Homeschooling in Oregon

Is Homeschooling in Oregon Allowed?

The short Answer is A Big Yes..According to time4learning.com Oregon is fairly homeschool friendly. The public schools are required to allow homeschoolers who meet grade criteria to participate in extracurricular activities, including sports and cheerleading. An annual curriculum fair is held in Portland where families can be introduced to a variety of curricula. At the fair, homeschoolers often have the opportunity to meet a book’s author or a program’s developer. The state capitol, Salem, holds an annual “Homeschool Day” function where homeschoolers are welcome to take part in a variety of political activities

In 1985, the Oregon Legislature passed a law making home education regulations the same in every county. This law required notification and annual achievement testing for students, and gave every parent equal access to this education alternative. After reviewing 13 years of excellent test scores, the 1999 Oregon Legislature passed a law reducing the testing requirement to grades 3, 5, 8, and 10.

What is The Requirement To Homeschooling in Oregon?

Parents who choose to home school their children must register them at their local Education Service District (ESD) within 10 days of withdrawal from public or private school. 

Get the list of ESD in this link. ESD Home School Contacts Updated 8-16-17 

Get in touch with your ESD to register for Home School by using the provided links to your ESD's Home School web pages and contact emails. ESD Home School web pages also can provide valuable information in your Home Schooling experience.

Homeschooling Curriculum in Oregon

Academic content standards and curriculum goals have been developed by the Department of Education and are available on the department’s website. These content standards provide a framework for all content areas and are arranged as standards for grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. The department’s website address is www.ode.state.or.us. Parents are not required to use the state content standards and may teach programs other than those taught in public school. A list of support groups and test publishers has been included in the appendix.

ESDs and local school districts are not required by law to provide educational materials or services for students who are being home schooled. Acquisition of these materials is the responsibility of the parent. However, some school districts may be able to provide materials on loan. A deposit may be charged. Various instructional materials and other resources are available on the Department of Education’s website.

How About Homeschool Testing in Oregon?

Curriculum and assignments are not provided by the State, however, testing is required at grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. 

Please visit the Common Core State Standards webpage which states the grade level expectations for what public school students are expected to be able to know and be able to do by graduation. Your local ESD, district or public school may also be able to provide additional resources to support your child. 

To be added to the approved home school tester list, please send a letter to this office indicating your desire to be added to the list. Include your contact information and the counties in which you would be willing to test. You also need to include evidence that you have met one of the following requirements:

1. Holds a current personnel service license or teaching license from Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission; or
2. Has been licensed by the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners; or
3. Has met the publisher's qualifications for purchase, and has purchased at least one of the approved tests; or
4. Provides evidence of satisfactory completion of a graduate course in which test administration and interpretation is included in the objective; or
5. Has previously qualified as an Oregon home school tester, and has during the previous year administered at least one of the approved tests.

How much does homeschooling cost?

The median amount homeschoolers spend is $400 to $600 per student per year. This is considerably less than the cost to educate students in the public schools. Costs vary depending on the type of material used, whether books from older siblings are being used for younger ones, and how many supplemental materials and classes the student participates in. Libraries, the Internet, and the community provide many resources utilized by homeschool families.

Thats basic info about homeschooling in oregon that i've resumed for you. hopefully you get basic understanding about homeschooling in oregon. for another info, visit the sources website.












Sources:

1. www.time4learning.com
2. http://www.oceanetwork.org
3. http://www.oregon.gov