Homeschooling your kids in the United States is quite a common thing, and it has seen a rise in popularity in recent years.
If you come to the decision that you want to homeschool your children, you will want to start right away, but every state has its own laws you need to follow.
When you live in the state of Indiana, you will be happy to know that it is one of the more relaxed states in terms of homeschooling.
Indiana has minimal requirements and laws you need to meet, so that means that you can focus on getting started a lot faster.
If you live in the state of Indiana and you want to start homeschooling, then you have come to the right place.
We have put together a complete guide to homeschooling in Indiana, so read on to find out everything you need to know.
Requirements For Homeschooling In Indiana
As previously stated, Indiana is quite relaxed in its approach to homeschooling, so this means that there aren’t too many requirements and laws you need to meet.
As Indiana has so few requirements, this means that you can start homeschooling a lot faster than some of the other states.
The requirements you need to meet in order to homeschool in Indiana are as follows:
Attendance records must be kept by the parents for each school year.
All homeschooling instructions must be kept in the English Language.
All instructions should be equivalent to what is provided in public schools.
Your children must have a minimum of 180 days of instruction.
Children between the ages of 7 and 18 are required by law to be in some form of education, so if your children are between these ages, you must be teaching them.
These are the only hard requirements needed for homeschooling in Indiana, so you really don’t have to do too much before you begin.
As long as you follow these rules and requirements, you can begin homeschooling your children immediately.
Record keeping is one of the biggest requirements in the state, but if you don’t know what records need to be kept, read on to find out more.
Record Keeping In Indiana
Record keeping for homeschooled children is one of the biggest requirements in Indiana law, but if you have never homeschooled before, you might be wondering what sort of records you need to keep.
It really isn’t complicated, though, so don’t panic. Below, you will find a checklist of everything needed in terms of record-keeping in the state:
All subjects that are covered during each school year.
School report cards. These can be administered by parents, or they can be done online.
Any and all scores from any standardized tests that have been taken.
High school transcript records for children who are homeschooled between grades 9 and 12.
Examples of submitted work from each course and subject taken.
The best way to keep your records is to have a high school portfolio. This takes away the chaos of keeping loose records and keeps everything organized and in date order.
Record keeping might seem like a lot of work at first, but once you get into the swing of it, it won’t be complicated at all.
If you have any questions about other kinds of records, you can talk to your school district and/or superintendent to make sure you haven’t missed anything.
Qualifications For Homeschooling In Indiana
In the state of Indiana, you are not required by law to need any qualifications in order to homeschool your children. Parents are automatically qualified to homeschool their own kids.
If you plan on having your children be tutored in online schools or anything similar, qualifications are still not required, but you may want proof of them for your own peace of mind.
Homeschooling in Indiana is relatively easier than in a lot of other states, which is why it’s so popular here.
Even if you have never taught before in your life or have no teaching qualifications, you are permitted by law to start homeschooling your own children whenever you decide it is appropriate.
Notice Of Intent
While a Notice of Intent is not required by law in Indiana, you are required by law to notify your school district if you plan to remove your children from public education.
This is advised because doing so without notifying can trigger truancy investigations and other headaches that could just be avoided by telling the school district in advance.
If your child is in high school, you will also need to sign a “Withdrawal to Non-Accredited Non-public School Located in Indiana” form.
All this form does is indicate by law that you recognize and are aware of the change.
Failure to sign this form will make your child a ‘dropout’ by law, and this can affect things like getting a driver’s license or learner’s permit until they are 18.
Required Subjects For Homeschooling In Indiana
There are no required subjects that need to be taught when homeschooling in Indiana. Instead, the state requires you to give “instruction equivalent to that given in public schools.”
Luckily, the law leaves that up to interpretation by the parents who are homeschooling, so you can take a few liberties in what you teach.
It is advised to teach basic public school subjects such as Reading and Writing, Science and Math, and Social Studies, but you are at liberty to decide what sort of curriculum is best for your child.
Days Required For Homeschooling In Indiana
The amount of days required for homeschooling in Indiana is another one of the minimal laws that you must follow in the state.
You are required to teach at least 180 days per academic year if you are homeschooling.
This is the same amount of days required for private schools, and you are free to choose how many hours a day as long as it stretches over 180 days.
Make sure you keep a record of attendance to prove that your child has actually spent 180 days homeschooling. This is required by law, so keep on top of it.
Standardized Testing In Indiana
Standardized testing is not required for homeschooled children, so you are free to decide if your children are going to be involved in it or not.
However, some homeschooled children who are in specific educational programs or initiatives that are offered by a public or accredited nonpublic school may have to undergo some testing.
It really depends on the program or initiative, so if your kids are doing this, ask the organizers for more information when needed.
Also, while standardized testing is not required by law in the state, your children can take part in it if you decide it is the right option.
Ask your school district for more information if this is something you are interested in.
Graduation Requirements In Indiana
In the state of Indiana, there are no real graduation requirements for homeschooled children. You are free to decide what requirements are needed for yourself.
If you don’t know what to include in your homeschooling graduation requirements, here are some ideas you can work with:
A passing score on any Indiana high school equivalency exam.
A diploma that is issued by the parents upon successful completion of any homeschooling courses.
A diploma issued by private/online schools upon successful completion of any courses.
These are just some ideas to get you started, but you have a lot of free reign in this area.
Transferring Back To Public School
It is not uncommon for parents and children to decide that homeschooling is not for them, and returning to public school might be the better option.
In this case, all you have to do is follow your chosen public school guidelines when re-enrolling your children.
It is important to know that every single school is going to have different requirements and guidelines, so you will need to set up a meeting with your chosen school in order to proceed correctly.
Some schools will simply ask what grade you, as the parent, think is appropriate for your child to enroll in, while other schools may ask for things like your child’s homeschool curriculum and/or grades. Some schools even require your child to take placement tests.
Again, it really depends on the school, so do not be afraid to ask questions for more clarity on what will be needed when transferring your kids back to public school.
Conclusion
If there’s any state that makes it easy to homeschool your children, it is definitely Indiana!
Whether you are experienced in homeschooling, or you are just getting started, all the information we have provided here should help you and your kids on your journey.
While Indiana is very relaxed in its laws regarding homeschooling, it is important that you follow the requirements of the letter.
As long as you meet every law and requirement properly, you will be able to homeschool your children uninterrupted and a lot faster.
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