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WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State Legislature
http://leginfo.leg.wa.gov/
Summary of Washington State Laws Regulating Home-Based Education
Submitted by Janie Levine (FmlyLrngEx@aol.com)
Compulsory Attendance: All children between the ages of 8 and 18 are required to attend school unless:
A. The Child is physically or mentally unable to attend.
B. The child is fifteen years old and:
1. The district superintendent determines the child has already
attained a reasonable proficency (9th grade); OR
2. The child is regularly/lawfully engaged in a useful or
remunerative occupation; OR
3. The child has met state graduation requirements; OR
4. The child has received a certificate of educational competence.
The child may attend the public school, an approved private school, or receive home-based instruction.
Family Rights: "The state recognizes that parents who are causing their children to receive home-based instruction under RCW 28A.27.010(4) shall be subject only to those minimum state laws and regulations necessary to ensure 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 resposibility of the parent except for matters specifically referred to in this chapter."
Independent Home-Based Instruction must be:
A. Planned and supervised by the parent(s)...
...and include instruction in occupational education, science, math, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling, and appreciation of art and music. It will be provided for a time "equivalent" to the number of hours for private schools. (NOTE: The legislature recognizes that home-based instruction is less structured and more experiential than classroom education, therefore it has been declared that these provisons of the nature and quantity of instruction shall be liberally construed.)
B. Be provided by the child's parent(s) who (meets ONE)
1. Is supervised by a certified teacher, 1 hr. per week contact;
2. Has the equivalent of 45 college quarter credits;
3. Has taken a post secondary course in homeschooling;
4. Has been deemed qualifed by the local superintendent.
Duties of Parents(s):
Parents providing home-based instruction have the duty to:
A. File a declaration of intent annually with the local district, (providing the child's name, age, and stating if a teacher will be supervising - to be filed by Sept. 15 or within 2 weeks of any quarter).
B. Ensure that an annual standardized achievement test (approved by the state) is administered to the child by a qualified individual, or an academic progress assessment of the child is written by a certified teacher currently employed in the field of education.
Parents who comply with these duties shall be presumed to be providing home-based instruction.
Other options in home-based instruction include homeschooling in conjunction with part time attendance in the local public school, or enrolling the child in a private school approved by the WA State Board of Education. Parents utilizing these options must follow rules established by the public or private school.