Welcome new families!! We look forward to meeting you ...with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.  Matthew 19:26 Share your CHEA event photos!! Upload them in the Photo Gallery
 

How do I homeschool in Georgia?

What do I need to do, to Homeschool in Georgia?? 

Thankfully our great state of Georgia makes it very simple to homeschool!

** To sign up to homeschool: Submit an annual declaration of intent. **  Its so easy!!  Just go here: https://www.gadoe.org/Curriculum-Instruction-and-Assessment/Pages/Home-Study-DOI.aspx

Give name of student and age.  Fill in your own signature, date, address, district, and school year. That’s it!!  You don’t need to turn anything else in to the local or state govt.  There are some requirements to fulfill the state law (see below), but no other info is needed to be submitted.

 

Within 30 days after you begin homeschooling, and every year thereafter by September 1, you must submit a “declaration of intent to utilize a home study program” to the Georgia Department of Education. You can access online and printable versions of the declaration of intent on the department’s website. Your declaration must include the names and ages of your students, the location of your home study program, the local school system in which your home study program is located, and the 12-month period that you consider to be your home study program’s school year.

 

Withdraw Your Child -  If you do decide to homeschool in the middle of the school year, you must first withdraw your child from the private or public school.  Do not file your Declaration of Intent until you have withdrawn your child. GHEA recommends obtaining a copy of your child’s school records from the school from which you are withdrawing him/her. Simply ask the school how you go about getting a copy of the school records. https://ghea.org/getting-started-mid-year/

 

What is legally required to homeschool my child?

  1. Provide the required number of days of instruction. 180 days, 4.5 hours a day

During the school year, your home study program must provide the equivalent of 180 days of education with each school day consisting of at least four and one-half school hours, unless your child is physically unable to comply with this requirement.

It's best to keep a log of this, in case a proof is needed.  It is not required to submit this information.

 

  1. Teach the required subjects.

Your home study program must provide a basic educational program that includes, but is not limited to, reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science.

 

  1. Write an annual progress report. 

At the end of every school year, you must write a report of the progress that your child made in each of the required subjects. You must keep this report in your records for at least three years. It does not have to be submitted to public school officials.

 

  1. Test your child at least every three years after he or she completes 3rd grade.

Your child must be tested at least every three years, beginning at the end of the 3rd grade. You may administer the test if you do this “in consultation with a person trained in the administration and interpretation of norm reference tests.” Test results do not have to be submitted to public school officials. Click here to learn more about testing and evaluation options. 

Many CHEA families test their child at the local homeschool co-op (IOWA) http://www.homeschoolchc.com/.  (This is open to all homeschool families, not just co-op families).  Other families use online testing through Christian Liberty Press (CAT).  Bob Jones also offers testing (IOWA).

 

WHO can homeschool my child?

 Ensure that the person or people homeschooling your child have the required qualifications.

You must be a parent or a legal guardian of a child before you can file a declaration of intent to homeschool that child. You may hire a tutor to help you homeschool your child. The teaching parent or guardian and any tutor in a home study program must have a high school diploma or a GED.



This info is found at https://hslda.org/legal/georgia