In Alabama, children must attend school between the ages of seven and 17, says the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). The only exception is for children attending church schools, who may withdraw on their 16th birthday.
According the HSLDA, parents who wish to homeschool their children have two options. One is to qualify as a church school by forming a link with a particular church, denomination or group of churches. Each church can form a number of different schools so that children can be registered with the church school but still be taught at home. Choosing this option means that parents must register their child's enrollment and attendance with the local public school and that the principal teacher must keep an annual record of attendance. Church schools must offer an education in grades K-12, but the teacher does not need any formal qualifications and students are not required to take any standardized tests.
The second option is to have children taught at home by a private tutor, who must be state certified. The tutor must teach the children for at least three hours a day, 140 days a year. The teaching must take place between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. The tutor is also responsible for filing a statement with the county superintendent, outlining the subjects taught and the period of instruction. On a day-to-day basis, the tutor must keep a record of the child's work, clearly showing attendance and daily hours of instruction. The tutor must also supply any reports about the child's progress asked for by the State Board of Education. As with children attending church schools, students homeschooled by a private tutor do not need to take any standardized tests.
Students who enroll in online education or in independent study programs are not considered as being homeschooled. Although they study at home, their enrollment is with a public school, which has authority over their assessment, supervision and curriculum.