Wisconsin requires students between the ages of 6 and 18 to be in school, and a home school can meet the requirement if their parents file Form PI-1206 to register a Home-Based Private Educational Program with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction. Parents can view a copy of the form on the department's website (see Resources), but to apply, they must request a paper copy of the three-part form by calling the department at 888-245-2732. On the form, parents must list the current grade level of students who will be taught at home and the family's home school district, along with their street address. Parents must also answer a question declaring if their home school meets the law's requirements so it can be certified. The Department of Public Instruction requires the form to be on file on or before Oct. 15, and parents must file a new form each year they intend to teach their children at home. However, if a parent decides to withdraw a child from a public or private school after Oct. 15, he must file the form before the date the child stops attending the school.
To operate a legal home school in Wisconsin, parents must provide their children with at least 875 instructional hours each year, according to state law. While the state does not provide or suggest curriculum, the law does require students to pursue a course of study that follows a logical sequence as they advance in grade level. The state requires the basic subjects of mathematics, social studies, reading, language arts, science and health, but parents can add any other subjects they wish. Parents are not required to have any specific educational background or license to teach their kids, the Wisconsin Parents Association notes.
Home school instruction can be traditional--with textbooks and paper--or via field trips; watching DVDs, films or other audio-visual lessons; computer instruction; or any other activities the parents wish to use, according to the Wisconsin Parents Association. The state does not specify the schedule parents should follow in meeting the 875-hour requirement, and parents are free to create their own school days and years, the association notes. No state tests are mandated for homeschooled children.