Private Instruction Handbook

What Is Private Instruction?

Private instruction means instruction using a plan and a course of study in a setting other than a public or organized accredited nonpublic school (Iowa Code § 299A.1(2)“c”). It includes three private instruction options for families: 

• Competent Private Instruction (CPI) provided or supervised by a licensed practitioner (Option 1), which may include: 

o Enrollment in the resident district’s home school assistance program (HSAP, if offered), 

o Instruction by an appropriately licensed teacher that is privately retained (i.e., at their own expense) by the family, or 

o Instruction provided by an appropriately licensed parent, guardian, or custodian.

 • CPI by a parent, guardian, or custodian (Option 2), such as a homeschooled student in a non-accredited nonpublic “school.” 

• Independent Private Instruction (IPI)