Start homeschooling · Rhode Island

How to start homeschooling in Rhode Island

Everything Rhode Island 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.

Legal options1
NoticeRequired
Days or hoursSet by the state
TestingRequired
RecordsRequired

Step by step

  1. Know what Rhode Island requires

    Parents must have an at-home instruction plan approved by the school committee of the town where the child lives before they begin. Attendance must be substantially equal to public school, required subjects taught in English, and attendance registers kept.

    Required school ages in Rhode Island: 6 to 18 (every child who has completed or will complete 6 years of life on or before September 1, through age 18). Teacher qualification for this option: No parent qualification requirement stated.

  2. File your notice

    Required.

    When: Before at-home instruction begins.

    What it includes: Approval (not just notice) by the local school committee before beginning. The plan must show attendance substantially equal to public school, thorough and efficient teaching of required subjects, and an agreed method of evaluating progress. New residents must register/enroll the child in the new district before homeschool approval. Denials may be appealed to the RIDE Commissioner.

    Rhode Island 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.

    Write the notice of intent

  3. 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. Wait until the school committee has approved your plan (the step above) before your child leaves school.

    Write the withdrawal letter

  4. Plan your school year: days and hours

    Rhode Island sets a minimum.

    Period of attendance must be substantially equal to that required by law in public schools; RIDE: public schools provide 1,080 hours, the equivalent of a 5½-hour day for at least 180 days.

    Check your days and hoursMake a school calendar

  5. Cover the required subjects

    Reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, history of the United States, history of Rhode Island, principles of American government.

    Statute (§16-19-2) lists these subjects, taught in English substantially to the same extent as in public schools (other languages may supplement). RIDE adds that law also requires civics, health and physical education.

    Find curriculum with lesson counts

  6. Testing or evaluation

    Required every year.

    No statewide test. Parent and school committee agree on a method of evaluating progress in all required subjects (e.g., testing at regular intervals); location and method by mutual agreement.

    Put the dates on your state calendar

  7. Keep the records the state asks for

    Required.

    Attendance register kept and submitted as required (statute: registers open to school committee/state); RIDE: submit attendance records and progress reports/test scores (if agreed) to the district's home instruction contact.

    Printable logsKeep them in My Homeschool

  8. 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.

    Start a free plan in My HomeschoolAll free tools

  9. High school and graduation

    No state homeschool graduation requirements. RIDE: some districts issue a certificate of completion of the homeschooling program, others certificates for individual courses; GED available.

    Keep a transcriptGPA calculatorSample transcript
Also good to know in Rhode Island: Districts must loan approved textbooks free; FAPE for eligible special-education students as with parentally placed private-school students; extracurricular participation at district discretion. H 8531 (2026) proposed letting school committees defer or deny approval in truancy cases; it was heard May 19, 2026. Check with RIDE on whether it became law.

Official sources for this option

Not confirmed on an official page: Annual re-approval is not stated in statute or RIDE pages (practice varies by district). Status of 2026 bill H 8531 not confirmed. 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 Rhode Island checklist

Tick as you go, or print it. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.

Homeschool Corral · How to start homeschooling in Rhode Island · homeschoolcorral.com

  • Read Rhode Island’s rules for “At-home instruction approved by the local school committee”
  • File the notice (Before at-home instruction begins)
  • Withdraw from school in writing (if enrolled), and keep a copy
  • Set the first and last day, school days and breaks (meeting the state minimum)
  • Choose curriculum for each required subject
  • Note the testing or evaluation years and deadlines
  • Start the required records from day one
  • Make a first-week plan and start

Questions Rhode Island parents ask

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Rhode Island?

Yes. When: Before at-home instruction begins. What to file: Approval (not just notice) by the local school committee before beginning. The plan must show attendance substantially equal to public school, thorough and efficient teaching of required subjects, and an agreed method of evaluating progress. New residents must register/enroll the child in the new district before homeschool approval. Denials may be appealed to the RIDE Commissioner.

How many days or hours do homeschoolers need in Rhode Island?

Period of attendance must be substantially equal to that required by law in public schools; RIDE: public schools provide 1,080 hours, the equivalent of a 5½-hour day for at least 180 days.

Do homeschoolers have to take tests in Rhode Island?

Yes, every year, though there is no statewide test. Parent and school committee agree on a method of evaluating progress in all required subjects (e.g., testing at regular intervals); location and method by mutual agreement.

Do I need a teaching certificate to homeschool in Rhode Island?

No parent qualification requirement stated.

What subjects are required in Rhode Island?

Reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, history of the United States, history of Rhode Island, principles of American government.

What records do I need to keep in Rhode Island?

Attendance register kept and submitted as required (statute: registers open to school committee/state); RIDE: submit attendance records and progress reports/test scores (if agreed) to the district's home instruction contact.

Keep going

Rhode Island homeschool rules in fullEvery option, by grade, with the state’s sources Moving to or from Rhode Island?See what changes, side by side Rhode Island scholarshipsFor homeschool students, with deadlines Plan your year, freeMy Homeschool, free while we’re in beta; an invite code is needed to create an account

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.

Start homeschooling in another state: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado · Connecticut · Delaware · District of Columbia · Florida · Georgia · Hawaii · Idaho · Illinois · Indiana · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Maryland · Massachusetts · Michigan · Minnesota · Mississippi · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · New York · North Carolina · North Dakota · Ohio · Oklahoma · Oregon · Pennsylvania · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Texas · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · Washington · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming