WASHINGTON
Home School
CURRICULUM
RCW 28A.195.010 &Â RCW 28A.195.040
Washington requires that home school must consist of planned and supervised instructional and educational activities. There must be curriculum and instruction in occupational education, science, mathematics, language, social studies, history, health, reading, writing, spelling and the development of an appreciation of art and music. The number of hours of instruction must be equivalent to those established per grade level for approved Washington private schools.
ASSESSMENT
RCW 28A.225.010(4), RCW 28A.225.020, RCW 28A.225.220, RCW 28A.665.070
Washington state home school students are exempt from state testing. However, some home schooled students may choose to take state assessments. The parent who is administering home school instruction under RCW 28A.225.010(4) is required to annually administer a standardized achievement test approved by the state board of administration or conduct and record an annual assessment of the students academic progress. The standardized test results or annual academic progress assessment must be made a part of the students permanent record.
STUDENT RECORDS
RCW. 28A.200.010
Student records on test scores, annual academic progress assessments, immunization records and any other records related to instructional and educational activities must be saved. The records must be forwarded to any public or private school to which the child transfers.
ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL
RCW 28A.200 &Â RCW 28A.410
Home school instruction may be provided by a parent in three different scenarios. First, a parent may instruct their child if they are supervised by a certificated person. This means that the instructional planning must be conducted with the parent and certificated person. Additionally, the student must have a minimum average per month of one contact hour per week in which they are supervised and evaluated by the certificated person. The number of children who are supervised by the certificated person must not exceed thirty. Second, a parent may instruct their child if they have earned forty-five college-level quarter credit hours or the equivalent in semester hours or has completed a course in home-based instruction at a postsecondary institute or at a vocational-technical institute. Finally, the last scenario in which homeschooling may be provided occurs if a parent has been deemed sufficiently qualified to provide home-based instruction by the superintendent of the local school district. Washington state legislature libreally constructed the provisions relating to the nature and quantity of instructional and related activities due to the nontraditional nature of home school instruction.