Homeschooling in Massachusetts: what the state requires
A child is excused from school if being otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee of the district where the child lives. Parents submit a home schooling plan for local approval.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Massachusetts sources. State page: Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education — Home Schooling. Compulsory school age: 6 to 16 (attendance begins in September of the calendar year the child turns 6).
Home schooling approved in advance by the school committee/superintendent
A child is excused from school if being otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee of the district where the child lives. Parents submit a home schooling plan for local approval.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Approval must be obtained in advance of home schooling. No statewide calendar deadline or renewal frequency is set in statute. — Parent notifies the residential school district in writing and submits a proposed home schooling plan; the plan must be approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee. Notification alone does not authorize home schooling; removing a child without an approved plan makes the child truant. Charter schools, Commonwealth Virtual Schools, school choice districts and vocational programs do not approve plans. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | orthography, reading, writing, the English language and grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, music, the history and constitution of the United States, the duties of citizenship, health education, physical education, good behavior — Subjects listed in M.G.L. c. 71, §1 for public schools; the Massachusetts Trial Court Law Libraries note that c. 71 §§1-3 subjects apply to home schooling under Care and Protection of Charles, 399 Mass. 324 (1987). Instruction must equal in thoroughness and efficiency, and in progress made, that in the local public schools. |
| Days | No statewide day count for home schooling; the district may review the duration and frequency of instruction. |
| Hours | No statewide hour requirement for home schooling found. |
| Testing or evaluation | Not required. No statewide test requirement. Districts may consider the plan's method of evaluation and whether the child makes adequate progress (Charles factors). Under Brunelle v. Lynn Public Schools, 428 Mass. 512 (1998), home visits cannot be required as a condition of approval. |
| Records | No statewide record-keeping rule; records depend on the evaluation method in the approved plan. |
| Teacher | No statewide credential requirement; parental competency may be considered by the district under Care and Protection of Charles. |
| Other | Home-schooled students have a right to special education evaluation and services from the district. |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade.
High school and graduation
No state law sets graduation requirements for home-schooled students; the parent sets them and issues any diploma.
Official sources:
- M.G.L. c. 76, §1 — School attendance
- M.G.L. c. 71, §1 — Subjects taught
- DESE — Home Schooling
- Mass.gov (Trial Court Law Libraries) — Massachusetts law about home schooling
- 603 CMR 8.02 — Mandatory minimum school age
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Care and Protection of Charles and Brunelle v. Lynn were not read on an official court site; summarized from the Mass.gov law library page. Who issues the diploma is not stated on an official source (no state provision found). Upper compulsory age of 16 is from the DESE page; the regulation text did not state it.
High school: the public-school diploma as a guide
Optional for homeschools in most states, but the credit plan most colleges and employers recognize, and a sound default for a homeschool transcript. Shown in the subject areas this site uses.
| English | 2.0 |
| Mathematics | 2.0 |
| Science | 1.0 |
| Social Studies United States history (beginning class of 2027) 1 | 1.0 |
| Total | 6.0 |
|---|
No statewide credit total; school committees set local graduation requirements. Statewide, a diploma also requires a Competency Determination, which since the November 2024 ballot question (effective Dec 5, 2024) is earned by district-certified coursework; 603 CMR 30 (amended May 20, 2025) specifies the coursework above in years, beginning with the class of 2026. MassCore is a recommended (not required) program of study.
Source: 603 CMR 30.00 — Competency Determination and Local Graduation Requirements
After graduation: what to plan for
Suggestions from Homeschool Corral, not state rules. Most families keep the college path open through 10th grade, then narrow.
- 4 English, 4 math (through Algebra II, pre-calculus if they can), 3–4 science with 2 labs, 3–4 social studies, 2–3 years of one foreign language, 1 fine arts
- A one-paragraph description for every high-school course; the parent signs the transcript and diploma
- PSAT in 10th and 11th; SAT or ACT by spring of 11th; dual credit, AP or CLEP where it fits
- A log of activities, service and work from 9th grade; two adults who can recommend them
- A Scholarship Finder profile by 11th grade; FAFSA when it opens in the fall of 12th
- A diploma and transcript with 4 English, 3 math, 3 science, 3 social studies; applied math every year
- Dual-credit career and technical courses in 11th–12th; OSHA 10 and first aid/CPR; a driver’s license
- Real projects and a part-time job logged as credits, with references; visit the union hall about pre-apprenticeships in 11th
- A parent-issued diploma and full transcript, signed and dated; recruiters ask for both
- Strong reading and arithmetic for the entrance test; a practice ASVAB in 11th
- Physical fitness as a logged course; service and leadership; for an academy or ROTC, the college list plus the SAT/ACT early
- The diploma and transcript anyway; personal finance and business basics as credits
- Work experience logged with hours and a reference from 10th grade; typing, spreadsheets, a clear email
- Keep the college path open: a foreign language and Algebra II cost little now
My Homeschool turns these into a checklist for each child, with the credits recorded in Transcripts counted against the plan.
The DESE graduation requirements page was under maintenance at check time; the MassCore 'recommended' status was not re-verified on it.
This is a plain-English summary of the state’s official sources, checked on the date shown. It is not legal advice, and laws change. Read the linked official pages, and check with the state or your local school district if anything is unclear.
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