Forty-one states do not require home-school teachers to have specific qualifications or credentials. States that require a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) are Georgia, North Carolina, North Dakota, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia; the District of Columbia also requires home-school teachers to have a high school diploma or GED. A North Dakota parent who does not have a high school diploma or GED can home school children as long as he is monitored by a certified teacher for two years. California, Kansas and New York "require homeschool teachers to be 'competent,' 'qualified' or 'capable of teaching,' " according to a summary of home-school laws on the Home School Legal Defense Association website.
Twenty-four states require either standardized testing or evaluation to assess the progress of home-schooled children. Eleven of those states require only standardized testing. Minnesota and North Carolina require it annually while other states require testing every few years or in specific grade levels. Thirteen states allow for alternative evaluations in place of the standardized tests. Some states mandate a portfolio review or other progress report periodically.
Notification laws vary widely by state. Some states require that homeschooling families notify their local school district of an intent to home school at the beginning of each year, while others require notification only every few years or only once. Some states, such as Texas, Oklahoma, Idaho and Michigan do not require notification. Some states require homeschooling families to submit a detailed plan of education, and other states are more lenient.
Only three states specify graduation requirements for home-schooled students. New York, Pennsylvania and North Dakota mandate four credits of English and two to four credits in other major subject areas. Parents who home school students in those states are advised to keep careful records to assure that the children meet the graduation requirements.