A recent United States Supreme Court ruling requires that school staff with contagious diseases be treated like other handicapped employees who may be "otherwise qualified" to continue work under reasonable accommodation. Compulsory education laws are facing court challenges in several states, as parents seek more flexibility in…

Describes the individualized instructional approach of the Imperial Tutoring and Educational Services school in Chicago (Illinois), which offers tutoring by certified personnel for remedial and enrichment purposes. The program recently became the first tutorial school fully accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. (PGD)

The number of parents who have chosen to educate their children at home has increased dramatically in recent years. Moreover, although less than one percent of school-aged children in the United States are schooled at home, a combination of judicial challenges and legislative activism have allowed advocates of home schooling to make major…

Parents applying for home schooling should be informed about such matters as curriculum options, testing procedures, teaching qualifications, and opportunities for socialization. Home-schooled children should be allowed to participate in as many of the regular school offerings as schools can legitimately accommodate. Provides statistics about home…

Since 1982, 34 states have changed their laws or regulations to make it easier for parents to teach their children at home. As the wave of home schooling grows, school administrators can do much to establish a climate of mutual respect, benefit, and cooperation. (MLF)

This chapter discusses the issues involved in home education as they relate to state compulsory school attendance laws. The authors first examine the purpose and context of compulsory attendance, then the public or private school alternatives. The statutory and case laws providing for home education are explored and some of the constitutional…

This paper presents selected results of some initial attempts to describe and understand the home school phenomenon. Two types of research activities investigating the nature of family curricula are reviewed: (1) informal descriptions of home schools and their participants' reflections as already published, and (2) several case studies of families…

Addresses the sources of dissatisfaction from parents who had removed their children from public schools to begin home schooling. Implications for public schools' community relations and practice specifically focus on three areas of greatest concern: student grouping practices, peer relationships, and the extension of the school day via homework.…

Parental rights and state compulsory school attendance requirements are limited by constitutional constraints, as shown in three benchmark cases. The article also cites cases to show the impact of compulsory education laws on home schooling, which is increasing. The state retains the power to impose minimum curriculum requirements. Cites…

State compulsory attendance statutes require parents and legal guardians to see that children are educated. Although courts have consistently upheld such statutes, the nature of these filings has changed. Whereas early-day legal action usually sought to protect the rights of some select group from constitutional infringement, more recent suits…

Having a home library benefits children and parents alike, by allowing immediate access to literature and reference information and by encouraging reading. The cost of stocking a home library can be prohibitive to forming a substantial collection. This book provides a guide to purchasing books at a discount, including suggestions on essential…

This monograph for teachers outlines reasons for working with parents. It presents a sampling of practical strategies that teachers can use to foster parent competence and responsibility in the education of their children. It also contains answers to some of teachers' questions about getting parents to visit the school and encouraging them to…

The prevalence of home schooling is increasing. Parents educate their children at home for the sake of security, morality, and educational quality. Not only does home schooling offer the advantages of closeness and security, but advocates also assert that education in the home results in greater reading proficiency. On the other hand, antagonists…

Legal challenges to state compulsory attendance laws have emphasized four interrelated constitutional claims. Under provisions of the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, parents have challenged the state's authority to require public school attendance in lieu of home instruction and private, religious organizations have refused to comply…

The six issues of this newsletter have the following themes: (1) home schooling, (2) promising practices, (3) parent advocacy, (4) the young gifted child, (5) "being out of sync," and (6) philosophy of giftedness. Major articles include the following: "Homeschooling for Gifted Primary Students" (Patricia Linehan); "Learning to Fly: A Home…