WEST WARWICK PUBLIC SCHOOLS
HOME SCHOOL POLICY
I. RATIONALE
This document serves to establish the West Warwick School Committee guidelines and procedures for educating students in the home school setting. Parents/guardians intending to home school must comply with Rhode Island State Law Title 16-19-2 and those guidelines put forth by the Town of West Warwick contained in this document.
II. PHILOSOPHY
The West Warwick School Committee recognizes the right of parents to utilize homeschooling as an alternative method to comply with the State Compulsory Attendance Law. Some parents, either for personal or religious reasons, may choose to educate their children at home. Any parent intending to carry out their child or children’s educational program through a homeschooling program is expected to comply with State Law.
III. POLICY STATEMENT
A. Parents wishing to exercise their right to educate a child or children at home must submit written notification of intent to the West Warwick School Committee, through the Assistant Superintendent Office, as soon as said intent is decided by the parents. Upon submission of the Letter of Intent, parents may proceed with their chosen Home School Program subject to annual renewal approval by the School Committee.
B. The Assistant Superintendent will submit the Letter of Intent to the School Committee for approval at the next appropriate School Committee Meeting following receipt of the letter. Every effort shall be made to expedite the attainment of School Committee action on such a request.
IV. POLICY STIPULATIONS
A. The Letter of Intent will reflect that the parent(s)/guardian(s) shall comply with Title 16-19-2 requirements of the General Laws of Rhode Island. The educational program must teach subjects in the English language substantially to the same extent as subjects are required to be taught in the public schools.
B. Parents must maintain instructional attendance records as required by State of Rhode Island Law and submit these records to the West Warwick School Department Superintendent’s Office by August 15 each year.
C. A homeschooling year must be substantially equal to that required by law in public schools.
D. The School Committee requires some type of evaluation on annual academic progress.
1. The progress report may take the form of a report card, narrative evaluations, dated work samples, or other means of evaluation.
2. While the Commissioner of Education has ruled that local school districts have the authority to require some type of evaluation under their “approval” authority, they also must “accommodate the preferences of parents for certain mechanisms for measurement.”
E. Annual testing or standardized testing is not required by Rhode Island General Law.
F. Students receiving home instruction may request textbooks that are in inventory within the school district, through the school guidance office their child would attend if in public school.
G. Children receiving home instruction have the right to participate in specific academic programs, courses, formal testing programs, and extracurricular and/or interscholastic
activities, as would any other publicly-educated student. Approval of participation shall be guided by the following considerations:
1. Enrollment in specific courses offered by the School Department, and at the high school level only, shall be limited to those specific courses/classes students may need but are unable to access to sufficient instructional opportunity through other means available within their approved home school program.
2. Students wishing to participate in high school sports must meet all eligibility requirements of the Rhode Island Interscholastic League.
3. Students follow all rules and meet the same requirements as established for publicly educated students, including Health (e.g., immunizations and/or physical) and other expectations.
4. The parent provides transportation to and from the approved activity when appropriate.
V. HOME/SCHOOL COMMUNICATION
A. If the daily student attendance records and progress report are not submitted to the Superintendent’s Office in a timely fashion, future homeschooling approvals may be in jeopardy.
B. If a parent/guardian has a question or concern about their child, he/she may request a meeting with the Assistant Superintendent or the Superintendent at 401-821-1180.
C. If any change of policy toward homeschooling is being formally considered, all parents who are currently on record as homeschooling in West Warwick will be provided written notice.
VI. APPEALS
In the event that the School Committee does not approve a parental intent to carry out a home school program, the Committee’s decision may be appealed to the Commissioner of Education.
References:
RIGL 16-19-2 Homeschool Regulations
1st Reading:
July 10, 2012
Adopted:
August 14, 2012