Wisconsin
• Compulsory Attendance Ages: Between 6 and 18. (6 by September 1) §§ 118.14 and 118.15).
• Required Days of Instruction: "at least 875 hours of instruction each school year."
(§ 118.15(4), § 118.165(c))
• Required Subjects: Reading, language arts, math, social studies, science and health. (§ 118.165(d))
• Teacher Qualifications: None.
• Standardized Tests: None.
• Home School Statute: Wis. Stat. Ann. § 118.15(4), § 118.165(1).
1. Definition: A "home-based private educational program" is a program of educational instruction provided to a child by the child's parent or guardian or by a person designated by the parent or guardian. An instructional program provided to more than one family is not a home-based private educational program. (§ 115.001(3g)). However, a home schooling mother can be "a person designated" by another parent to do the teaching for their student. In this case, however, the parents should still file a statement of enrollment (see #2 below) for their own children.
2. By October 15 each year the parents must submit a statement of enrollment to the department of education, indicating whether the home school meets all the requirements under § 118.165. (§ 115.30(3))
3. "Instruction in a home-based private educational program that meets all of the criteria under § 118.165(1) may be substituted for attendance at public or private school." (§ 118.15(4)). The § 118.165(1) criteria are:
a. "primary purpose of the program is to provide private or religious-based education,"
b. "the program is privately controlled,"
c. the program provides at least 875 hours of instruction,
d. the program "provides a sequentially progressive curriculum of fundamental instruction" in the Required Subjects: (which "does not require the program to include in its curriculum any concept, topic or practice in conflict with the program's religious doctrines," or exclude any such topic), and
e. the program is not operated to circumvent the compulsory attendance law.
The state Department of Education will issue a simple form where the parent simply checks true or false for each of the items above.
Reference: Click Here
Wisconsin State High School Graduation Requirements
- English units: 4
- Math units: 2. Must include "instruction in the properties, processes, and symbols of arithmetic and elements of algebra, geometry, and statistics."
- Social studies units: 3. Must include instruction in state and local government.
- Science units: 2. Must include "instruction in the biological sciences and physical sciences."
- P.E./Health units: 2. Includes 1.5 units p.e. and .5 unit health. .5 unit in health education must be earned sometime in grades 7-12.
- Arts: 0
- Foreign language: 0
- Electives units: 0
- Other units: 0. A local board may require students to "participate in community service activities" to earn a high school diploma.
* 13 units includes .5 unit of health education which must be earned sometime in grades 7-12. In addition to the 12.5 units set forth to be earned during grades 9-12, "the state superintendent encourages boards to require a minimum of 8.5 additional credits in vocational education, foreign languages, fine arts and other courses" (for a total of 21 units, or 21.5, including the health unit to be completed between grades 7-12).
Other diploma options: State does not offer differentiated diploma pathways. State has policy on awarding proficiency-based credit.
Notes: Every local board must establish high school graduation criteria in addition to the state-level requirements; such criteria must include students' academic performance and teachers' recommendations.
WIS. ADMIN. CODE § 18.03, WIS. STAT. § 118.33
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 Wisconsin
Colleges in Wisconsin