Washington Homeschool Law - Washington Homeschooling

Washington State Home-Based Instruction Law

These are the relevant regulations for home education in Washington State:

RCW 28A.225.010
Attendance mandatory -- Age -- Exceptions.

All parents in this state of any child eight years of age and under eighteen years of age shall cause such child to attend the public school of the district in which the child resides and such child shall have the responsibility to and therefore shall attend for the full time when such school may be in session unless:
(b) The child is receiving home-based instruction as provided in subsection (4) of this section;

(2) A parent for the purpose of this chapter means a parent, guardian, or person having legal custody of a child.

(4) For the purposes of this chapter and chapter 28A.200 RCW, instruction shall be home-based if it consists of planned and supervised instructional and related educational activities, including a curriculum and instruction in the basic skills of occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the development of an appreciation of art and music, provided for a number of hours equivalent to the total annual program hours per grade level established for approved private schools under RCW 28A.195.010 and 28A.195.040 and if such activities are:

(a) Provided by a parent who is instructing his or her child only and are supervised by a certificated person. A certificated person for purposes of this chapter and chapter 28A.200 RCW shall be a person certified under chapter 28A.410 RCW. For purposes of this section, "supervised by a certificated person" means: The planning by the certificated person and the parent of objectives consistent with this subsection; a minimum each month of an average of one contact hour per week with the child being supervised by the certificated person; and evaluation of such child's progress by the certificated person. The number of children supervised by the certificated person shall not exceed thirty for purposes of this subsection; or

(b) Provided by a parent who is instructing his or her child only and who has either earned forty-five college level quarter credit hours or its equivalent in semester hours or has completed a course in home-based instruction at a postsecondary institution or a vocational-technical institute; or

(c) Provided by a parent who is deemed sufficiently qualified to provide home-based instruction by the superintendent of the local school district in which the child resides.

(5) The legislature recognizes that home-based instruction is less structured and more experiential than the instruction normally provided in a classroom setting. Therefore, the provisions of subsection (4) of this section relating to the nature and quantity of instructional and related educational activities shall be liberally construed. 28A.200.020
Home-based instruction -- Certain decisions responsibility of parent unless otherwise specified.
The state hereby recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall be subject only to those minimum state laws and regulations which are necessary to insure that a sufficient basic educational opportunity is provided to the children receiving such instruction. Therefore, all decisions relating to philosophy or doctrine, selection of books, teaching materials and curriculum, and methods, timing, and place in the provision or evaluation of home-based instruction shall be the responsibility of the parent except for matters specifically referred to in this chapter.

RCW 28A.200.010
Home-based instruction -- Duties of parents.
Each parent whose child is receiving home-based instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) shall have the duty to:

(1) File annually a signed declaration of intent that he or she is planning to cause his or her child to receive home-based instruction. The statement shall include the name and age of the child, shall specify whether a certificated person will be supervising the instruction, and shall be written in a format prescribed by the superintendent of public instruction. Each parent shall file the statement by September 15 of the school year or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester with the superintendent of the public school district within which the parent resides or the district that accepts the transfer, and the student shall be deemed a transfer student of the nonresident district. Parents may apply for transfer under RCW 28A.225.220;

(2) Ensure that test scores or annual academic progress assessments and immunization records, together with any other records that are kept relating to the instructional and educational activities provided, are forwarded to any other public or private school to which the child transfers. At the time of a transfer to a public school, the superintendent of the local school district in which the child enrolls may require a standardized achievement test to be administered and shall have the authority to determine the appropriate grade and course level placement of the child after consultation with parents and review of the child's records; and

Ensure that a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of education is administered annually to the child by a qualified individual or that an annual assessment of the student's academic progress is written by a certificated person who is currently working in the field of education. The state board of education shall not require these children to meet the student learning goals, master the essential academic learning requirements, to take the assessments, or to obtain a certificate of mastery pursuant to *RCW 28A.630.885. The standardized test administered or the annual academic progress assessment written shall be made a part of the child's permanent records. If, as a result of the annual test or assessment, it is determined that the child is not making reasonable progress consistent with his or her age or stage of development, the parent shall make a good faith effort to remedy any deficiency.

Failure of a parent to comply with the duties in this section shall be deemed a failure of such parent's child to attend school without valid justification under RCW 28A.225.020. Parents who do comply with the duties set forth in this section shall be presumed to be providing home-based instruction as set forth in RCW 28A.225.010(4).

Home Based Instruction Law Overview

RCW 28A.225.010, 28A.200.020 are the relevant regulations for home education in Washington State. A parent who is instructing his or her child must qualify by having earned forty-five college level quarter credit hours, or its equivalent in semester hours, or complete a course in home-based instruction. There are several homeschool-qualifying courses throughout the state and they are not very expensive.

Parents have the duty to file annually a signed declaration of intent that states the parents are planning to home-educate. This releases the school from the legal obligation to educate your child and protects your family from truancy. Make sure you keep a stamped "received" copy in your files.

Washington Home-Educators have 11 basic skills of instruction by law: occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and the development of an appreciation of art and music. The legislature recognizes that home-based instruction is less structured and more experiential than the instruction normally provided in a classroom setting, also stated is our activities shall be liberally construed. This gives us a lot of freedom to use various methods of educating. This is reiterated with the following: all decisions relating to philosophy or doctrine, selection of books, teaching materials and curriculum, and methods, timing, and place in the provision or evaluation of home-based instruction shall be the responsibility of the parent.

Parents must administer a standardized achievement test annually by a qualified individual or an annual assessment of academic progress. A certified teacher who is currently working in the field of education must write the assessment. It only requires a statement that the child has made progress then be signed and dated by the assessor. All of this information is for the parents only and does need to be made a part of the child's permanent records that you the parents keep, just incase you choose to send your child to public school in the future.

This is a quick overview of the essential points in Washingtons home-based instruction law. All parents should read the law before home educating. If you need clarification or would like a more detailed review, feel free to contact WNLA at wanaturallearnasc@verizon.net. We will be glad to assist you!