Home Schooling (Private Instruction)

Families may choose to educate their children at home instead of sending them to a traditional public or nonpublic school.  This is called home schooling. Families choose to home school for a variety of reasons. That is why the state of Iowa allows several educational options for home schooling:

• Full-time home school with the support of a certified teacher (Competent Private Instruction)
• Full-time home school without the support of a certified teacher (Competent Private Instruction or Independent Private Instruction)
• Part-time homeschool with part-time enrollment in a school district (Competent Private Instruction)
• Attendance at a non-accredited school (Competent Private Instruction)

Home schooling with the support of a certified teacher. Home instruction is supervised by a teacher hired by the family or provided by a district’s Home School Assistance program (HSAP).

Home schooling without the support of a certified teacher. The family provides the total educational program with no interaction with a public school or certified teacher.

Part-time homeschool with part-time enrollment in a school district. The student completes some instruction at home, and participates in a public school for some instruction or extra-curricular activities.

Attendance at a non-accredited school. A student attends a school that does not meet accreditation standards.

The Iowa Department of Education cannot issue diplomas, and the district of residence may not be compelled to issue a diploma. This is a local decision. Families desiring a district diploma for their children are urged to contact their resident high school administrators during their child’s 8th grade year to coordinate these credits.

2019-2020 Private Instruction Handbook - Note: Due the pending legislation from the 2020 session, the Private Instruction Handbook has not been updated for the 2020-21 school year. 

Private Instruction Comparison Chart

Form A - Private Instruction - Updated for the 2020-21 school year.

Form C-1 - Private Instruction

Annual Assessment Notification Sample Letter - Updated for the 2020-21 school year.

Acceptable Tests for Baseline and Annual Assessment Option

Senior Year Plus and Dual Enrolled Students