By law, private schools in Texas are exempt from the rules and regulations of the public schools in the state, including acceptable curriculum, teacher certification and attendance. Home schools were not included in this law originally, however. Through the work of the Home School Legal Defense and a class action lawsuit against all of the school districts in Texas, a nine year legal battle ensued beginning in 1985 and ending in 1994. The case concluded when home schools were granted all of the rights and privileges of a private school and are now grouped together with other private schools in Texas law.
Home schools in the state of Texas have few requirements. They do not have to initiate contact with the local school board or register as a home school family. Home school students must attend school from the age of 6 until they turn 18 unless they graduate high school before the 18th birthday.The law states that home school families must "conduct school in a bona fide manner." This means that they must be able to show visible and physical proof that they have been conducting school, such as worksheets, lists of books read or curriculum programs. Home school students must study language arts, which includes reading, spelling and grammar. They must also study math and good citizenship. All other subjects are optional and left to the parent's discretion.
Home school families are not required to show proof of attendance or grades to a school district or government official. However, if questioned about whether or not the children are actually learning, they must be able to show proof of curriculum. The best way to approach this is to keep a binder or notebook with a dated list of library books read, field trips attended, curriculum used, movies watched and projects completed. If there is ever suspicion that the children are not receiving an education, pulling out a list of everything accomplished with put those doubts to rest quickly. Standardized testing is not required in Texas but if students take the tests, keeping a copy of the scores is excellent proof that the child is actually learning.
Colleges in Texas are not allowed to deny a student admission based on his history as a home school student. A home school parent has two choices for helping a student apply to college in the state. One choice is to create a transcript with courses, grades and credits, made to line up with the credits offered for similar courses in public schools. The second option, one that works for home schoolers who do not grant grades, is to work with the student to put together a portfolio of work done during the high school years. This portfolio should include copies of reports, reading lists, sample work and any other pertinent information that the college may be interested in learning about the student. Most colleges require SAT or ACT scores as well, so high school students should take one of these during the junior or senior year.
While home school families in Texas enjoy the right to great freedom in educating their children, a nosy neighbor or a school board member with something to prove could try to interfere with that right. For that reason, most home school families recommend and advice others to join legal associations that help them to defend the right to home school should it ever be challenged. In Texas, home school families can join the Texas Home School Coalition as well as the national organization, Home School Legal Defense Association. Both groups offer immediate legal assistance if an issue ever arises as well as access to curriculum discounts and support groups.