In this first installment of the series on state-level policy and microschooling, the authors explain Idaho's recent legislative debate over two competing approaches to supporting the creation of small learning communities, known as microschools. Idaho's strong homeschooling community and its low-enrollment rural districts create political…

America has a long history of small-school environments, such as one-room schoolhouses and homeschools. But in recent years, other models have developed, giving students more intimate settings for learning and enabling their families to play a larger role in their schooling. Microschools are a leading example of this growing sector that also…

In a case involving a principal terminated after deciding to home-school his children, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a federal district's $300,000 settlement favoring plaintiff. School employees desiring to enroll their children in nonpublic school settings should consider whether their district has a school patronage policy requiring…

With home schooling legal everywhere and many home-schoolers reaching high school age, state legislatures are considering whether and how to encourage "mix-and-match" schooling. In some areas, discussion centers on access to academic classes only. In others, attention is on eligibility to participate in sports or extracurricular…

Home schooling is one of the fastest growing educational options in the United States. In 1995, the National Home Education Research Institute reported the number of home-schooled children to be approximately 500,000 students, one percent of the total school-age population. Parents choose home schooling for various reasons including differences in…