Any adult who wants to home-school a child must seek annual approval from the county in which she lives to teach the child at home. The counties require that an application be filed with the county board of education. The parent must show proof of high school graduation or its equivalent, disclose where the student will be taught, submit an outline of what will be taught. She also must submit test results of the student's achievement test administered by an independent agency or school.
The home-schooled student must take a grade-appropriate standardized test each year that measures his or her accomplishments in reading, language, math, social studies and science. The test can be any national test. The West Virginia Home Educators Association has approved the tests approved by McGraw-Hill. The test must have been developed within 10 years of the date the test is given to the student. The test has to be administered according to the instructions of the publisher.
Students must take the test at a public school and submit a portfolio of school work to a certified teacher who will determine the competency of the student. The student must pass the standardized test with a score of 50% or better. Alternative tests results can be submitted from online instruction, correspondence schools or video instruction.
When a student falls below the 50% score, remedial action has to be taken by the home teacher. The West Virginia Department of Education requires at least a 1% improvement from the previous year's testing results. A home-school teacher can enroll a student who does not demonstrate improvement in classes in a public school until the student demonstrates improvement.
Home-schooled children must be taught the same number of days that students in public schools must attend. They do not necessarily have to have the same schedules for holidays.