ERIC Number: EJ1053778
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 15
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0161-956X
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Available Date: N/A
Does Homeschooling "Work"? A Critique of the Empirical Claims and Agenda of Advocacy Organizations
Lubienski, Christopher; Puckett, Tiffany; Brewer, T. Jameson
Peabody Journal of Education, v88 n3 p378-392 2013
The phenomenal growth of homeschooling in recent years demonstrates not only the appeal of this educational approach but also the notable policy acumen of the homeschooling movement's leading advocates. This analysis examines and critiques the empirical claims made by homeschooling proponents to justify further expansion and deregulation of the movement, and sheds light on the homeschool advocacy agenda explicit in those claims. Advocates often strongly suggest a causal connection between homeschooling and academic success, postsecondary attainment, and even enjoyment of life. Seemingly, these benefits are experienced all at a reduced cost per student. It is through such claims that homeschooling advocates have expanded the practice of homeschooling and have pressed for fewer state regulations and less oversight. This article outlines and challenges those claims, showing the tenuous basis for such conclusions. Instead, in an era when policymakers demand evidence of effective educational practices, we note the remarkable lack of empirical evidence on the effectiveness of this popular approach and suggest that continued efforts to claim such evidence exists indicates the desire of advocates to further advance what is largely an ideological agenda of deregulation as an end in itself.
Descriptors: Home Schooling, Advocacy, Program Effectiveness, Educational Methods, Educational Policy, Correlation, Academic Achievement, Educational Attainment, Life Satisfaction, Expenditure per Student, State Regulation, Governance, Educational Practices, Accountability
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
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Language: English
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