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…

Most states require compulsory attendance of students through age 16. Challenges to the compulsory attendance laws often derive from disputes between parents and school officials over home instruction. This paper reviews prominent court cases that address legal issues pertaining to home schooling. The landmark case of "Pierce v. Society of…