Homeschooling in Vermont: what the state requires
Parents enroll the child in a home study program by filing a notice of intent with the Secretary of Education, provide a minimum course of study equivalent to at least 175 days, and assess progress annually, keeping the assessment record themselves.
Checked October 1, 2026 against official Vermont sources. State page: Vermont Agency of Education — Home Study. Compulsory school age: 6 to 16 (16 V.S.A. § 1121; exceptions include completion of tenth grade).
Home study program (16 V.S.A. § 166b)
Parents enroll the child in a home study program by filing a notice of intent with the Secretary of Education, provide a minimum course of study equivalent to at least 175 days, and assess progress annually, keeping the assessment record themselves.
For every child
| Notice or registration | Required. At least 10 business days before starting; renewed annually at least 10 business days before each year's start — Notice of intent to the Secretary of Education on the Agency of Education form, at least 10 business days before commencing home study. Contents include child's name, age and date of birth; names, mailing and email addresses, town of residence and phone numbers of custodial parents; attestation that progress will be assessed annually and records kept; attestation of at least 175 days of instruction; for newly enrolled students, documentation of any disability; signatures of custodial parents. Secretary acknowledges receipt within 10 business days. Annual notice of intent to continue on or before the start of each following year, at least 10 business days before the intended start date. Written notice within 10 business days of withdrawal. |
|---|---|
| Required subjects | basic communication skills, including reading, writing, and the use of numbers, citizenship, history, and government in Vermont and the United States, physical education and comprehensive health education, including the effects of tobacco, alcoholic drinks, and drugs, English, American, and other literature, the natural sciences, the fine arts — Under age 13: all subject areas in 16 V.S.A. § 906(b). Age 13 and older: only § 906(b)(1), (2), (4) and (5) — basic communication skills; citizenship, history and government; English, American and other literature; natural sciences. For a child with a disability, the course of study is adapted to support learning. |
| Days | 175 days — Parent attests each child will be provided "the equivalent of at least 175 days of instruction". |
| Hours | No hours requirement stated. |
| Testing or evaluation | Required every year. Progress assessed at the end of each school year by one of: a standardized assessment (local district or testing service); review by a holder of a current Vermont teacher's certificate; a parent report and portfolio with a summary of what the student learned and at least four work samples; grades from an online academy or school; or evidence of passing the GED. Parent keeps the record; AOE says not to send it unless review is wanted. Annual renewal attests the previous year was completed and an annual evaluation was kept. |
| Records | Required. Parent must maintain the record of annual assessments. No retention period stated in statute. |
| Teacher | No parent qualification requirement stated. |
By grade
No rule in this option changes with the grade; testing applies every year.
High school and graduation
Statute sets no graduation requirements for home study. AOE: students enrolled in home study do not receive grades or diplomas from the State.
Official sources:
- 16 V.S.A. § 166b — Home study program
- 16 V.S.A. § 906 — Course of study
- Vermont Agency of Education — Home Study
Not confirmed on an official state page yet: Record retention period (none found). Immunization/health requirements for home study not found in § 166b.
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.
§ 166b was substantially amended by 2023 Act 66, § 5, effective July 1, 2023; facts above reflect the current text.
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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