| Are you thinking of home schooling your child or | | | | want to do is be scrambling around trying to |
| children in Florida? Wondering what the | | | | remember what you did when for the last 3 |
| requirements are and how to get started? It's | | | | months and what was the name of those books |
| really not as scary as you may think. Florida is | | | | you read again.... The inspection is only to make |
| actually a pretty easy state to begin home | | | | sure that the portfolio is legal; the superintendent |
| schooling in. | | | | cannot evaluate its contents. |
| Home education, as defined by Florida law, is | | | | 4. Submit your Annual Evaluation. The law requires |
| "sequentially progressive instruction of a student | | | | an annual education evaluation by a |
| directed by his or her parent or guardian in order | | | | Florida-certified teacher of your choosing. You are |
| to satisfy the requirements of Statute 1003.21 | | | | required to have your child or children tested |
| and 1002.41." Florida's home schooling law is broad | | | | annually and submit the evaluation to the |
| giving parents almost unending freedom in | | | | superintendent's office no later than one year |
| educating their children. | | | | from your letter of intent date. |
| Basically there are six requirements that must be | | | | Alternatives to having an evaluation performed |
| met to Florida home school. | | | | include; any nationally normed student |
| 1. Notify the District School Superintendent in your | | | | achievement test administered by a certified |
| county of your intention to home school. The | | | | teacher, a state student assessment test, a |
| notice of intent must be filed with the | | | | psychological evaluation or any other method |
| superintendent's office within 30 days of beginning | | | | mutually agreed upon by the parent and the |
| your home school program. | | | | superintendent. |
| Currently there is no "official form" that is used to | | | | 5. Hang on to those Portfolios, your going to need |
| supply notice but your written (or typed) letter of | | | | them. Florida home schooling law dictates that |
| intent should include at the bare minimum the | | | | "The portfolio shall be preserved by the parent |
| following information; Name of child (or children), | | | | for two years." Enough said. |
| Birthday of each child named, Address and a | | | | 6. Submit your Notice of Termination. If you |
| Parent's Signature. It is recommended that you | | | | decide to no longer home educate under 1002.41, |
| send your letter of intent via certified or priority | | | | move from the county, enroll your child in a public |
| mail and file the receipt as proof in your child's | | | | or private institution or if your child graduates or |
| portfolio. | | | | completes the Florida home school program you |
| 2. Maintain a portfolio of records. While there is no | | | | must file a letter of termination with the |
| proper or "official" way to record your child's | | | | superintendent. The notice of termination should |
| home schooling progress you must maintain a | | | | include the same information as the letter of |
| portfolio of records. The portfolio must consist of | | | | intent and should be filed within 30 days of the |
| two main parts; Documented Records and | | | | date or termination. |
| Sample Materials. Documented Records is defined | | | | 7. Relax. Okay I know we said there were only |
| as "A log of educational activities which is made | | | | six requirements but this one is worth mentioning. |
| contemporaneously (the documentation should | | | | As long as there have been parents and children, |
| occur at the same time as the instruction) with | | | | "home schooling" has been happening. Today an |
| the instruction and which designates by title any | | | | estimated 1.6-2.0 million children are being taught |
| reading materials used." | | | | at home by their parents. By grade 8, the |
| Florida home schooling law does not require | | | | average home school student performs four |
| lessons to be planned or approved in advance. | | | | grade levels above the national average. |
| Sample Materials is defined as "Samples of any | | | | Research has found that most homeschooled |
| writings, worksheets, workbooks or creative | | | | students are involved in a wide variety of outside |
| materials used or developed by the student." | | | | activities, interact with a broad spectrum of |
| Showcasing your child's "sample materials" can be | | | | people, and make positive contributions to their |
| accomplished in various ways. Keep in mind that | | | | communities. Experience has shown that |
| whichever method you adopt to showcase your | | | | homeschoolers are well socialized and able to |
| sample materials they need to be organized in | | | | make lasting friendships across age and cultural |
| chronological order for ease in showing educational | | | | divides. |
| progress. More elaboration on this topic in the | | | | Painless right? We promised it wasn't that bad and |
| future... hopefully. | | | | now that you have all of your legal bases |
| 3. Keep your portfolio organized and available. | | | | covered you can concentrate on enjoying the |
| Florida home schooling law requires you to make | | | | home schooling experience and enriching the lives |
| your portfolio "available for inspection by the | | | | of your children through learning. Now all that's left |
| superintendent or the superintendent's agent, upon | | | | is to decide on a curriculum... Decisions... Decisions... |
| 15 days' written notice." The last thing you will | | | | |