The 2020-21 school year will begin in less than two months, and parents will have to decide on the teaching and learning design they want for their child. HISD wants to arm its parents with good information to help them make the right educational decision for their child. Homeschooling comes with opportunities and challenges. We want to ensure you have accurate information when making this decision for your student.
Successful home school learners:
1. Have a great deal of self-discipline. Organizational and time management skills are very important.
2. Are intrinsically motivated. Self-motivating behaviors (positive attitude, goal-oriented, high expectations for grades/certification completion, perseverance, flexibility etc.) are far more likely to find success in a home school environment.
3. Have strong parental support. Parents choosing home school learning for their child are choosing and accepting a larger responsibility for the academic success of their children. The Texas Education Agency has not waived state testing for the 2020-21 school year. Parents of students that are home school learners that may consider returning to public school at some point should understand that widening educational gaps incurred through home schooling will make it difficult to transition back into a public school environment, even if the absence is a few months.
4. Understand and accept the obstacles to home schooling. The American Academy of Pediatrics “strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with a goal of having students present in school.” These recommendations are based on the following realities:
• The preponderance of evidence indicates that children and adolescents are less likely to be symptomatic and less likely to have severe disease resulting from SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• The documented importance of in-person learning to the academic, social, and emotional growth of children.
• The support services resources (counseling, food services, library, nurses etc) available at school may not be available at home.
• An increased risk of morbidity in children in distance learning environment due to:
• Substance abuse
• Depression
• Suicidal ideation
• Learning deficits
• Physical or sexual abuse
Also, Accreditation is a major concern for students who may return to HISD from homeschool. It is important that both parents and students fully understand homeschool accreditation and how it could potentially affect a student who may return to public school from homeschool.
· Grade placement after returning from an unaccredited homeschool program:
· Grade placement is initially determined by the campus principal.
· Observations by classroom teachers, the principal and guidance personnel may modify the initial placement.
· Many factors will be used to determine placement, including but not limited to:
1. Scores on achievement tests, which may be administered by appropriate District personnel.
2. Recommendation of the sending school.
3. Prior academic record.
4. Chronological age and social and emotional development of the student.
5. Other criteria deemed appropriate by the principal.
· High School students and credit:
· Before recognizing credit in a course earned in an accredited nonpublic school, an accredited school outside of Texas, or a non-accredited school, appropriate personnel shall evaluate a student’s records and transcript. The District may require the student to demonstrate mastery of the content or use alternative methods to verify course content for the award of credit.
· The Texas Education Agency and HISD require a minimum number of credits in order for a student to earn a high school diploma. Not completing credits during homeschool can cause significant setbacks in a student’s graduation plan.
· The Texas Education Agency and HISD also require specific courses in order to graduate. It is extremely important that students who are homeschooled are working towards these specific courses, and that the homeschool program chosen offers courses that will transfer back into the student’s graduation plan.
Information provided in this document was gleaned from the linked articles below. Please visit the following links for more information as you prepare to make the best educational decision for your child:
https://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Download/128?filename=FD(LOCAL).pdf