How to Homeschool in North Carolina

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The Tar Heel state has a very flexible definition of homeschooling, allowing you to choose the best activities, options, and opportunities for your child's education. This article will help you understand the basic requirements for starting your own home education program. It contains the following:

An overview of North Carolina homeschool laws,
An introduction to homeschool groups in North Carolina, and a
Description of how Moving Beyond the Page can help you get started.

* This page does not contain legal advice and is not an endorsement of any homeschool groups listed. (see disclaimer)

North Carolina Homeschool Laws

In order to begin and maintain your homeschool program in the Tar Heel state, you must meet the following requirements:

Hold at least a high school diploma or its equivalent
Send to the Division of Non-Public Education (DNPE) a Notice of Intent to Operate a Home School
Operate the school "on a regular schedule, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations, during at least nine calendar months of the year"
Maintain disease immunization and annual attendance records for each student
Administer a nationally standardized achievement test annually to each student
Retain records of test results at the home school for at least one year, and make them available to DNPE when requested
Notify DNPE when the school is no longer in operation

Notice of Intent
You only need to send the Notice of Intent in your first year of operation and only if your child is over the age of seven as of June 1. The North Carolina DNPE reviews your Notice of Intent and will also review records annually. The following information about the Notice of Intent may be useful:

Submit your Notice at least one month before the starting date of your school.
Include the name and address of the school along with the name of the school's owner and chief administrator.
Include documentation of the adults listed on the form as instructors.
Use this form to complete your Notice of Intent.

Suggestions
While the NC DNPE does not require the following, they do suggest that you follow these guidelines when making instructive and administrative decisions:

Choose a name for your school that will appear professional on a diploma. (Name changes are not accepted.)
Maintain at least five clock hours of instruction each day.
Conduct instruction each school year for 180 days.
Maintain a current lesson plan book throughout the entire school year.
Retain records at your school until the student has enrolled in a conventional school or has graduated.

Homeschool Groups in North Carolina

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

North Carolinians for Home Education

http://nche.com/

NCHE is a statewide organization that provides a wealth of resources to homeschooling families throughout the state. In addition to a variety of links and forums, this group also sponsors an annual conference and book fair as well as scholarships for high school seniors. Be sure to also check out their "Local Groups" link (under the Community tab). This will allow you to research groups specific to your county.

Blueridge Homeschool Alliance

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/blueridgehomeschoolalliance/

This group provides support, activities, and social opportunities for families in Western North Carolina. *Note: you will have to sign in with a free Yahoo account to join this group.

Annual Homeschool Test in NC

http://www.triangleeducationassessments.com/main/

The state of NC requires that homeschoolers submit to a nationally normed test each year. Here is a group that can help you with these testing requirements.

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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 North Carolina

Beyond the Page is a homeschool curriculum that exceeds the requirements for homeschooling in the state of North Carolina. 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 North Carolina 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:

Age 4-5

Age 5-7

Age 6-8

Age 7-9

Age 8-10

Age 9-11

Age 10-12

Age 11-13

Age 12-14

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.