California
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: "between 6 (by Dec. 2) and 18 years of age.(§48200, 48400, 48410.• Required Days of Instruction: 175 days, only for public schools.
• Required Subjects: English and must "offer instruction in the several branches of study required to be taught in the public schools." Grades 1-6: English, mathematics, social sciences, science, fine arts, health, physical education.
• Teacher Qualifications: None, if home school registers as a private school, or enrolls in an independent study program with a private school. Certification is necessary only if the home school parent chooses to qualify as a private tutor.
• Standardized Tests: Not required by statute.
• Alternative Statutes Allowing for Home Schools: Home Schools have 4 options:
Option 1. The individual home school could qualify as a private school by filing an annual private school affidavit: (§ 48222)
a. the instructors must be capable of teaching;
b. the instruction must be in English;
c. the instruction must be in the several branches of study required in public schools;
d. attendance must be kept in a register; and
e. a private school affidavit must be filed with the Superintendent of Public Instruction between Oct. 1 & Oct. 15 of school year. (§§ 33190, 48222)
Option 2. The home school could have instruction provided by a certified private tutor (§48224)
Option 3. The child could be enrolled in an independent study program at home, using the public school curriculum. Under this option, the child is considered a public school student and has to abide by the rules and policy of the public school. (§51745).
Option 4. Home schoolers could enroll in a private school satellite program and take "independent study" through that private school. The private school "independent study program" (ISP) must comply with § 48222 Many home school families have organized these private ISPs which enroll anywhere from two to several hundred families.
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California State High School Graduation Requirements:
- English units: 3
- Math units 2 (incl. Algebra I). At least one course or a combination of the two courses must "meet or exceed the rigor of the content standards for Algebra I" A student who took Algebra I or its equivalent before grade 9 must not take it again in high school but must still complete 2 units of math while in grades 9-12.
- Social studies units: 3. Must include U.S. "history and geography; world history, culture and geography;" .5 unit in U.S. government and civics; .5 unit economics.
- Science units: 2. Must include "biological and physical sciences."
- P.E./Health units: 2. All students must complete at least 400 minutes of P.E. each 10 schooldays, unless exempted. Students in grades 10-12 may be exempted for up to 24 clock hours to take driver's training, but must attend at least 7,000 minutes of P.E. during that school year. A district may exempt a student from P.E. if the student "is engaged in a regular school-sponsored interscholastic athletic program carried on wholly or partially after regular school hours" and may grant a student temporary or permanent exemption from P.E. under other specified circumstances. A local board may exempt from P.E. any student in the last semester or quarter of grade 12 who "is permitted to attend school less than 240 or 180 minutes per day" ... "provided, however, that such pupil may not be exempted pursuant to this section from attending courses of physical education if such pupil would, after such exemption, attend school for 240 minutes or more per day."
- Arts: 1 unit performing arts or foreign language.
- Foreign language: 1 unit performing arts or foreign language. Course in American Sign Language fulfills this requirement. A public school student who has completed foreign language courses in private schools may receive credit for such coursework provided it is "at least equivalent to" work at the same grade level in the public schools. Statute specifies foreign languages for which such coursework may be applicable.
- Electives units: 0
- Other units: 0
State offers honors/college prep curriculum options and proficiency-based credit option. State does not offer technical diploma option but does provide a certificate of completion for students who finish a technical program.
Important Note: State Graduation requirements are not necessarily the best guideline for homeschoolers to use. They have been included here as a guideline for what a typical public school student would need to complete in order to graduate.
A more important guideline may be the College Entrance requirements for where your student would like to attend college. While colleges have differing requirements, there are many colleges that publish requirements for homeschool graduates.
Related Pages:
Homeschool Support Groups in California
Colleges in California