:
From CHEF of Louisiana: "We feel that the online
process is recommended as one way to register. The forms are still acceptable;
however, we acknowledge that it is much more efficient, and probably more
accurate, if we enter our own information into the online registration through
the DOE website."
Q: What do I do when pulling my child out of a private school mid-year to homeschool?
A: “The problem
is that the Law does not clearly give direction for mid-year activity. It is
undefined, so there is no clear correct answer. I would feel that if they
register now with the 180 day wording and then again in August, there should be
no problem. Then you have over complied with the law by registering sooner,
rather than a year later. I would see no problem with this and if any questions
were asked, they could be answered very simply by explaining the mid-year
change of private school to homeschool. No letter of intent is or was needed
because the child was in private school, not public.” Mike Flowers, President,
CHEF of Louisiana, 2010.
Editor’s note from CCHSA: Students who are withdrawn from public school
during the school year, or who attended public school the year before enrolling
in a private school, must provide a written notification of enrollment to the
public school he attended within 10 days of enrollment in homeschool. This
notification must include: Student’s legal name; Date of birth; Gender; and
Race. (See the question below)
Q: What do I do when pulling my child out of a public school mid-year to homeschool?
A: After
removing your child from the public school system a letter should be sent
within ten days to the school your child attended telling them your child has
been enrolled in another school. It is not necessary to tell them it is your
own private homeschool. The only information needed in this notification letter
is the child's legal name, date of birth, gender and race. Once the local
school has been notified it is suggested that you register with the state as a
private school. Following this suggestion would be over compliance with the law
and should pose no problem. (See previous question above)
Q: I am a home study student. Can I receive TOPS and, if so, are there any special requirements?
A: Yes. The
Louisiana Department of Education must certify to LOSFA that you are a student
who successfully completed the eleventh, if applicable, and twelfth grade
levels of a home study program approved by the State Board of Elementary and
Secondary Education (BESE).
If you ever enrolled in a Louisiana public high school or
nonpublic high school or an approved non-Louisiana high school that was or has been
approved by BESE, you must have successfully completed both the eleventh and
twelfth grades of a homestudy program approved by BESE and the previously
attended high school must provide LOSFA with certification that you were in
good standing at the time you last attended that school.
In addition, you must have an ACT score of at least 19 for
TOPS Tech, 22 for Opportunity, 24 for Performance, or 28 for Honors, or an SAT
score of at least 900 for TOPS Tech, 1020 for Opportunity, 1090 for Performance
or 1250 for Honors.
Questions and Answer taken from 2014-2015 TOPS QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS.
Q: If my child is in the fourth or eighth grade, am I, as a homeschooler, required to do PARCC testing?
A: No, not if you
are planning to continue homeschooling for the following year. If, however, you
intend to place your child in a public school in grades 5 or 9, there are special circumstances that apply to 2015. During this transition year, private school and homeschool students may choose to test using the PARCC ELA
and Math assessments in grades 4 and 8 but are not required to do so and results will not be returned in time
to inform placement. Test results in 2015 will be returned in the fall so that results can be double checked to
make sure scoring of students’ results was fair and accurate.
Districts should determine guidelines for entry, which can include use of the placement tests as well as other
evidence of grade level proficiency (e.g., transcripts, local assessments). The Department will continue to
provide placements tests for use as needed. (See p. 1 number 4 of Louisiana PARCC Frequently Asked Questions)
Q: Can my child participate in the sports program at a public school?
A: Students in
home study programs can participate in interscholastic athletic activities at a
public or at a state-approved nonpublic high school that is
also a member of the Louisiana
High School Athletic Association. Participation at a
non-public school is at the sole discretion of the governing authority of such school [refer to R.S.
236.3]. Residency and attendance zone requirements apply. More information can be found on page 8 in Section 3 of the La DOE’s
guide book for home study programs.
Q: What if my child has special needs?
A: There appears
to be conflicting information in regards to special needs children.The HSLDA website says that, under the private school
option, students are entitled to special services. However they caution that when receiving
government funds some freedom and privacy is lost. They have established the Home School Foundation to
help make support available.
The Louisiana Department of Education states in Section 1 on page 4 of their
guide book for home study programs that "BESE-Approved Home Study Programs do not qualify for
services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), 20 U.S.C. §1400, et seq.,
nor for modifications and/or accommodations under §504 of the Rehabilitation Act or the
Americans with Disabilities Education Act. (Adopted by the SBESE on November 15, 1984. Revised
April 2002.)”
They advise: “Before enrolling in the BESE-Approved Home Study Program or registering as a nonpublic school, not seeking state approval, parents who have children with exceptionalities’ should contact their local education agency to seek advice regarding the free and appropriate educational services that are designed to meet their child’s needs.”
More information on Special Education Laws can be found in Appendix B on page 12 of the DOE guide book for home study programs.
*I would like to get feedback from Louisiana homeschoolers who have experience with this situation.*
*I would like to get feedback from Louisiana homeschoolers who have experience with this situation.*
Q: What form do I need to take to the DMV for my child to obtain a driver’s license or learner’s permit?
A: In order to
obtain a driver’s license or learner’s permit homeschool students must submit a
copy of their approved Home Study application or a Certification of Required School Attendance.
Additional Information:
Please refer to HSLDA for more information on the legality
and details of homeschooling in Louisiana. They have a summary of Louisiana homeschooling laws here.
If you have additional questions on your particular
situation, please don’t hesitate to contact me for information on how
to begin your homeschool journey or transitioning your existing homeschool to Louisiana.
We invite you to consider membership in CHILD to take advantage of our member
benefits.
Please keep in mind that CHILD is not a group that can
provide you with curriculum or a location to bring your children to for education,
but we are a group of like-minded Christian individuals who stay in close
contact to encourage each other in our homeschooling pursuit. We would love to
share our stories with you, our ideas for curriculum options, and the way we
homeschool. It might give you some new insights! Anyone on our board of
directors would be happy to speak with you.
Other Helpful Resources:
****last update July 14, 2015*******
