IA Homeschool Links

Welcome to Homeschooling through the 50 States today we are visiting Iowa!

Getting Started
HSLDA New Homeschoolers
Law
Home School Legal Defense Association
HSLDA IA homepage
IA Law Analysis
IA Legal brief

Statewide support groups
Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators
Searchable database for IA support groups
Homeschool Centrals IA links page
Lot’s of great regional groups here!
Homeschooling in IA
Yahoo support groups
Used Curriculum Yahoo Group
Homeschool Iowa Yahoo Group
IDEA-2 Yahoo Group

Methods
About.com Articles and Links
Homeschool Advisor
Homeschool stores and curriculum providers
Rainbow Resource
Christian Book Distributors
Timberdoodle
Currclick

Free
http://amblesideonline.org/
http://oldfashionededucation.com/

Compulsory attendance:
Age 6 as of September 15 and less than 16.

Required Days of Instruction:
148 days total, 37 per “school quarter”

Required Subjects: None, however, for grades 5 and below, reading, language arts and math must be
assessed. For grades 6 and above, social studies and science must also be assessed.

Teacher Qualifications: None unless using the supervising teacher option.

Standardized Tests:

If under the supervising teacher option, none. If under the annual assessment option, assessments are required beginning the year the child is 7 on Sept. 15 (or their first year of homeschooling, if older). This first assessment is considered the “baseline” assessment, and it is simply used as a point from which to measure future progress.
Beginning with the year the student is age 8 on Sept. 15, an annual assessment must be submitted that
shows adequate progress from the previous or baseline test. This assessment does not have to be a standardized test, it can be a report card from a accredited school or correspondence school. School must be accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Additionally a portfolio review may take the place of either assessment as long as it is evaluated by a teacher with at least a substitute teaching certificate.

The assessment is due June 30th of each year.

Home School Statute: Iowa Code Ann. § 299A.1−299A.10 There are 2 choices under which to homeschool Teacher supervision or assessment.

Letter of Intent: Parents must annually submit a “Competent Private Instruction” (CPI) form (2 copies) to the school board secretary. You must state which method of homeschooling you are using, either Teacher supervision or assessment. Much of this information will be treated as public information unless you give clear written instructions to the school district each time you file the form. It is recommended you use the “privacy notification form” on the members-only section of the HSLDA website.

Forms:

Families must submit Form A to the district of residence for each child by August 26, or within 14 days of removing the child from school, or within 14 days of moving into the district.

If a child requires special education services, the Director of Special Education at the AEA must pre-approve CPI for the child.

If filing Form A for the 1st time, attach immunization information. Proof of immunization is required of all children receiving CPI, including those enrolled in a HSAP unless the immunization exemption form is also completed for religious or medical reasons.

Form A

Certificate of Exemption for Immunizations (Medical/Religious Reasons)

In 2007 Legislation was enacted Iowa General Assembly requires all children under the age of 6 to have a blood lead test. Compliance with this requirement will be verified for children enrolling in kindergarten and children under the age of 6 for whom a Competent Private Instruction report form is filed. This will be done by matching the names of these children with the Iowa Department of Health’s blood lead database.

Certificate of Exemption for Blood Lead Test (Religious Reasons)

Overall, Iowa seems a fairly restrictive state to homeschool in, within those restrictions are a few options to allow you to homeschool in your preferred way. My advice is just to make sure you are only filling out that which is absolutely required, check with HSLDA to be sure.

Disclaimer: In no way is this the only info you need. Do your research and do your part to keep homeschooling free for all of us. This is for informational purposes only and not legal advice.

Mandy