ADMINISTRATORS FACE RESPONSIBILITIES OF INCREASED "HOME SCHOOLING"

By Jan W. Yablow Director of Pupil Personnel Services Ardsley, New York Director, Staff Development, ESSAA

ESSAA members increasingly find their schools in a competition for students with the "home schooling" movement. At a minimum, 850,000 students nationwide are educated at home, compared to 360,000 ten years ago, according to the New York Times. Most of these children are white, from two parent, but single-income homes, and from homes with three or more children.

The Times survey also reports that 49% of parents say they chose "home schooling" to obtain a better education for their children, while 38% cited religious reasons. 26% also mentioned a "troublesome learning environment" in their children's public school. (Yes. This adds up to more than 100%; respondents were permitted multiple responses.).

A November 15, 2003 New York Times article blasted New Jersey and eight other states, for allowing parents to remove their youngsters from school without any prior notification. Currently, 14 states require only that parents report that their children are being "home schooled"; parents are not required to provide attendance information or academic documentation.

Despite - or perhaps because of - the lack of legal constraints on "home schooling", the movement continues to grow. Critics note that "home schooling" undermines compulsory education mandates, and makes a mockery both of the standards movement, and Federal child-find requirements for children suspected of having disabilities.

According to the Times - there are over 67 "cyberschools" operating in 17 states "educating" over 15,000 students. Parents are now using the Internet to connect with on-line charter schools (sometimes with their state's funding and blessings) to educate their children at home, where the students can communicate with other students or with privately hired "teachers" while still in their "jammies."

In New York State, however, administrators have certain NYSED mandated responsibilities for "home schooled" students under Section 100.10 of the Commissioner's Regulations:

• Monitor the submission of specific timelines. Parents must notify their districts of their decision to "home school" by either July 1, or within 14 days, if the home schooling decision is made mid-year.
• Forward an Individual Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) to the Superintendent, delineating syllabi, curricula materials, and plans to instruct the "home schooled" student in four or more major subjects.
• Maintain attendance records equivalent to 180 days of instruction, and obtain quarterly reports filed which detail what was taught and for how many minutes.
• Obtain annual assessments by June 30, and these must include the children's test results, or written evaluations by certified teachers.

Administrators also have the responsibility of reporting any suspicions of educational neglect or child abuse to the appropriate authorities. As a Teachers College, Columbia, spokesman said, "Having children show up at a public place - like school - is one way to see that this type of mistreatment does not happen."

"Home schooled" youngsters may participate in clubs or intramural sports at the local Board of Education's discretion. On the other hand, neither parents nor tutors are required to produce credentials in order to provide services. No proof of immunization is required, and, though schools are not required to offer remediation, Special Education requirements must be met as per the child's IEP.

As if all of this wasn't enough for a public school administrator to deal with, some expect that the bombardment of testing from the NYSED - supposedly instituted to maintain and raise the quality of in-school instruction - may actually increase the abandonment of the public schools by children whose parents want to "home school" them.