This article gives the demographic characteristics of the U.S. homeschooling population and the reasons that parents choose to homeschool, summarizes the findings of studies on the homeschool learner outcomes of academic achievement, social development, and success in adulthood, and proposes future research on parent-led home-based education. The…

This poll was conducted between January 6-9, 2023 among a sample of 2,200 adults. The interviews were conducted online and the data were weighted to approximate a target sample of adults based on gender, educational attainment, age, race, and region. Among the key findings are: (1) Among those parents reporting a child switching school types,…

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as of this writing, 21 states and three U.S. territories have ordered or recommended school building closures for the rest of the academic year, with closures impacting at least 124,000 U.S. public and private schools and affecting at least 55.1 million students. In addition, districts in nearly all other states…

A 1996-97 survey of 40 home schooling families in rural Nebraska examined family characteristics, parents' social and political attitudes, the rationale for home schooling, curriculum and supplementary materials, children's opportunities for social experiences, rural characteristics, parents' educational attitudes, and support from extended…

Experience and anecdotes have led many people to believe that homeschool parents were either move-to-the-country anarchist goat-herders, or right-wing Bible-thumpers, and their children were either mathematically-limited, due to Mama's fear of math, or child prodigies in rocket-science who were unthinkably socially hindered. Although one can find…

As state legislators, school boards, and the public at large become more receptive, home-schoolers are gaining access to more resources, including those at public schools. Researchers disagree over home schooling's effects on academic achievement and social development. Home schooling could be an important resource for studying how children learn…

Noting the lack of basic information necessary to begin to make conclusions about a home schooled child's social contacts, a study investigated the social networks of home vs. public schooled children (with a child's "social network" defined as all of the people who interact on a regular basis with the child at least once a month). The…

A small but increasing number of school-aged children are engaging in home schooling--pursuing learning at home or elsewhere in the community. This digest summarizes research findings on and issues around home schooling. It describes the historical roots of home schooling, the estimated number of participants, the constitutionality and legal…

This set of four newsletters discusses current issues in gifted education. The first issue includes: "The Underserved Young Gifted Child: Status of Programs and Research" (Joan Smutny); "The Home Education Model: An Alternative Program for the Gifted" (Karen Kendig) and "Jonathan Swift (1667-1745): A Need for Gifted…