A child 6 years or older, or a child less than 6 years of age that has been enrolled in first grade, must attend school. A child must attend school until the child’s 18th birthday. However, an exemption to this code covers home-schooled children. Any child who attends a private school (home school) is not covered under the compulsory school attendance code as long as the course of study includes a class in good citizenship.
Home schools are considered private schools. Private schools are not subject to the state of Texas school regulations. According to Successful Homeschooling, the only requirement for home schools is that the school teaches good citizenship, math, grammar, spelling and reading. Private schools do not need to report to the state or use a state-approved curriculum. The private schools do not need to have any specific qualifications or meet the minimum required hours or days of instruction. The private school does not need to submit to any testing.
Home schools can determine their own requirements for graduation, and there is no set age requirement for a student to graduate. A child of any age that has completed the courses needed to complete high school can graduate.
Texas Education Code Chapter 51.9241(b) states that any student that receives a nontraditional secondary education, such as attending a private school, which is what a homeschool is considered, shall be treated as an undergraduate student as would a student that attended public school. Higher educations institutes must acknowledge the home-schooled student as a graduate of high school.