Regulators ubiquitously dichotomize schooling into two discrete sectors: "public" and "private". Although homeschooling is regulated in some contexts as a third sector, the general approach is to treat it as a species of private education by subjecting it to public regulation while simultaneously denying it public funds. But…

Parents have a fundamental right to guide the upbringing of their children, and government has an obligation to respect that right. The nonpublic school community in the United States provides parents with important options for the education of their children. Faith-based and nonsectarian private schools, along with a growing number of children…

Data from state education agencies show that homeschooling has more than doubled, and possibly tripled, in the 5 years between the 1990-1991 school year and the 1995-1996 school year. By the 1995-1996 school year, from 1% to 2% of the total school-aged population were in homeschooling. Homeschooling has become a major sector of the private…

Homeschooling has developed from a small, isolated, parent-led effort to a vibrant national movement to lobby for and legalize K-12 education at home in all 50 states. Although a majority of homeschool families are Evangelical Christians, the others come from a variety of religious and nonreligious backgrounds, giving homeschooling a broad…

Summarizes home school legislation and case precedent in order to describe a national trend to limit state controls over private education. Concludes that the state's interests and parents' rights are more likely to be balanced if the state limits its evaluation to the product of education, not the process. (KO)

Examines the status of home instruction relative to judicial interpretations of the U.S. Constitution and individual state statutes. Summarizes and classifies case law as a means of updating judicial action. Notes that the debate about home instruction has moved from the realm of the U.S. Constitution to that of state legislation. (KO)

One manifestation of the demand for educational reform over the last 30 years has been the removal of children from public schools by their parents. This document looks at the history of early home schooling in the United States and presents demographic information concerning those families who have chosen this option. The academic achievement of…

This digest highlights some of the findings of the largest study of home schooling conducted to date (L. Rudner, 1999). For this study, 20,760 students in 11,930 families provided useable questionnaires and corresponding achievement test data. Home schooling parents had more formal education than parents in the general population, and many had…

Offers reasons why public schools should cooperate with local families educating their children at home: opposing home schooling is rarely fruitful; supporting home schoolers can improve public relations; home schooling offers otherwise unobtainable insights into child learning; and home-schooled students participating in district programs may…

Findings from a study of 19 families in rural Pennsylvania who educate their children at home show that, overall, these home educators are asserting their historical option of cultural agency and schooling. Their decisions have implications for the reform of public education. (SLD)

Choosing to homeschool or to educate a child traditionally is often a difficult and confusing decision for parents and guardians. To help them make the best possible choice, this brochure answers basic questions about homeschooling and suggests other useful sources of information. The questions include the following: (1) Do families have a right…

Issues surrounding parental decisions to privatize their children's education are examined in this paper, which focuses on three issues: (1) the declining credibility of state-sponsored education; (2) the nature and causes of privatized education as a viable alternative; and (3) the context in which this option occurs. The first section discusses…

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…

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…

U.S. students now have four choices of schooling: public schooling, private-religious schooling, private-independent schooling, and home-schooling. Of these options, home-schooling is the most novel. Since legalization across the states in the last few decades, it has grown in importance and legitimacy as an alternative choice. Thus, it is now…