To ensure students are getting an adequate education that meets state standards, there are a number of requirements the homeschool educator must adhere to. The educator must have a high school diploma or the equivalent. The North Carolina Department of Administration, Division of Non-Public Education must be notified of your intent to homeschool and provided with the school's name and head administrator. You must keep attendance and provide education during a regular schedule for nine months of each year. Students also must have yearly nationally standardized achievement tests or the equivalent, administered in the areas of math, spelling, English grammar and reading. Immunizations records must be kept current.
According to North Carolina law, all children between the ages of 7 and 16 must attend school if residing in the state for 30 or more consecutive days. Any student under the age of 18 who wishes to obtain a driver's license or learner's permit, must remain in school and take the required standardized tests until they reach the age of 18. Student's grade levels are determined by the yearly standardized test used to assess the homeschooler against other students of the same age.
Subject areas and graduation requirements are all dictated by the homeschool administrator. It is wise to remember that students should be covering all standardized test subjects matters in order to be successful on exams. Textbooks and school materials are not provided by the state, nor are any costs of running or attending the homeschool. Diplomas are not granted by the state of North Carolina and the successful completion of homeschool is usually based upon the standardized test results. Parents must retain test score results for a minimum of one year; however as proof and indication of of a student's progress for future plans such as the military and/or college, these test scores are documentation of a student's abilities. No law requires colleges to accept the diploma of a homeschooler's education but most do.
There are many support groups and organization to support homeschooling families. Many provide resources and organized activities for students. The North Carolinians for Home Education supports the NCHE Athletic Conference with teams in soccer, volleyball, basketball and baseball. The Homeschool Alliance of North Carolina provides homeschool families resources, support and membership activities such as the Homeschool Family Dance.