Children must attend school in Texas from the time they turn 6 until they turn 17. Parents who choose to begin first grade before the sixth birthday must stick with it because once a child officially starts first grade, he must remain in school until he graduates or turns 18. A student who receives his GED or high school diploma before his 18th birthday is also exempt from the rule. Home schools are operated in Texas as private schools and do not have to have school a set number of days per year.
Parents are free to use any curriculum of their choice to educate their own children. They must cover math and language arts, which includes reading, spelling and grammar, as well as good citizenship. The home-school support groups in the state have many recommendations on how to cover good citizenship properly so that your students are adhering to the laws on curriculum. Texas law states that curriculum must be written, which means that parents must have something they can show to prove that their children are actually learning. Online courses are acceptable as long as parents can print out samples of what the children are doing.
No standardized testing is required by law. However, many parents choose to have their students tested for a variety of reasons. Home-schoolers, on average, score significantly higher than the national average and participating in standardized testing is a great way for parents to help the home-schooling cause. It also prepares students for college entrance exams.
Home-schooled students must be given equal consideration for admission to colleges in Texas. Schools cannot discriminate on the basis of a student not attending a traditional school. A home-schooled student must prove that she has completed a course of studies that meets the college's admissions requirements.