Georgia Homeschool Information and Requirements

The state of Georgia’s homeschool requirements are following just one option. In order to home educate your child, these requirements must be met. The compulsory age is from the age of 6 to 16 years old.

Home Education Requirements

Option 1: Set up and operate a home education program (home study, or homeschooling)

1. For testing purposes, the child must be tested every 3 years, beginning in 3rd grade, and the results kept on file
2. The child must be in school 180 days a year, for 4 1/2 hours a day
3. The person teaching the child must a high school diploma or GED
4. The following subjects are required: Social studies, reading, language arts, mathematics, and science
5. File a declaration of intent with the local superintendent within 30 days of commencing the home education program and by September 1 annually thereafter
6. Attendance records must be submitted every month, with a written progress report submitted yearly

State Forms

No official forms are required for homeschooling in Georgia.

State Resources

The following Georgia code is from Ga. Code Ann. § 20-2-690(c)

Parents or guardians may teach their children at home in  a home  study program which meets the following requirements:

(1) The parent, parents, or guardian must submit within 30  days  after the establishment of a home study program and by September  1  annually thereafter a declaration of intent to utilize a home  study program to the superintendent of schools of the local  school district in which the home study program is located;
(2) The declaration shall include a list of the names and  ages of  the students who are enrolled in the home study program, the  address where the home study program is located, and a statement  of the 12 month period that is to be considered the school  year  for that home study program. Enrollment records and reports  shall  not be used for any purpose except providing necessary enrollment  information, except with the permission of the parent or guardian  of a child, pursuant to the subpoena of a court of competent jurisdiction, or for verification of attendance by the Department  of Public Safety for the purposes set forth in subsection  (a.1) of  Code Section 40-5-22;

(3) Parents or guardians may teach only their own children  in the  home study program, provided the teaching parent or guardian  possesses at least a high school diploma or a general educational  development (GED) diploma, but the parents or guardians may
employ  a tutor who holds at least a baccalaureate college degree  to teach such children;

(4) The home study program shall provide a basic academic  educational program which includes, but is not limited to,  reading, language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science;

(5) The home study program must provide instruction each 12  months  to home study students equivalent to 180 school days of education  with each school day consisting of at least four and one-half  school hours unless the child is physically unable to comply
with  the rule provided for in this paragraph;

(6) Attendance records for the home study program shall be  kept  and shall be submitted at the end of each month to the school  superintendent of the local school district in which the home  study program is located. Attendance records and reports shall  not be used for any purpose except providing necessary attendance  information, except with the permission of the parent or guardian  of a child, pursuant to the subpoena of a court of competent  jurisdiction, or for verification of attendance by the Department  of Public Safety for the purposes set forth in subsection  (a.1) of  Code Section 40-5-22;

(7) Students in home study programs shall be subject to an  appropriate nationally standardized testing program administered  in consultation with a person trained in the administration  and  interpretation of norm reference tests to evaluate their  educational progress at least every three years beginning  at the  end of the third grade and records of such tests and scores  shall  be retained but shall not be required to be submitted to public
educational authorities; and

(8) The home study program instructor shall write an annual  progress assessment report which shall include the instructor’s  individualized assessment of the student’s academic progress  in  each of the subject areas specified in paragraph (4) of this  subsection, and such progress reports shall be retained by  the  parent, parents, or guardian of children in the home study  program  for a period of at least three years.

(d) Any person who operates a private school without complying  with  the requirements of subsection (b) of this Code section or  any  person who operates a home study program without complying  with the  requirements of subsection (c) of this Code section shall
be guilty  of a misdemeanor and, upon conviction thereof, shall be punished  by  a fine not to exceed $100.00.

(e) The State Board of Education shall devise, adopt, and  make  available to local school superintendents, who shall in turn  make  available to administrators of private schools and parents  or  guardians with children in home study programs, such printed  forms  and procedures as may be reasonably necessary to carry out  efficiently the reporting provisions of this Code section,  but such printed forms and procedures shall not be inconsistent with  or  exceed the requirements of this Code section.

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