How to start homeschooling in Maryland

Make sure this option fits your family

Parents notify the local superintendent on the MSDE form, teach the required subjects with regular, thorough instruction, keep a portfolio, and allow up to three portfolio reviews a year by the local school system.

Required school ages in Maryland: 5 years old or older and under 18 (a 5-year-old's attendance may be delayed one year at parent request due to maturity). Teacher qualification for this option: No parent qualification requirement.

If your child is in school now, withdraw in writing

Send the school a dated withdrawal letter saying your child will be educated at home, and keep a copy. Maryland also asks for a notice under this option (the next step); file it by its deadline.

File your notice

Required.

When: At least 15 days before the beginning of the home instruction program; annually before the start of each school year.

What it includes: Sign a statement on the form prescribed by MSDE consenting to the requirements of COMAR 13A.10.01.01C-E and submit it to the local superintendent. Verify continuation annually before the beginning of the school year. Notify the superintendent if the child's home school status changes during the year.

Maryland names its own form, affidavit or filing for this. Use that where it’s required; our letter can go with it as a cover letter or a record.

Plan your school year: days and hours

Maryland doesn’t set a number of days or hours for this option.

No day count; instruction must take place on a regular basis during the school year and be of sufficient duration to implement the instruction program. No hour requirement.

Planning about 180 days, as schools do, gives the year a shape and makes a move to another state easier.

Cover the required subjects

English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education.

Must provide regular, thorough instruction in the studies usually taught in public schools to children of the same age. May include part-time or full-time college courses.

Testing or evaluation

Not required under this option.

No required test. A local school system representative may review the portfolio, at a mutually agreed time and place, not more than three times during a school year. If a deficiency is found, the parent has 30 days to show it is being corrected; otherwise the child must be enrolled in a public or nonpublic school (COMAR 13A.10.01.03). Child may join public school standardized testing on request (13A.10.01.02).

Keep the records the state asks for

Required.

Maintain a portfolio of materials (relevant materials such as instructional materials, reading materials, examples of the child's work, and assessments) demonstrating regular, thorough instruction; reviewed by the local school system at the end of each semester, at a mutually agreed time (no more than three reviews a year). No retention period stated.

Start teaching

Put your books on a lesson schedule, and the planner spreads the lessons across your school days and moves them when a day is missed. Log attendance in a tap, and keep grades, a portfolio and a transcript as you go.

High school and graduation

COMAR sets no graduation requirements for home instruction; if the child enrolls in public school, the local superintendent evaluates placement and any credits toward graduation (13A.10.01.04).

Make sure this option fits your family

Instead of local school system review, home instruction is supervised by a school/program operated by a bona fide church organization or a nonpublic school with a State Board certificate of approval.

Required school ages in Maryland: 5 years old or older and under 18 (a 5-year-old's attendance may be delayed one year at parent request due to maturity). Teacher qualification for this option: No parent qualification requirement.

If your child is in school now, withdraw in writing

Send the school a dated withdrawal letter saying your child will be educated at home, and keep a copy. Maryland also asks for a notice under this option (the next step); file it by its deadline.

File your notice

Required.

When: Annually before the beginning of the school year (parent verification).

What it includes: Parent verifies continuation annually with the supervising school (13A.10.01.01B). The supervising school must notify the local superintendent annually of continuing, new and withdrawn home-schooled students, and report changes during the year (13A.10.01.05).

Plan your school year: days and hours

Maryland doesn’t set a number of days or hours for this option.

Same instruction standard as 13A.10.01.01C: regular basis during the school year, sufficient duration. No hour requirement.

Planning about 180 days, as schools do, gives the year a shape and makes a move to another state easier.

Cover the required subjects

English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health, physical education.

Regular, thorough instruction in studies usually taught in public schools.

Testing or evaluation

Not required under this option.

No state test. Church-operated supervisors must hold pre-enrollment conferences and conferences with parents at appropriate intervals; approved nonpublic schools must assign a school-based teacher who issues progress reports, marks papers and grades tests.

Keep records anyway

Maryland doesn’t require records under this option.

Records kept as required by the supervising school; no state retention rule found.

Our suggestion: keep attendance, a reading log and a few work samples each year. A move to another state, a college, or a question from the district is much easier with them.

Start teaching

Put your books on a lesson schedule, and the planner spreads the lessons across your school days and moves them when a day is missed. Log attendance in a tap, and keep grades, a portfolio and a transcript as you go.

High school and graduation

No state requirements for home instruction; any diploma would come from the parent or supervising school under its own policy.