One common myth about homeschooling is that the parents are uneducated. A 2010 national survey by published by the "Academic Leadership Journal" showed that 37.6 percent of home school fathers and 48.4 percent of home school mothers have their bachelors' degrees. Moreover, 20 percent of fathers and 11.6 percent of mothers have their masters' degrees, and 8.7 percent of fathers and 2.5 percent of mothers have their doctorates. Only 9.8 percent of fathers and 8 percent of mothers have no education beyond high school.
A frequent notion about home school families is that they are usually Christian. This notion is not unfounded. In 2010 national statistics from the "Academic Leadership Journal" listed home school parents by religious orientation. According to its findings, only 3 percent of home school parents do not claim Christianity in some form. However, with home school numbers on the rise, these statistics may change. Another notable statistic in this survey was that 97.9 percent of home school parents are married.
A common misconception about home school children is that they do not receive adequate education in a home school environment. In a 2009 report from the Cybercast News Service, home school children score higher on the ACT exams than the national average. According to reported data from ACT officials, of the 1.48 million graduating high school students in 2009, 11,535 were homeschooled. On a grade scale of 1 to 36, the national average for public school children was 21.1 while the average for home school children was 22.5.
The results for home school children on ACT tests have been higher than public school students on a consistent basis. As of 2006, ACT officials reported that home school students had an unbroken 10-year record of scoring higher on the ACT than public school children. From 2004 to 2009 ACT scores for public school students averaged 25 out of 30 while home school students' scores averaged 26.5 out of 30.
Of the biggest concerns regarding home school children, socialization is among the top. Many Americans believe that home school children grow up to be socially withdrawn. However, a controlled study from the Seattle-based Discovery Institute in 2000 showed that home school children were generally socially well adjusted. One of the studies included a mixed video of various home school children and public school children at play. Trained counselors were brought in to view the tape without knowing which children went to public school and which did not. When the results were scored for the tape, home school children exhibited fewer behavior problems.