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Mississippi
Laws Re: Homeschooling
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Can anyone home school in Mississippi? |
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Yes. Any parent is
permitted by law to teach his or her own children in a home instruction program.
The state has a minimal amount of regulation that families must follow to
legally home school. A legitimate home instruction program is defined as one
that is not "operated for the purpose of avoiding or circumventing the
compulsory attendance law."
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What kind of paperwork does the state require? |
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By September
15 of each year, parents are required to submit a certificate of enrollment for
each child age 6-17 by September 1. (If you have children older or younger, you
are not required for submit a certificate for them.) The certificate card - available from your city or county school attendance officer
- should include
names and address of the parents, the child's name and date of birth, and "a
simple description of the type of education the children are receiving." You are
not required by law to give your child's Social Security number. The card must
be returned to the school attendance officer.
In the event the child has been
enrolled in a public school he must file a Certificate of Enrollment with the
local attendance within 15 calendar days after the first day of the school year
for the school district where the child resides. The parents may at a later date
enroll the child in a legitimate home instruction program and send the
certifiacte of enrollment to the school attendance officer.
Parents, guardians, or custodians of a child who are found in violation of
this law are given 10 days after receiving a written notice to comply with the
law.
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Do I have to wait until the beginning of the next school year to take
my children out of their current public or private school to start home
schooling? |
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If you wish to teach your children at home, you may begin
at any time, but must always send the completed certificate of enrollment for
each child.
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Does the curriculum I use have to include state-approved
textbooks? |
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No. You may choose the curriculum that best suits your
children's individual educational needs.
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What subjects am I required to teach? |
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Since repeal of the
law in 1984, there are no state requirements for subjects that must be taught.
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What days are my children required to be in school? What hours during
the day? |
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While there are regulation on the length of school day and
school year for public and private schools, there is no state requirement for
home school programs.
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Do I have to have a high school or college diploma, or teacher
certification? |
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The state has no educational attainment or
certification requirements for parents who teach their children in the home.
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Do my children have to take standardized tests? |
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State law
does not require standardized testing.
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