New to Homeschooling
New to Homeschooling?
If your child is currently enrolled in a public or private school, your first step in deciding to homeschool may be to contact your child's current school to determine how to withdraw him or her, if necessary.
In Georgia, parents or guardians may teach their own children provided the teaching parent or guardian has a high school diploma or GED. A tutor who has at least a high school diploma or GED may also be employed to teach. As the homeschooling parent, you are responsible for curriculum, assessment, record keeping, and scheduling of the homeschool program.
The Georgia Department of Education requires that homeschoolers annually submit a form called a Declaration of Intent. This should be submitted within 30 days of establishing a new homeschool program and by September 1 each year thereafter. The declaration should include the names and ages of students, the address of the homeschool, and the dates of the school year.
A school year is considered the equivalent of 180 days and 4.5 hours of instruction per day. It is recommended that you allow yourself a full calendar year to complete your school year. For example, if your school year begins on August 1, your last day would be July 31 of the following year.
The homeschool program must include instruction in reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science. However, you are not limited to teach only these subjects. The homeschool instructor must write an annual progress report in each required subject area for each student. The progress report should be retained for at least 3 years. In addition, homeschool students must be tested every three years beginning at the end of third grade using a national standardized test administered by a certified test administrator. Test records should also be retained.
The Declaration of Intent form, as well as current laws for homeschooling in Georgia, can be found at the following link:
https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Pages/Home-Schools.aspx
- Nest Christian Home Educators Association is a support organization that offers programs for homeschooling families with children in kindergarten through high school. You can find information about these programs on our website at enchea.com.
Our organization does not endorse or give advice on curriculum. Many options are available, and we recommend that you research to find one suitable for your student. The following websites are a good starting place for learning about different curriculum choices. In addition, you may choose to research online options as well.