How to I comply with Iowa Homeschooling Law?

Under Iowa law families have two options to verify a student’s progress. They are Supervision or Assessment.

Supervision:

Under this option families work with a supervising teacher. When you choose to work with a supervising teacher, you are not required to provide the state with annual assessment evidence. The supervising teacher is expected to monitor the progress of your student and make recommendations as necessary.

Assessment:

Using the assessment option families must choose an annual assessment. Families can select one of three evaluation tools:

• a standardized test
• a portfolio evaluation
• a report from an accredited correspondence school
  

By May 1 (depending upon the choice of annual assessment selected from the list above):

• the student must have completed the standardized testing
• the parent must have completed the portfolio, received approval for the portfolio evaluator,
  and delivered the portfolio to the evaluator
• the report from the accredited correspondence school must be requested

Results are only required in specific subject areas:

• for grades 1-5: reading, language, and mathematics.
• for grades 6 & beyond: reading or literary materials, language or written expression, mathematics or quantitative thinking, science, and social studies.
  

Annual assessment results must meet minimum levels in order to demonstrate academic progress:

• standardized test composite scores must be above the 30th percentile (nationally-normed) and either at or above the grade level or showing 6 months’ progress over the last testing result in the specified assessment subject areas.
  
• portfolio evaluation by an Iowa certified teacher must verify that your student has demonstrated adequate progress in the specified assessment subject areas.
  
• report from an accredited correspondence school must indicate passing grades in all of the specified assessment subject areas.Annual assessment results must be sent to the local school district of residence by June 30. 

What is dual-enrollment?

Dual enrollment is enrollment with a public school district of a child who is receiving CPI for the purpose of attending one or more courses or participating in extracurricular activities offered by the district.

A child under dual enrollment may participate in academic programs or extracurricular activities on the same basis as any regularly enrolled student. A child under dual enrollment is also eligible to receive AEA services on the same basis as a regularly enrolled child.