Here are some FAQs about homeschooling in Kentucky. I hope they help! If you have more questions please msg me @ Home with Kalen on Facebook.
How do I start homeschooling? If you choose to homeschool in Kentucky, you must send a letter of your intention to homeschool within 2 weeks of the beginning of every school year to the Superintendent of your school district. You do NOT have to fill out any forms they send you, provide a copy of your curriculum, or get any sort of approval from them.
Here is a sample Letter of Notification.
What subjects do I have to teach? You can teach any subjects you want as often or infrequently as you want in Kentucky, but you must cover reading, writing, spelling, grammar, history, mathematics and civics.
Do I need to keep attendance? Yes. Use a book or Google calendar to mark your attendance days. You must have 170 instructional days with a total of 1062 instructional hours. Remember this is not just sit-down work but field trips, educational experiences, and home life that doubles as time to practice skills. You do not have to do school any specific days of the week or hours of the day.
Should I give my child grades? Your child will need a report card issued by you at the same intervals as your current school district. This report card can be letter grades or something like Distinguished, In Progress, etc.
Will my child need to take the GED? No. In Kentucky homeschools are considered equivalent to private schools and parents issue their child’s diploma and create their transcript.
Can my child get into college? Yes. your child can take traditional standardized testing if needed, apply for certain scholarships, and attend college.
Do I need to use an accredited curriculum and does anyone need to see or approve it? No. If they tell you otherwise, seek legal counsel.
Will my child be weird? Yes. In the best ways. Children are fascinating when given the time and space to explore their interests and socialize with all ages of people.
Do I need to give standardized tests? No.
Do I need to keep an elaborate portfolio? No. But I would keep a simple one of work throughout the year to show you are actually homeschooling and making progress.
Can my child play sports? Sometimes. Depends on the age, sport, etc. There are also lots of homeschool co-ops that provide athletic opportunities, like Bluegrass United.
Do I need a degree, special qualifications, or approval from someone to teach my child? No.
Is curriculum expensive? Some is expensive, some is modest, and some is free. You can piece it together, create your own, use online coursework or schools, etc. You have a lot of freedom and flexibility in Kentucky.
Can my child go back to public school after being homeschooled? Yes. This is easiest at younger ages, but can be done at older ages as well. COntact your school district for their advice and requiements.
Can I homeschool if I have a job? Yes. Because you don’t have to homeschool specific hours of the day or days of the week, you can make it work for your family, have tutors, have your spouse help, etc.
More about homeschooling in Kentucky
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