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Administrative Procedures 5000 - Students
Administrative Procedure 5113.5 - Home Schooling

Administrative Procedure 5113.5 - Home Schooling

I. Purpose

To establish a procedure to be used for determining if a child who is participating in home schooling is receiving regular, thorough instruction during the school year in the curriculum subjects usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age.

II. Background

Each child of compulsory school age who resides in Prince George’s County shall attend a school regularly during the entire school year, unless the child is otherwise receiving regular, thorough instruction in a home schooling program, in accordance with the Maryland Annotated Code, Education Article §7-301 and the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR 13A.10.01).

Home schooling is provided by a parent or legal guardian who chooses to teach a child at home in lieu of enrolling him or her in a public or private school. Prince George’s County Public Schools does not issue grades, credits or a high school diploma to a child participating in home schooling.

III. Procedures

  1. Information for Parents/Guardians
    The Home Schooling Office of Prince George’s County Public Schools provides informational materials to any parent/guardian who is interested in providing home instruction for their child. Such materials include contact information for PGCPS Home Schooling staff, relevant Maryland laws and regulations, as well as PGCPS forms and documents.

    All forms referenced in this procedure may be accessed on the PGCPS Home Schooling Office website: www.pgcps.org/homeschooling.
  2. Required Notification and Consent Agreement
    1. Enrollment in Homeschooling. At least 15 days before beginning a home schooling program, the parent/guardian shall submit a Home Schooling Notification Form to Prince George’s County Public Schools’ Home Schooling Office. The parent/guardian shall agree to permit PGCPS to review the instruction provided, or the parent/guardian shall verify that supervision is being provided by a nonpublic school or institution approved by Maryland State Department of Education.

      If the student is enrolled in PGCPS, the parent/guardian should appear in person at the school of enrollment or submit in writing that the student is withdrawing, stating the reason and anticipated last date of attendance. Parents may provide the school with a copy of the endorsed Home School Notification Form to be included in the official student school record.
    2. Annual Verification. The parent or guardian shall verify annually the continuation of home schooling for his or her child with Prince George’s County Public Schools or the MSDE registered nonpublic school or institution.
    3. Change in Status. The parent/guardian shall notify, in writing, the PGCPS Home Schooling Office or supervising nonpublic school or institution if a change occurs in the status of a child’s home schooling program during the school year. A change of status includes but is not limited to the following: enrollment in public or private school; relocation out of Prince George’s County for more than 6 months; change in supervision; student completion of Home Schooling as a result of passing the GED; or reaching the age of 18.
  3. Portfolio Review by PGCPS
    1. If a child is not receiving home schooling under supervision of a qualified, registered, nonpublic school or institution, a parent or guardian shall agree to permit the CEO’s designee to review a portfolio of educational materials and discuss the instruction program with the parent or guardian to ensure that the child is receiving regular, thorough instruction, in accordance with Maryland law.
      1. The parent/guardian will maintain a portfolio of materials that demonstrates that regular, thorough instruction is being provided.
      2. The review and discussion are to take place at a time and place mutually agreeable to the representative of the school system and the parent or guardian.
      3. There are not more than three portfolio reviews during the school year.
    2. The portfolio shall reflect the provision of regular, thorough instruction in the studies usually taught in the public schools to students of the same age, including:
      1. Instruction in English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, health and physical education during the school year; and
      2. Relevant materials such as instructional materials, reading materials, examples of the child’s writings, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials and assessments in each subject area.
    3. The parent/guardian may elect to provide PGCPS a copy of a report card or transcript from an accredited or unaccredited college at the conclusion of each semester in lieu of a portfolio of materials for the courses in which the child is enrolled.
    4. A report of the home schooling program review is completed at the conclusion of each review indicating whether or not the student is receiving regular, thorough instruction during the school year using relevant materials in the studies usually taught in the public schools to students of the same age.
    5. If the PGCPS Home Schooling Office determines upon inspection of the portfolio review that the child is not receiving a regular, thorough instruction program in conformity with COMAR, the PGCPS Home Schooling Office shall notify the parent/guardian in writing of any deficiencies in the program.
    6. Within 30 days of receipt of written notification of any deficiencies, the parent/guardian shall provide evidence to PGCPS Home Schooling Office that the deficiency has been or is being corrected.
  4. Home Schooling under Supervision of a Qualified, Registered, Nonpublic School or Institution
    Parents/guardians may provide a home schooling program for their child under the supervision of a qualified, registered, nonpublic school or institution that meets the requirements of COMAR §13A.10.01.05.
    1. The parent/guardian shall submit the Home Schooling Notification Form at least 15 days before beginning the home schooling program, as required above. A child under the supervision of a qualified, registered, nonpublic school or institution, as described above, is not subject to the requirements in Section C of this Administrative Procedure.
    2. The qualified, registered, supervising nonpublic school or institution shall:
      1. Verify with PGCPS the identification of students whose instruction is continuing under their supervision;
      2. Notify PGCPS of the identification of students newly added to its supervision; and
      3. Provide PGCPS with the identification of students no longer under its supervision, or if a change occurs in the status of a student whose instruction was under its supervision during the school year.
  5. Discontinuation of Home Schooling
    1. Parent/Guardian Discontinuation: A parent/guardian may decide to discontinue home schooling at any time during a school year by changing their status using the Home Schooling Transfer Form, or by notifying the PGCPS Home Schooling Office in writing. The student shall promptly be enrolled in an approved public or nonpublic school as defined by COMAR 13A.09.09.02B (4-9).
    2. PGCPS Discontinuation: If PGCPS Home Schooling Office determines that there is not a satisfactory plan to correct a deficiency or if a deficiency is not corrected, or if the parent/guardian does not permit the CEO of schools’ designee to conduct the required reviews, the child shall be enrolled promptly by the parent/guardian in an approved public school or a nonpublic school as defined in COMAR 13A.09.09.02B (4-9).
  6. Enrollment into PGCPS from Home Schooling
    1. A parent/guardian who desires to enroll a child in Prince George’s County Public Schools from home schooling shall complete the Home Schooling Transfer Form and have the form endorsed by the Home Schooling Office. The parent/guardian will take the completed Home Schooling Transfer Form to enroll the student in public school.
    2. Portfolio reviews completed by the Home Schooling Office do not verify grades, grade placement, clock hours or credits in the public school.
    3. Grade Placement: A temporary placement will be determined by the school principal/designee based on the child’s chronological age. The assigned attendance area school will determine, by evaluation, the final placement of the child. The evaluation may include standardized tests, local examinations, and interviews with the child.
    4. Awarding Credits to High School age students from non-approved or nonaccredited schools:
      1. Standardized testing is required using the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP) for the awarding of high school credit.
      2. Elective course credits may be granted for elective courses taken at a nonaccredited or nonpublic schools based on appropriate documentation, including clock hours, course catalogs/descriptions, and a valid copy of a student’s transcript. The latest graduation requirements can be found in the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR) 13A.03.02. Students may be awarded a credit from a non-accredited school for any subject for which there is not a TAP test.
      3. Additional procedures regarding admission of students from non-approved or non-accredited schools grades 9-12 may be found in AP 5111.2. General procedures pertaining to promotion and retention of students may be found in AP 5123.2.
    5. Awarding credits to high-school age students from MSDE approved online courses:
      1. a home school student entering a PGCPS who has credit(s) for taking a Maryland State Department of Education approved student online course may transfer those credits. Standardized testing using the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency (TAP) is not required.
      2. A home school student entering PGCPS with an official transcript from Griggs International Academy will have his/her credits transferred for courses taken prior to July, 1, 2019.
      3. Additional procedures regarding admission of students from nonapproved or non-accredited schools grades 9-12 may be found in AP 5111.2. General procedures pertaining to promotion and retention of students may be found in AP 5123.2.
  7. Voluntary Participation in Standardized Testing
    1. The parent/guardian of a child receiving home schooling may participate in standardized testing programs that are administered in the public school the child is eligible to attend. Standardized testing does not indicate grade promotion or grade placement in the public school for children who are in Home Schooling.
    2. The parent or guardian should contact the School Testing Coordinator (STC) of the public school the child is eligible to attend, between February 15 and March 1 of every calendar year to make arrangements to participate in standardized testing.
  8. Inclusion in Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps Units (JROTC)
    Under the National Defense Authorization Act of 2020, home school students are permitted to participate in JROTC programs which operate in a public school that services their residential area. Home school students who participate in a JROTC program at their boundary school will be expected to uphold the PGCPS Code of Student Conduct while on school grounds and engaging in JROTC sponsored activities, and are subject to disciplinary actions as specified in the PGCPS Student’s Rights and Responsibility Handbook should a violation occur.
    1. Application Process: Home school students seeking to participate in their local JROTC unit must complete an application, each year in which they seek to participate, no later than March 2 for the upcoming school year. The application process requires applicants to have a student identification number. Parents/guardians can obtain a student identification number from their boundary school after presenting valid proof of residency (as stipulated by PGCPS), a birth certificate and valid photo identification.

      Eligible home school students are:
      • Between the ages of 14 and 18 at the start of the upcoming school year;
      • Compliant with all home school regulations; and
      • Willing to sign and adhere to the contract of the JROTC unit to which they apply.
    2. Enrollment Process: If a Home School Application to participate in JROTC is approved, the parent/ guardian must satisfy all PGCPS enrollment requirements and be registered at the school in order to participate.
    3. Continuation in the JROTC program will be contingent upon:
      1. The annual submission of an application to participate;
      2. Current enrollment with the Home School Office;
      3. Remaining in good standing with the JROTC unit; and
      4. Open seats in the JROTC program that serves their residence.
  9. Record Keeping
    Parents are responsible for maintaining all home schooling records. PGCPS Home Schooling Office will maintain Home Schooling the following materials for no more than five years:
    1. PGCPS Home Schooling Notification Form and
    2. Home Schooling Portfolio Review Form, for those students supervised by PGCPS.

IV. Monitoring and Compliance

  1. The HSO will use Parent Notification forms, portfolio review forms and enrollment lists from non-public entities approved by MSDE to supervise instruction and monitor parent compliance with COMAR. The HSO shall maintain these documents for five (5) years.
  2. Principals or their designee (e.g., registrars) shall ensure that an endorsed Home Schooling Notification form is placed in the cumulative record of any student that has been withdrawn using the T24 code.
  3. The Home School Transfer Form should be used by all schools to document compliance with appropriate evaluation and placement methods of students who are enrolling into the public school from home schooling.
  4. The HSO will notify the school principal and PPW of any student who is enrolled in home school and has been non-compliant with COMAR requirements for home schooling and compulsory attendance.
  5. Principals are responsible for ensuring a PPW investigation is conducted for any student who has been deemed non-compliant with homeschooling but has not returned to a public or private school.

V. Related Policies and Procedures

VI. Maintenance and Update of These Procedures

The Department of Student Services, Home Schooling Office is responsible for the maintenance and updating of these procedures.

VII. Cancellations and Supersedures

This Administrative Procedure cancels and supersedes Administrative Procedure 5113.5, dated September 30, 2019.

VIII. Effective Date

Last Revised: September 1, 2020

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