How to Homeschool in Hawaii

The beautiful state of Hawaii is a great place to vacation for many around the world, but what many do not know is that Hawaii is also a great place to begin teaching your family from home. Hawaii offers you a couple options for how you wish to homeschool your child, allowing you to choose an option that best fits in with your life.
In this article you will find an:

• An overview of Hawaii homeschool laws
• An introduction to homeschool groups in Hawaii
• A description of how Moving Beyond the Page can help you get started

Hawaii Homeschool Laws

Option 1
The first option for homeschooling your family in Hawaii has you submitting a notice of intent to your child’s superintendent. The notice will need to be sent before you begin homeschooling your child, and will include the following information about your child:

• Name
• Address
• Birth date
• Grade level
• Phone number
• Signature of child and parent

You will also need to keep a record of your child’s education. This includes the dates and times of instruction, as well as a summary of the curriculum covered each year, the methods used to teach and master the curriculum, and a list of the materials and textbooks used to teach your child.

Option 2
The second option that you can choose involves enrolling your child in an appropriate alternative educational program that has been approved of by the superintendent. This option requires that a qualified teacher that has a bachelor’s degree teach your child. Your child would not have to attend a school, but the program that you chose to educate your child would need to meet the requirements most schools need to meet.

Assessment
Regardless of which option you choose, you will need to submit an annual report of your child’s progress. You can do this several ways, and you can choose to submit a different form of assessment each year if you choose.

• Standardized Test
You can choose to have your child take a nationally recognized standardized test each year to measure your child’s progress. You may choose to either take a test that shows achievement based on your child’s age, or take a test that shows achievement based on your child’s grade level. If your child started school early or late you may want to choose the test that assesses your child based on their grade level.

• Written Evaluation
This option requires that you provide a written evaluation of your child’s progress from either a certified teacher or a parent, depending on which homeschooling option you choose. If you chose option one and are a parent writing the evaluation, you will need to include a description of your child’s progress in each subject area, samples of your child’s work, and sample tests/assignments as well as the grades for your child.

• Hawaii Statewide Testing Program
The final option is if you choose to have your child participate in Hawaii’s statewide testing program. The program has your child take a test at the grade levels of 3, 5, 8 and 10.

For more about the Hawaii assessment requirement click here.

Homeschool Groups in Hawaii

Homeschooling your children is a daunting task, but there are many groups and organizations in Hawaii to help you out. Here are some organizations you may want to look into.

NOTE: You can find a wealth of local and state groups offering homeschooling advice and support on sites such as Facebook and Yahoo Groups. You can search by city or county, religious preference, homeschooling philosophy, and more. You will need a free account on these sites to join one of their groups.

A Homeschool Curriculum for Hawaii

Beyond the Page is a homeschool curriculum that exceeds the requirements for homeschooling in the state of Hawaii. All of the Beyond the Page packages cover science, social studies, and language arts, and we offer a range of math programs as well. The Hawaii legal requirements are only a starting point, and our curriculum utilizes a range of educational strategies that are designed to foster a love of learning in children including:

• Hands-on activities,
• Differentiated options, and
• Independent projects.

Beyond the Page encourages critical thinking and creativity while encouraging your child's unique learning style like no other curriculum on the market. If your child is a hands-on learner, a gifted learner, or a creative free-thinker, then you should look into Beyond the Page for your child.

Choose an age level to continue:

Disclaimers

Any information about the laws in your state is provided to help you understand your legal requirements to homeschool in your state. It should by no means be interpreted as legal advice. This information was not compiled by a lawyer. It is your responsibility to interpret and understand the laws that you will be homeschooling under. If you have questions, you should seek the advice of a lawyer that operates in your state.

Beyond the Page does not endorse any of the homeschool groups that are included in these pages. They are provided only for your benefit. You should research any group to ensure that they align with your family's goals and philosophies.