File a Notice of Intent with the school's superintendent for the Jacksonville, Fla., district you reside in. Forms are available at the superintendent's office; however, you may write a letter to the superintendent informing him of your decision to home educate your child, in lieu of completing a Notice of Intent form. The letter should include your name, address, child's name, their date of birth and the school year that you intend on establishing your home education program. The notice must be filed within 30 days of starting your home education program; however, it's advisable that you file immediate upon withdrawal or start-up to avoid breaking Florida's truancy laws. To ensure timely filing, the notice should be hand-delivered or sent certified mail.
Keep a portfolio of records. The Jacksonville law requires that all home education programs maintain a portfolio that includes a log of instruction, lesson plans and samples of the student's work. Worksheets, materials, photos, essays and any other recorded educational activities are acceptable. The format and content of the portfolio is designed at your discretion, but it must be preserved for a total of two years upon completion of a school year. Jacksonville law requires that the portfolio be made available for inspection by the superintendent upon request. The superintendent may review your portfolio upon giving a 15 days advance notice in writing.
Contact your Jacksonville school district to schedule an annual evaluation. The evaluation will document the student's educational progress and ability. The parent may choose the method of evaluation and file a copy with the Jacksonville superintendent's office annually. The annual educational evaluation may be administered by the school district or a teacher certified in the state of Florida to teach academically at the elementary and/or secondary level. The most common forms of evaluation are a national achievement test and state assestment test; however, the student may be evaluated by any other valid method mutually agreed upon by the Jacksonville school superintendent.