Home Schooling

This web page, which provides information about home schooling, was created by the Texas Education Agency as a courtesy to parents interested educating their children at home.  The TEA does not regulate, index, monitor, approve, register, or accredit the programs available to parents who choose to home school.

Court Ruling

Home schooling has been a legal alternative to public schooling since 1994. In the case of Leeper et al. v. Arlington ISD et al., the Texas Supreme Court upheld a lower court's decision that children being taught at home are exempt from the compulsory attendance requirement to the same extent as students enrolled in private schools. Parents who choose to home school are required to follow a course of study that includes good citizenship. A public school district that becomes aware of a student who is potentially being home schooled may request in writing a letter of assurance from the parents that the student is being home schooled.

Transferring to a Public School

The State of Texas does not award a diploma to students that are home schooled. Home-schooled students can enter public school at any time but should be aware that most districts have policies and procedures in place to assess the mastery level of courses that students in home schools have taken. The results of the assessment may be used for grade placement or award of credit or both. Students transferring from home schools should be afforded the same treatment as students transferring from unaccredited private schools. TEA recommendations on appropriate placement assessments are included in the Commissioner's Home School Policy Letter.

Graduation Recognition

The State of Texas considers the successful completion of a home school education to be equivalent to graduation from a public high school, therefore an institution of higher education in Texas must treat a home school graduate to the same general standards, including specific standardized testing score requirements, as other applicants for undergraduate admission who have graduated from a public high school. For additional information and specific guidance please contact the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Resources

For additional information on home schooling, contact the Texas Home School Coalition or the Texas Home Educators. As an alternative, parents can contact the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission and International Association for Learner Driven Schools for information about accredited private schools. Parents interested in the state-mandated curriculum standards can visit the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) page on the TEA website.