If you live in the United States and you want to start homeschooling, then the good news is you can.
It is completely legal to homeschool in all the states in the country, but every state has its own law, so it is not always as simple as just diving in.
As each state has its own law about homeschooling, it is important to make sure you know the correct information before you start.
If you live in the state of Arkansas, there are a few things you should know about homeschooling here.
But don’t worry, we are here to help. We have put together a complete guide to homeschooling in Arkansas. Read on to find out everything you need to know.
Requirements For Homeschooling In Arkansas
If you live in Arkansas, then you are quite lucky when it comes to homeschooling. While there are some requirements you need to meet, they aren’t as extensive as some of the other states.
Lots of people actually regard Arkansas as being one of the more homeschool-friendly states in the whole country.
When it comes to the laws and requirements, you need to do the following:
You must file an annual Notice of Intent.
Any children between the ages of 5 and 17 must be in some form of legal education, so if your kids aren’t in public school, they need to be homeschooled.
Aside from these two requirements, you do not have to do anything else in order to start homeschooling in the state of Arkansas.
This is why lots of people consider Arkansas to be one of the easiest states to start homeschooling in.
Notice Of Intent
Filing a Notice of Intent to Homeschool in Arkansas is the most important thing you must do when you start the process of homeschooling in this state.
There are a few details and declarations you must include in your Notice of Intent.
Having all of this information correctly written on the notice will ensure that the whole process goes faster so you can focus on homeschooling.
The following things should be included in your Notice of Intent:
The name, age, sex, date of birth, and grade level of each child you plan on homeschooling.
If applicable, the name and address of the previous school your children attended.
A statement that signifies if your child will be pursuing a driver’s license during the school year.
A statement that signifies if your child will be pursuing a high school equivalency diploma during the school year.
A statement that signifies if your child will be participating in public school interscholastic activities.
The signature of the parent or legal guardian.
When you submit the Notice of Intent to homeschool, you are assuming full responsibility as the parent or guardian over your children’s education.
If you think you may need to include any other information, you can contact your local school superintendent.
Record Keeping In Arkansas
There are no official laws in regard to record keeping in Arkansas. While it is not a requirement and you won’t get into any trouble if you don’t keep records, it is still advised that you do keep them.
Record keeping is helpful for a number of reasons. If your children ever want to go to college or they want to go back to public school, having a homeschool portfolio of their work and progress will help in those situations.
Without keeping these records, it can be a harder and longer process to get into college or get back into public school.
Having a record of your child’s academic progress will also help you, as their instructor, know where you need to go next with lessons and teaching methods.
Qualifications For Homeschooling In Arkansas
In the state of Arkansas, there are no requirements for parents or legal guardians to have any qualifications in order to homeschool their children.
This means that regardless of your own educational background, you will be able to teach your children without breaking any laws.
As long as you are the parent or legal guardian of the children who are being homeschooled, you are well within your rights to instruct them in a homeschooled setting.
Required Subjects For Homeschooling In Arkansas
There are no required subjects you need to teach when you are homeschooling in Arkansas. However, there are some subjects you might want to consider including in your curriculum.
The subjects you may want to consider incorporating into your homeschool curriculum are as follows:
English Language
Math
Science
Social Studies
Career Development
Health & Safety
Fine Arts
The reason you may want to include these subjects in your curriculum is due to graduation requirements, but we will go into that later.
Because there are no official laws regarding required subjects, you are free to create a curriculum and plan that suits both you and your children.
Talk to your kids and see what subjects interest them, keep them engaged, and see what works for your situation.
Days Required For Homeschooling In Arkansas
In the state of Arkansas, there are no official required days of instruction for homeschooling families. This means that you are free to create a homeschooling schedule that works for you and your children.
If you are very new to homeschooling, you can base your hours of instruction around public school hours. Public schools in Arkansas run for 178 days per calendar year, so if using the public school format works for you, try that out.
Standardized Testing In Arkansas
Standardized testing is not required for any homeschoolers in the state of Arkansas, so you do not have to put your kids up for it if you do not want to.
While it is not required by law, some homeschooling families still choose to take part in standardized testing. This is because it can help with getting into college or even getting put into the right grade level when returning to public school.
If you do decide that you want your children to take part in standardized testing, you can contact your local school district and they will be able to point you in the right direction.
What you have to do varies depending on which school district you are in, but your school district will have all the relevant information that you need.
Graduation Requirements
In the state of Arkansas, there are no official requirements you need to follow in order for your children to graduate when homeschooling.
Parents are in charge of deciding what their kids need to do in order to successfully graduate and what goals they need to achieve.
We previously mentioned a list of subjects in the ‘required subjects’ section because in lots of cases, parents will base their graduation template around public school graduation requirements.
In the state of Arkansas, public schoolers must have the following credits to successfully graduate:
4 credits of English language arts
4 credits of math
3 science credits
3 social studies credits
6 career development credits
Half credits in oral communication, physical education, health and safety, and fine arts.
Students must also complete a digital course for credit.
While none of this is a requirement for homeschoolers, it is helpful to know this information, especially if you do not know how to decide when your kids can graduate.
You can use this as a template if you want to, but remember, this is not a requirement for homeschooling families.
Returning To Public School
While homeschooling is successful for many families, some opt to return to public schooling. This can be for any number of reasons, and if you find that you and your child are ready to do the same, this is an option in the state of Arkansas.
When you have decided on your desired school, homeschooling families should set up a meeting with the administration or the principal. You will also need to submit the following to your desired school:
A transcript detailing courses taken and grades received
A portfolio indicating the student’s progress while homeschooling
It is likely that your child will have to take some tests in order for them to be placed in the appropriate grade level, but this is completely normal. If they haven’t taken any recent standardized tests, they may also need to do this too.
Arkansas is one of the most relaxed states in the U.S. when it comes to homeschooling.
Regardless of your own educational background, you should have no issues teaching your kids from home. Just remember to file a Notice of Intent before you intend to start homeschooling.
Use our guide to get started with homeschooling in Arkansas.
If you have any other questions or need clarity on any of this information, you can talk to your school district and local superintendent. They will provide you with any and all information that you will need.
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