How to start homeschooling in Oregon
Everything Oregon asks of a homeschool family, in order, from the state’s own sources, checked October 1, 2026. Each step links to a free tool that does it, and there’s a checklist to print at the end.
Step by step
Know what Oregon 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.
Required school ages in Oregon: 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). 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. Oregon also asks for a notice under this option (the next step); file it by its deadline.
File your notice
Required.
When: Within 10 days of withdrawing the child from school or of the start of the school year.
What it includes: 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.
Plan your school year: days and hours
Oregon doesn’t set a number of days or hours for this option.
No minimum number of days stated for home schooling. No minimum hours stated for home schooling.
Planning about 180 days, as schools do, gives the year a shape and makes a move to another state easier.
Cover the required subjects
Oregon doesn’t list required subjects for this option.
No required subjects or curriculum; families choose their own curriculum (ODE). State content standards available for reference.
Testing or evaluation
Required in grades 3, 5, 8 and 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).
Keep records anyway
Oregon doesn’t require records under this option.
Keep test results and submit them to the ESD on request. No other record-keeping requirement stated.
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 homeschool graduation requirements. ODE: there is no official homeschool diploma in Oregon; the GED is an option for a universally recognized credential.
Official sources for this option
Not confirmed on an official page: Full text of OAR 581-021-0026 could not be read from the Secretary of State rules site; 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. Check these points with the state or your local school district before you rely on them; everything else above comes from the official sources listed.
Your Oregon checklist
Homeschool Corral · How to start homeschooling in Oregon · homeschoolcorral.com
- Read Oregon’s rules for “Home schooling by parent, legal guardian or private teacher”
- Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
- File the notice (Within 10 days of withdrawing the child from school or of the start of the school year)
- Set the first and last day, school days and breaks
- Choose curriculum for each required subject
- Note the testing or evaluation years and deadlines (grades 3, 5, 8 and 10)
- Start a simple attendance log and reading log
- Make a first-week plan and start
Questions Oregon parents ask
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Oregon?
Yes. When: Within 10 days of withdrawing the child from school or of the start of the school year. What to file: 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.
How many days or hours do homeschoolers need in Oregon?
No minimum number of days stated for home schooling. No minimum hours stated for home schooling.
Do homeschoolers have to take tests in Oregon?
Yes, in grades 3, 5, 8 and 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).
Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Oregon?
No parent qualification requirement.
What subjects are required in Oregon?
Oregon doesn’t list required subjects.
What records do I need to keep in Oregon?
Oregon doesn’t require records. Keeping attendance, a reading log and work samples is still wise.
Keep going
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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