Meetings of home schoolers were observed to determine parents' attitudes toward traditional education. Many parents, over time, grew to question the validity of their previous assumptions but remained firm in their belief that schools are not neutral and meritocratic dispensers of knowledge. (BJV)

The available evidence indicates that home school youth of compulsory education age have been scoring equal or better than their conventional school peers on measures of cognitive achievement and desirable affective traits; the significance of this is discussed. (BJV)

Home school research studies--surveys, case studies, and comparison studies--have primarily focused on the immediate environment of the home. Future investigations should expand to include the characteristics of other surrounding environments that may influence the home schooling process. (BJV)

Analysis of a state-wide survey and in-depth interviews with 15 home school families in Oregon reveals that the impetus for home schooling may be tied to the effects of contemporary culture on personal belief. Characteristics of religious and New Age home school families are discussed. (BJV)

Results of a longitudinal ethnographic study of Utah home schools reveals that past school experiences figure largely in present home school rationales and practices. Public school administrators need to acknowledge the effects of the past experiences of home schoolers, dispel their fears, and treat them as partners in the education process. (BJV)

Home school families in Washington were surveyed, and achievement test scores were analyzed to determine the following: (1) characteristics of home school families; (2) previous schooling and reasons for home schooling; and (3) effects of selected variables on student outcomes. (BJV)