According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, all children between the ages of six and 17 in the state of Mississippi must attend some form of primary or secondary (depending on the age) school or educational program. The age cut off date for this legal requirement is September 1 of the school year in question. This means that if your high school aged child is turning 18 on August 20, he is not required by law to attend school.
Mississippi, like most other states, presents laws regarding the actual number of days per school year required. State law requires all students, including those who are home schooled, to attend school for a minimum of 180 days per academic year. This includes instructional days when lesson and activities are taking place. Weekends and vacation holidays can not count towards the school day requirement. If a parent, or teacher, fails to provide the full 180 days of instruction, the students cannot be promoted to the next grade level.
The state requires Mississippi home schooling parents to file a certificate of enrollment by no later than September 15 of the current school year. This certificate must include information such as the parent and child's name, phone number and permanent address. Additionally, each home-schooled child's birth date must be included as well as a statement about the home school educational program describing the curriculum. The certificate of enrollment should be filed with the local school district where the child would attend if he or she was not being home schooled.
As of 2010, there are no legal requirements for parents to administer standardized test to home schooled children.