You must provide your child with instruction in the following subjects:

• math,
• reading and language arts,
• science, and
• social studies.

The law does not specify how much time to spend instructing your child or teaching any single subject, but you should include some instruction in each required subject every school year.

You do not need to proactively file any forms with your school district to let them know you are providing IPI. However, if your school district superintendent or the head of the Iowa Department of Education sends you a written request, you will have to send him or her a letter indicating (a) the primary instructor of your IPI program (probably you, the parent), (b) the name and location of the authority responsible for the independent private instruction (in the case of homeschooling, this would generally be the parent’s name and home address), and (c) the names of the students enrolled. If you are an HSLDA member and receive such a request, don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions.

IPI homeschoolers are legally allowed to participate in free testing through the public school, the driver education program of the local school, and to take community college classes via the concurrent enrollment program.

However, IPI homeschoolers do not have access to several programs that are available to some other homeschoolers. These programs are:

• dual enrollment in the public school (for classes or extracurricular activities),
• open enrollment to other public school districts,
• post-secondary enrollment college classes, and
• parent-taught driver education.

Under this option, you simply have to provide instruction to your child using a plan or course of study in a setting other than a public or organized accredited nonpublic school.

You need to teach for 148 days per year and 37 days per school quarter.

PI homeschoolers are allowed to participate in the following:

• driver education programs at the local school,
• free testing at the public school, and
• community college classes via the concurrent enrollment program.

They are not required to dual enroll to obtain access to these programs.

PI homeschoolers also have access to parent-taught driver education if they were under any option other than IPI during the previous year.

However, PI homeschoolers do not have access to several programs that are available to some other homeschoolers. These programs are:

• dual enrollment in the public school (for classes or extracurricular activities),
• open enrollment to other public school districts, and
• post-secondary enrollment option low-cost college classes.

To access these programs, a PI homeschooler must file a Form A, dual enroll by the deadline, and satisfy the requirements for the supervising teacher option, year-end assessment option, or participate in a homeschool assistance program. This effectively converts the PI student into a student under one of those options.

You must file a Form A by September 1 of each year.

If you are moving into the state or starting homeschooling after the school year has begun, you need to submit a form that is at least partially completed within 14 calendar days of starting homeschooling and a fully completed form within 30 days of starting homeschooling.

You will need to provide the following information:

• name and age of the child,
• number of days of instruction that will be provided (must be at least 148),
• textbooks used,
• child’s birth date, and
• an “outline of course of study” (meaning subjects covered, lesson plans, and time spent on the areas of study—there is no mandated minimum).

The form will also ask you to do the following, which you are not required by law to do:

• provide the instructor’s name and address, and
• fill out an optional section.

You must also provide evidence of vaccinations (or medical or religious exemption) for children who are being homeschooled for the first time.

Unless you give clear written instructions to your school district to keep your Form A information private, the school may make it public. HSLDA has a form you can use to notify the district that you wish your information to be kept private.

You will need to hire a qualified supervising teacher of your choice. The supervising teacher must contact your student twice each 45 days of instruction. One of those two contacts must be face-to-face.

The supervising teacher is required to assess your child and keep a record of his or her contacts with and assistance provided to your child.

A supervising teacher must have the following qualifications:

• Elementary classroom license: May supervise for students in grades K–6.
• Middle school license: May supervise for students in grades 5–8.
• Secondary license: May supervise for students in grades 5–8.
• Secondary classroom license: May supervise for students in grades 7–12.
• Substitute license: May supervise for students in any grade.
• Substitute authorization: May supervise for students in grades K–12.

Note: A parent with an appropriate license can be his or her own supervising teacher.

Students operating under this option have access to dual enrollment in the public school. If they submit their request for dual enrollment by the September 15 deadline, they have access to the following:

• public school classes,
• extracurricular activities, and
• post-secondary enrollment option low-cost college classes.

To open enroll in another public school district for the fall session, you must file your request by the previous March 1. To open enroll for a spring or summer session, your request must be filed by March 1 of the previous calendar year

Students under this option have access to the following without dual enrolling:

• parent-taught driver education if the student was under any option other than IPI the previous year,
• public school driver education programs,
• free testing at the public school, and
• community college concurrent enrollment.

You must file a Form A by September 1 of each year.

If you are moving into the state or starting homeschooling after the school year has begun, you need to submit a form that is at least partially completed within 14 calendar days of starting homeschooling and a fully completed form within 30 days of starting homeschooling.

You will need to provide the following information:

• name and age of the child,
• number of days of instruction that will be provided (must be at least 148),
• textbooks used,
• child’s birth date, and
• an “outline of course of study” (meaning subjects covered, lesson plans, and time spent on the areas of study–there is no mandated minimum).

The form will also ask you to do the following, which you are not required by law to do:

• provide the instructor’s name and address, and
• fill out an optional section.

You must also provide evidence of vaccinations (or medical or religious exemption) for children who are being homeschooled for the first time.

Unless you give clear written instructions to your school district to keep your Form A information private, the school may make it public. HSLDA has a form you can use to notify the district that you wish your information to be kept private.

You must submit assessments to your school district beginning the year the child is 7 by September 15 (or his or her first year of homeschooling, if older).

For grades 5 and below, you must assess reading, language arts, and math. For grades 6 and above, you must assess reading, language arts, math, social studies, and science.

Each year’s assessment must be conducted by May 1 and submitted to the school system by June 30.

The first assessment is considered the “baseline” assessment. It does not need to show adequate progress or a particular level of results. It is simply used as a point from which to measure future progress. Each assessment after that needs to show adequate progress. How this is shown differs depending on the type of assessment you use.

You can use one of the following types of assessments:

• Report card. You can use a report card from a school or correspondence school accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. If you use this option, “adequate progress” is shown by a passing grade.
• Review by teacher. You can choose a teacher to write an evaluation of your student’s progress based on a review of a portfolio of your student’s work. The evaluation—not the portfolio—needs to be submitted to the school system, and it needs to indicate that your child made adequate progress. A teacher with an elementary classroom license can evaluate children in grades 1–6. A teacher with an elementary content license can evaluate grades 1–8. With a secondary content license, a teacher can evaluate grades 5–12. A teacher who no longer has a current classroom or content license, but who has a current substitute license, can evaluate students of the same grade levels as if his or her classroom or content license were in force.
• Standardized test. You can pick a standardized test from the list approved by the Iowa Department of Education. You have to choose the testing grade level that best fits your child’s age, and you have to follow the test publisher’s instructions. To show adequate progress, your child needs to have a score above the 30th percentile in each required test subject area plus either (a) show an overall score at grade level or (b) show six months’ progress from the previously submitted test.

Here is what to do if the assessment does not show adequate progress:
If your student’s assessment does not show adequate progress, you may submit another assessment before the next school year begins. If adequate progress is still not shown, you will have to enroll your child in school unless the Department of Education approves a remediation program. If it looks like you are going to have difficulty showing adequate progress, HSLDA members should not hesitate to contact us immediately.

Students operating under this option have access to dual enrollment in the public school. If they submit their request for dual enrollment by the September 15 deadline, they have access to the following:

• public school classes,
• extracurricular activities, and
• post-secondary enrollment option low-cost college classes.

To open enroll in another public school district for the fall session, you must file your request by the previous March 1. To open enroll for a spring or summer session, you must file your request by March 1 of the previous calendar year.

Students under this option have access to the following without dual enrollment:

• parent-taught driver education if the student was under any option other than IPI the previous year,
• public school driver education programs,
• free testing at the public school, and
• community college concurrent enrollment.

You must file a Form A by September 1 of each year.

If you are moving into the state or starting homeschooling after the school year has begun, you need to submit a form that is at least partially completed within 14 calendar days of starting homeschooling and a fully completed form within 30 days of starting homeschooling.

You will only need to fill in items 1, 3, and 5 on Form A.

The form will also ask you to do the following, which you are not required by law to do:

• provide the instructor’s name and address, and
• fill out an optional section.

You must also provide evidence of vaccinations (or medical or religious exemption) for children who are being homeschooled for the first time.

Unless you give clear written instructions to your school district to keep your Form A information private, the school may make it public. HSLDA has a form you can use to notify the district that you wish your information to be kept private.

Public schools can impose any additional requirements they wish on students as a condition for participating in the HSAP, including annual testing. HSAP programs typically offer families free secular school books and access to a teacher of the school’s choice.

Students operating under this option have access to dual enrollment in the public school. If they submit their request for dual enrollment by the September 15 deadline, they have access to the following:

• public school classes,
• extracurricular activities, and
• postsecondary enrollment option low-cost college classes.

To open enroll in another public school district for the fall session, your request must be filed by the previous March 1. To open enroll for a spring or summer session, your request must be filed by March 1 of the previous calendar year.

Students under this option have access to the following without dual enrollment:

• parent-taught driver education if the student was under any option other than IPI the previous year,
• public school driver education programs,
• free testing at the public school, and
• community college concurrent enrollment.

Being in a HSAP does NOT automatically dual enroll the student.