States have the ability to regulate cyber charter schools just as they regulate traditional schools, private schools, and homeschooling. The situation becomes trickier in terms of religion. In homeschool settings, parents have the right to deliver religious education to their children. Under "Zelman v. Simmons-Harris" (2002), a cyber charter…

Discusses changing framework of American education in light of charter-school movement, school choice and voucher programs, and home schooling. Analyzes potential impact on public education of 2000 Supreme Court decision ("Troxel v. Granville"), involving parents' child visitation rights. Concludes that "Troxel" could…

Reports on the establishment of a charter school in Michigan that serves home-schooling families and stresses a creationist curriculum. Describes the legal action taken against public funding of the charter school. (DDR)

Cases that address the issue of home schooling are summarized in this report. Organized chronologically, each case description includes quoted material from the court ruling. Issues involve parent actions regarding compulsory student enrollment, parent qualifications for home teaching, student certification, church-state separation, constitutional…

Examines state laws and the actions of various courts on home instruction and unauthorized educational programs. Suggests reforming the regulation of private education through legislative action that requires periodic testing as an alternative to compulsory school attendance. (Author/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 court litigation reverses Farris and Black of Home School Legal Defense Association v. South Carolina State Board of Education, which found that the Education Entrance Examination (EEE) was properly validated for use in testing home school instructors as regulated by S. C. Code Ann. Section 59-65-40(A)(1)(a)(1990), the home schooling statute…

Reviews history of the rights of parents to control the education of their children from colonial times to present (includes the development of case law). English and American common law recognizes parents' natural right to control their children's education. Concludes that, as long as academic standards are satisfied, a child's education should…

Reviews state policies regulating private education and home instruction that limit parental choice in education. Criticizes judicial response to parental challenges, suggesting that parental interests have been underprotected and state interests have been overprotected. Suggests reasonable bases for state intervention. (FMW)

Twenty years ago, home education was treated as a crime in almost every state. Today, it is legal all across America, despite strong and continued opposition from many within the educational establishment. This paper explores the various factors behind its success and resiliency against antagonistic social and political pressures. In the early…

This paper reports on a study that examines legal and policy issues surrounding access to public-school extracurricular activities for home-school students. Chapter 1, "The Problem and Its Background," reviews such relevant issues as the history of choice in America and Illinois, legal foundations, regulatory disparities, research…

The 1977 court case of a Nebraska home school that was not accredited and not approved by the Department of Education is reviewed and the State's position summarized. Nebraska regulations for exempting schools from accreditation requirements are explained. Comments are made on trends in home schools and private education in Nebraska. (PS)

To provide information about legal decisions on home-based private education programs, court cases decided since 1980 and the courts' analyses of constitutional issues raised during litigation are summarized. The memorandum discusses cases that involved challenges to the constitutionality of state home schooling regulations and are based on: (1)…

Dissatisfied with the performance of government-run schools, more and more American families have begun teaching their children at home. Estimates of the number of homeschooled children vary widely; the best estimate is 500,000 to 750,000, but some estimates range up to 1.23 million. All observers agree that the number has grown rapidly over the…

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…