North Carolina
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: Between 7and 16. (§ 115C-378)
• Required Days of Instruction: at least nine calendar months of the year, excluding reasonable holidays and vacations. (§ 115-548 or § 115-556)
• Required Subjects: None required but annual standardized testing must measure achievement in the areas of English grammar, reading, spelling, and mathematics.
• Teacher Qualifications: Parent must have high school diploma or a GED. (§ 115C-564)
• Standardized Tests: Parent must administer an annual standardized test (§ 115C-564) any time during the school year which must be made available on request "for inspection" by the state "at reasonable times. For one year after the testing, all records shall be made available ... at the principal office of such school, at all reasonable times, for annual inspection by a duly authorized representative of the State of North Carolina." (§ 115C-549 or § 115C-557).
• Definition: "Home school means a nonpublic school in which one or more children of not more than two families or households receive academic instruction from parents, or legal guardian, or a member from either household." (§ 115C-563)
1. A home school must meet the following requirements:
a. operate for a nine calendar month school term. (§ 115C-548 or § 115C-556)
b. keep attendance records and disease immunization records. (§ 115C-548 or § 115C-556)
c. any new home school shall notify the State Director of the Division of Nonpublic Education of their intent to operate and include the name and address of the school, the school's owner, and chief administrator. (§ 115C-552 or § 115C-560)
d. the home school must also elect to operate either under the qualifications of a "private church school or school of religious character" (§ 115C-547 through § 115C-554) or under the qualifications of a "qualified nonpublic school" (§ 115C-555 through § 115C-562). The requirements of these two options are basically the same and are summarized in a) through c) above.
e. if the home school operates in a private home, all safety and sanitation requirements are automatically waived. (§ 115C-564)
2. "It is the public policy of the State in matters of education that "No human authority shall, in any case whatever, control or interfere with the rights of conscience', or with religious liberty and that religion, morality and knowledge being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind ... the means of education shall forever be encouraged." (§ 115C-547)
• College Admissions for Homeschoolers: North Carolina House Bill 746 (1997), which was passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor, directed the University of North Carolina Board of Governors to review the University's admissions procedures, practices and requirements regarding applicants from home schools in compliance with North Carolina law. This states that the University policy must "not arbitrarily differentiate between applicants based upon whether the applicant attended a public or a lawfully operated nonpublic school."
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North Carolina State High School Graduation Requirements
- English units: 4
- Math units:
- College prep: 4. "algebra I, algebra II, geometry, and a higher level course for which algebra II is a prerequisite; or integrated mathematics I, II, III, and one course beyond integrated mathematics III."
- Career prep and college/tech prep: 3. 3 units, 1 of which must be Algebra I. College technical prep: 3 units, which must "be either algebra I, geometry, and algebra II; or algebra I, technical mathematics I, and technical mathematics II; or integrated mathematics I, II, and III."
- Social studies units: 3. All diploma options: Civics and Economics, U.S. history, and World History.
- Science units: 3. Must include biology, a physical science, and earth/environmental science.
- P.E./Health units: 1. 1 unit "in health and physical education."
- Arts: 0. "All students are encouraged, but not required, to include at least one elective course in arts education."
- Career prep: 4 units in career/technical education, which must be in a career concentration or pathway that leads to a specific career field and which must include a second-level (advanced) course; or 4 units in 1 of the 4 arts disciplines: theatre, music, visual arts or dance; or 4 units in R.O.T.C. College prep and college technical prep options do not mention arts.
- Foreign language:
- College prep: 2. 2 units in same language or demonstration of proficiency in a foreign language as determined by the local district.
- Career prep and college technical prep: 0
- Electives units:
- College prep: 3
- Career prep and college technical prep: 2
- Other units: All students must demonstrate computer proficiency as a prerequisite for high school graduation.
- College prep: 0
- Career prep: 4. Four credits in career/technical education, which shall be in a career concentration or pathway that leads to a specific career field and which shall include a second-level (advanced) course; or four credits in one of the four disciplines in arts education: theatre, music, visual arts, or dance; or four credits in R.O.T.C.
- College technical prep: 4. Four credits in career/technical education, which shall be in a career concentration or pathway that leads to a specific career field and which shall include a second-level (advanced) course.
Other diploma options: The state offers 1 honors/college prep. diploma and two technical diplomas: the career preparation and college technical preparation diploma. All three diploma options described in the "standard" diploma section. State has proficiency-based credit option.
The state offers 1 honors/college prep. diploma and two technical diplomas: the career preparation and college technical preparation diploma.
Eff. Class of 2010: Students following the career preparation, college technical preparation or college/university preparation courses of study must complete a senior project "developed, monitored and scored" by the district "using state-adopted rubrics..."
N.C. ADMIN. CODE tit. 16, r. 6D.0503; N.C. GEN. STAT. § 115C-81
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 North Carolina
Colleges in North Carolina