Homeschooling in Oregon: what the state requires
Children educated at home by a parent or legal guardian (or taught by a private teacher) are exempt from compulsory attendance. The parent notifies the local Education Service District (ESD) and the child is tested at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Oregon sources. State page: Oregon Department of Education — Home Schooling in Oregon. Compulsory school age: 6 to 18 (children between the ages of 6 and 18 who have not completed 12th grade; ODE: children who reach age 6 by September 1 of the current school year, through age 18).
Home schooling by parent, legal guardian or private teacher (ORS 339.035)
Children educated at home by a parent or legal guardian (or taught by a private teacher) are exempt from compulsory attendance. The parent notifies the local Education Service District (ESD) and the child is tested at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. Within 10 days of withdrawing the child from school or of the start of the school year — Written notice to the local Education Service District (ESD); the ESD must acknowledge receipt in writing. ODE asks families to notify the ESD again if they move outside district boundaries. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | — No required subjects or curriculum; families choose their own curriculum (ODE). State content standards available for reference. |
| Days | No minimum number of days stated for home schooling. |
| Hours | No minimum hours stated for home schooling. |
| Records | Keep test results and submit them to the ESD on request. No other record-keeping requirement stated. |
| Teacher | No parent qualification requirement. |
| Other | Tester must be neutral and meet OAR 581-021-0026 qualifications. |
By grade
Testing or evaluation in grade 3, grade 5, grade 8 and grade 10. Nationally normed, state-approved achievement test at the end of grades 3, 5, 8 and 10, completed by August 15, administered by a neutral qualified tester (not related by blood or marriage; qualifications in OAR 581-021-0026). Approved tests: Iowa, Stanford, TerraNova/CAT (two latest versions). Results go to the family; family submits to the ESD when requested. Cost is the family's responsibility. If the composite score is below the 15th percentile on national norms, the child is retested within one year; if scores continue to decline, the ESD superintendent may require supervision by a licensed teacher, further exams, or school attendance for up to 12 consecutive months. Students with disabilities may be evaluated per an IEP/PDP instead (OAR 581-021-0029). Students in interscholastic activities must test annually and score above the 25th percentile (ORS 339.460).
High school and graduation
No state homeschool graduation requirements. ODE: there is no official homeschool diploma in Oregon; the GED is an option for a universally recognized credential.
Official sources:
- ORS Chapter 339 (339.010, 339.030, 339.035) — Oregon Legislature
- ODE — Home Schooling: Information for Families
- ODE — Home Schooling: Information About Testing
- ODE — Homeschooling FAQs (PDF)
- ODE — Relevant Statutes and Rules
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Full text of OAR 581-021-0026 could not be fetched from the Secretary of State rules site (blocked); testing deadline, tester qualifications and 18-month grace period for new homeschoolers are taken from ODE pages. HB 3624 (2025, ESDs to pay for tests) stalled in Senate committee and is not law per OLIS.
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 Language Arts 4 | 4.0 |
| Mathematics | 3.0 |
| Science | 3.0 |
| Social Studies Social Sciences 3; Personal Financial Education 0.5 | 3.5 |
| Physical Education & Health Health 1; Physical Education 1 | 2.0 |
| Career & Technical Higher Education & Career Path Skills 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Electives World Languages/Arts/Career and Technical Education 3; Electives 5 | 8.0 |
| Total | 24.0 |
|---|
Personal Financial Education and Higher Education & Career Path Skills apply to students graduating on or after January 1, 2027. Social Sciences must include at least 0.5 credit of Civics starting with class of 2026. Plus Personalized Learning Requirements. Essential Skills assessment requirement suspended through the 2027-28 school year.
Source: ODE — Oregon Diploma
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.
ORS 339.030 also exempts children taught in a private or parochial school and children taught by a private teacher; the private-teacher route is covered by the same ORS 339.035 notice/testing rules.
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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