Do homeschoolers have to comply with No Child Left Behind? NO!
Some school districts are requesting information about homeschooled children under the mistaken assumption that the data must be collected in order to create an identifier for the each student to comply with No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
Home educating parents are under no obligation to provide this information for several reasons:
1. NCLB specifically exempts homeschoolers from the requirements imposed on schools, school districts, and states.
2. The law in Pennsylvania governing home education programs (homeschooling) specifies that homeschooled students are NOT public or non-public school students. Therefore home educated students are exempt from this program.
Your best defense against loss of freedom is to know what the law requires and to obey it. When requested to provide information about birth dates, Social Security numbers, or any other detail, the home education provision of the school code is clear. Home educating families must provide name of student, age, address and phone number of the home education program, and the name of the supervisor of the home education program.
Filing with the School DistrictHomeschooling in Pennsylvania requires a number of steps specified in Act 169-1988 to be filed “prior to the commencement of homeschooling and annually thereafter by August 1st”. An affidavit A list of objectives Either evidence of medical services provided (a health form completed by your physician, dentist, or eye doctor) or a completed medical exemption form.
Be sure to check the Medical Services Required page to determine that the appropriate medical services for your child have been obtained. These include immunizations, health screenings, dental care, eye exams, and weight and height checks.