School Options and TN Homeschool Laws

I am not a lawyer, nor do I play one on T.V. So, the following content is not meant to be legal guidance. I am simply a homeschooler that loves to read, research, and assist others when I can.

One of the most fun parts of homeschooling is planning your school year and deciding which curriculum to use. However, before we put the cart in front of the horse, I want to go ahead and discuss the not-so-fun part of homeschooling: the legal side.

I will specifically be discussing school options and the law in Tennessee. If you do not live in Tennessee, please check out the HSLDA website for a breakdown of laws in every state.

In the state of Tennessee there are three options for homeschooling: independent home school, church-related umbrella school, or accredited online school.

As a quick note, just because you are homeschooling does NOT mean your child has to miss out on sports and extra-curricular activities. Regardless of which option for homeschooling you choose, Tennessee laws and TSSAA bylaws allow for homeschool students to play on their local public school’s sports teams and participate in brick and mortar school extracurriculars. The TSSAA web site has a helpful page walking through how to do this. Of course, the options for sports and extracurriculars may be limited this year, but I wanted to address this because it is something many people do not know that might affect your decision to homeschool.

Independent Homeschool

An independent homeschooler is one that registers through the school board and does not use an umbrella or online school.

To register as an independent homeschool, you simply submit vaccination records, proof of parent’s high school diploma or GED, and a letter of intent with your local school system prior to the start of each school year. This form is available on the Department of Education’s homeschool information page. That page also has a directory of LEA Home School Coordinators which will be your point of contact with the local school board. My local school board allows me to email my forms directly to the attendance officer. I recommend calling your local school board to find out who you need to turn in your form to and how to do so.

Throughout the year, you will track the number of days that you do school. There is a four hours per day requirement, but remember that time does not have to be formal school time. You can include time spent on nature walks, doing physical activities, cooking, and going on field trips. Any time spent learning can count towards your school time. At the end of the school year, you will send your attendance record to the Director of Schools for your school district. This is most likely the same person you sent your letter of intent to at the beginning of the year, but ask your school board to be certain. An attendance record form is available on the DOE’s website as well.

If you have a child in 5th, 7th, or 9th grade, they will be required to take the same standardized state tests that are required for public school students in those grades. Testing can be performed in your zoned school at no cost to the parent or the tests can be administered by a professional testing service at the parent’s expense. Homeschoolers in those grades during the 2019-2020 school year were exempt from those tests because public schools cancelled the testing season. We do not know what end-of-year testing will look like for the 2020-2021 school year, so it would be wise to act as if testing will resume this school year.

Some parents do not like the testing requirement because the scope and sequence (what is being taught and the order it is taught in) of the curriculum being used by their homeschool may not line up with the public school curriculum. Other parents love testing because they like having a benchmark for where their child is at. Many are indifferent. If testing is a point of concern for your family and you have a child in one of the above-mentioned grades, I would encourage you to look into an umbrella school.

A big concern about independent homeschools for those looking into placing their children back in public school is the process of re-entering public schools. For grades K-8, students transferring into a public school from a homeschool will need to be tested for grade placement. For high school, students will take a test for each subject that they would like to receive credit for towards high school graduation. This is not a concern for some, as most homeschool curriculums are rigorous, and many children are more likely to advance beyond grade level when given the individualized instruction that homeschooling allows. If you are concerned that your child does not test well or you would simply like to avoid testing, you may want to consider an umbrella school.

A concern for high school students registered as an independent home school is their high school diploma. There is no state issued high school diploma for home school students. The parent creates the high school diploma. As homeschooling is gaining in popularity, many colleges are accepting a parent-created diploma in addition to SAT and ACT scores. However, many colleges may not accept the parent-created diploma. Check with the colleges, universities, or technical schools your student is considering to see what their particular admissions requirements are. In some cases, a GED may be a good option. Once again, if this is a concern, you may want to choose an umbrella school, but make sure the one you choose issues a high school diploma.

My family registers as an independent home school with the school board and we plan to do so until high school.

Pros: Free. Very little regulation on curriculum choices.

Cons: Testing in grades 5, 7, and 9. Testing for grade placement upon re-entry to public school. Parent-created high school diplomas may not be accepted at many colleges.

Misc: Parents must have proof of a high school diploma or GED.

Church-Related Umbrella School

As the name implies, “church-related umbrella schools” are operated by a church organization and can be accredited by one of eight accrediting organizations. An Umbrella school is a good option for anyone that has concerns with testing, re-entry into public schools, or obtaining a high school diploma.

Essentially, umbrella schools are similar to private schools. They each have their own requirements for operational procedures, registration, reporting and documentation, parent education levels, and curriculum. They also have different levels of programs and activity offerings.

The umbrella school keeps records for each enrolled student, which is great for families that need help with organization. Additionally, this may help if you need certified copies of school records for any reason. Because they can set their own requirements for reporting and documentation, they may require more documentation than an independent homeschooler. For example, they may require the submission of grades and attendance quarterly.

When looking into an umbrella school, you may want to consider what curriculum they will allow you to use. Some may provide you with a set of curricula or a list of acceptable options. Many will have a list of required subjects to cover each school year. Other umbrellas will simply have the same lax requirements as the local school board.

Some umbrella schools offer courses and activities for homeschool students. This can be a great resource, but make sure you know what is available and any associated fees for these programs as they may not be included in the tuition or enrollment price.

Each umbrella school determines its own set of testing requirement for students. For some umbrellas, there are no testing requirements.

A lot of umbrella schools will offer official transcripts and high school diplomas, but they are not required to offer them. Make sure you understand what the program offers if these are concerns for your family. Although many do, colleges and universities are not required to accept high school diplomas from an umbrella school. Make sure that you check the admission requirements of the program your child is interested in.

It is important to note that umbrella schools submit the name, age, and address of each registered student to the school district in which the student resides.

For a list of umbrella school options for Tennessee, check out this list on the Middle Tennessee Home Education Association website.

Pros: May issue a high school diploma.

Cons: Cost. May require more documentation than an independent homeschool. More regulation on curriculum choices.

Misc: Make sure to know what services your umbrella provides and what they will require from the parent. Policies and procedures vary wildly among umbrella schools and parents should be familiar with the teacher qualifications, record keeping, and testing requirements established by the umbrella school.

Accredited Online School

Parents may choose to enroll their children in an online school accredited by one of many regional accredited agencies listed on the Department of Education website. This might be a good option for a parent that wishes to keep their child at home but does not have the time to devote to full-time homeschooling.

Online schools have many of the same benefits and concerns as an umbrella school. The biggest difference is that they supply the instruction.

While most online schools will supply the parent with some form of record keeping, some will charge the parent with that task. Check to see if the program offers official transcripts or diplomas.

When you are enrolled with an online school, you must use their curricula for the program. Sometimes the physical textbooks and workbooks will be an additional expense.

While most of the instruction is provided through video lectures, the parent will still need to work with the child as an in-person tutor.

Pros: Less parent intensive.

Cons: Usually the costliest option. May require more documentation than other options.

Misc: Children will spend a lot of time using screens. Make sure you have enough computers and/or devices for all children enrolled. Policies and procedures vary wildly among online schools and parents should be familiar with the teacher qualifications, record keeping, and testing requirements established by the online school.

Photo Credit: Kimberly Farmer @KimberlyFarmer