NC Homeschool FAQs

North Carolina has experienced tremendous growth in homeschooling in recent years.
Here are several articles which give statistics and analyze that growth.
https://www.nche.com/stats/
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/education/item/19085-homeschoolers-outnumber-private-school-students-in-north-carolina
 

There are strong support groups throughout the state, as well as an active state homeschool organization, NCHE, which puts on a huge annual Conference and Book Fair, as well as monitors the state legislature and serves NC homeschoolers in many other important ways.


for more NC homeschooling info, go to :
https://www.nche.com/about/


HOMESCHOOL FAQ

Q.  What are the requirements to homeschool in NC?

A.  -Submit a Notice of Intent to homeschool (NOI) online to the Division of Non-Public Education
     - You will need to submit a copy of your high school diploma or transcript with graduation date, or the equivalent
     - Keep disease immunization records or exemptions and annual attendance records  for each student

     http://www.immunize.nc.gov/schools/ncexemptions.htm
     -Test your children (or have them tested) annually using a nationally standardized achievement test, involving the subject areas of reading, grammar, spelling, and mathematics.
For more information, see
https://www.doa.nc.gov/divisions/non-public-education/home-schools/requirements-recommendations   
 (Remember that REQUIREMENTS are mandatory and RECOMMENDATIONS or SUGGESTIONS are optional)

Q.  Do I need to open a homeschool in NC  if my child is enrolled in an online school?
 
A.   Yes!  Unless it is free, full-time online public school through NCVA or NCVPA, your child's online school is considered your curriculum, and you must have a legal, open NC homeschool in which your child is enrolled.  Because laws vary from state to state,  online schools often unknowingly give out incorrect information in this regard. 
 
Q.  When do I need to open my homeschool?
 
A.  In NC, you need to open your homeschool just before your child turns 7.   If your child is younger than 7, you can start homeschooling as early as you like, but they don't legally need to be enrolled in any school until age 7.  If they are younger than 7 and enrolled in school, you should withdraw them from school without filing an NOI, and then wait until just before the 7th birthday to file your NOI.  If they are older than 7, file your NOI online just before you withdraw them from school.  Do not withdraw your child from school until you receive notification (usually within 24 hours) that your NOI has been received.  You do not file an NOI for each child - you open your school when you start homeschooling and then close it when you no longer have any children enrolled - either because they have all graduated or because they are attending a different school.

Q. How many homeschoolers are there in NC?

A.  For the 2022-23  school year, there were 94,154 homeschools listed with the NC Division of Non-Public Education, educating an estimated 152,717 students ages 7-17.
http://ncadmin.nc.gov/citizens/home-school/non-public-education-resources-stats


Q.  Can someone else teach my children? Can I teach someone else's children?


A.  North Carolina law allows for two-household homeschools, in which a family currently registered as a homeschool with the DNPE can also teach the children from one other household.  See https://www.doa.nc.gov/home-school-guidebook-updated-5302023/open, pg 11.


G.S.115C-563(a) allows the parent, legal guardian, or a member of the two-family homeschool the discretion to determine the scope and sequence and sources of the academic instruction including, but not limited to, the use of professional educators, tutors, and other persons knowledgeable about the area of instruction.

https://www.doa.nc.gov/home-school-guidebook-updated-5302023/open
page 15

QWhat subjects am I required to teach at each grade level?  What subjects are required for high school graduation?

A.
  NC state law does not place any requirements on homeschools in either of these areas!  Each homeschool family has the freedom to determine which subjects will be offered on specific grade levels within their home school and which ones will be required for high school graduation from their home school.  There are a number of sources to which homeschool parents can go for guidance in this area, but the parent/administrator of the homeschool has the authority to decide what subjects to teach, when to teach them, and how to teach them.  
https://www.doa.nc.gov/home-school-guidebook-updated-5302023/open p 20-23
These pages lists the minimum subjects required for graduation from NC Public High Schools, basic subjects traditionally taught in private elementary and middle schools, and minimum admissions requirements to the 16 UNC-system universities and colleges. Remember that homeschools are not bound to these guidelines and these are presented for your information only, to help with your planning and goal-setting.  

A Scope and Sequence is a curriculum plan, usually in chart form, in which a range of instructional objectives, skills, etc., is organized according to the successive levels at which they are taught.  When you purchase curriculum, each course or program will include a scope & sequence.  You can read an article about "What Your Child Needs to Know When" here:
http://www.crosswalk.com/964908/
Also see:
https://hslda.org/teaching-my-kids/what-to-teach
https://simplehomeschool.net/homeschooling-101-whatandwhen/

Q.  How much does homeschooling cost?



A.  Depending on the choices you make, homeschooling can cost either a little or a lot. Generally, you can assume that homeschooling costs more than a public school education and less than a private school. If you had to, you could homeschool practically for free using public resources like libraries, museums, the Internet, educational TV and hand-me-down educational supplies.
In general, homeschooling costs more if you use a complete boxed curriculum (like Alpha Omega or Abeka) or sign up with an independent study school (like Laurel Springs or Keystone). Also, homeschooling costs tend to be higher for teenagers than for elementary school students. Many families enroll their homeschool teens in one or more outside classes, so you will have to factor that into your educational budget.
You will also want to budget additional funding for things like support group fees, extracurricular activities such as basketball, gymnastics, martial arts, piano lessons, and the like. Since homeschooled children have more time, they tend to participate in more of these activities.
The bottom line is that: (1) you have complete control over how much homeschooling will cost and (2) you can give your child a quality education no matter how much or how little money you have.




Q.  Do I really need to join a support group? What is the benefit?

A.  It is your decision whether or not you join a homeschool support group. However, a local support group provides a network of families who can encourage one another, share experiences, answer questions, provide information, offer suggestions, and join together for group activities and fellowship. Different support groups will have different requirements, focuses and flavors. Fees will vary depending on activities and services offered, cost of facilities, etc. You should investigate those available in your area to see which ones would be a good fit for your family.  To find other support groups in North Carolina, go to 
https://www.nche.com/community/regions/
Also, 
https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschooling-in-north-carolina/homeschool-organizations-support-groups/

Q. Where do I get books and curriculum?

A. Homeschool families purchase or borrow books and curriculum from a variety of sources, including publishers, homeschool vendors, bookstores, local new &used curriculum fairs, the public library, and from each other!  The annual NCHE Homeschool Conference and Book Fair held in Winston-Salem every May is an opportunity to look at and purchase materials from over 100 vendors, including both the big homeschool curriculum publishers and small family businesses.https://www.nche.com/thrive/

If you are in the Raleigh area, be sure to check out Home School Gathering Place, a family-owned homeschool bookstore selling both new and consigned curriculum and educational materials.  5204 Hollyridge Dr., Raleigh, NC 27612.


Q. Can my child still participate in public school activities like band or sports?

A. The N.C. legislature has authorized the North Carolina High School Athletic Association to govern and administer sports programs in all public high schools across the state.
Dual-enrollment opportunities in public high schools have been growing in recent years. Currently access to public school activities for homeschooled students is limited and determined by the principal of each individual school and a degree of enrollment in that school is required.   However, homeschool athletics as well as hybrid teams consisting of homeschool and private school students are both rapidly growing, and there are opportunities across the state for middle school and high school homeschoolers to play volleyball, soccer, basketball, baseball, softball, tennis,  football, golf, swimming, cross-country running, etc, with state, regional, and national tournaments as well.   http://nche.com/sports

Participation in public school clubs and activities like band is not widely accepted, and is usually determined by the principal of the school.  Alternatives to many of these activities are available within the homeschooling community. 
https://www.thehomeschoolmom.com/homeschooling-in-north-carolina/homeschool-sports-arts-opportunities/


Q. How will my child receive a high school diploma?

A. You will issue your student his or her diploma through your private homeschool, and it will be legally valid as indicating completion of your school's high school graduation requirements.  You may create your own diploma on your computer, request one from NCHE or HSLDA if you are a member of those organizations, or order one from an online company or local provider. 
https://www.doa.nc.gov/home-school-guidebook-updated-5302023/open  p.19

Q.  Can homeschoolers get into college?

A.  Thousands of homeschool graduates have successfully gone on to college, and many universities have information on their admissions websites specifically directed towards homeschoolers. There are even colleges actively recruiting homeschoolers and offering scholarships targeted to homeschool students. Homeschooled high schoolers should tailor their high school course work to be sure they are meeting admissions requirements at the institutions they are interested in attending, and take care to keep good records in order to create a high school transcript.  Staying well-informed about SAT and ACT testing and application deadlines is important, as well as choosing extracurricular activities and leadership opportunities that will enhance a college application.
 
Q.  What if my high schooler wants to take courses in subjects that I cannot teach?  Are there places besides public school where my high school student can take classes?

A. There are a number of possible places where your homeschooled high school student could take classes.  Most all involve a fee, sometimes a hefty one.  Investigate local co-ops and class offerings for homeschoolers in your area. The number of online class offerings keeps growing as homeschooling grows.  Some private high schools might allow homeschooled students to take classes. Local colleges and universities typically offer dual-enrollment opportunities for qualifying high school students, where the student would earn both college credit and high school credit given by you. Some might allow your student to audit a course, in which case the student would only receive the high school credit. Career & College Promise is a popular program offered through the NC community college system where high school students can work, tuition free, toward two-or four-year degree, a certificate or diploma.

2 comments:

Katie said...

Thanks so much for the info you provided here! Also wanted to add that I'm creating a blogroll of blogs that blog (at least occasionally) about homeschooling high school. (http://letshomeschoolhighschool.com/homeschool-high-school-blogs/) I came across yours today and would LOVE to add it. If you would consider this, could you email me? katie@letshomeschoolhighschool.com. Thanks in advance! Blessings...

Katie

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