Home School Rules & Statutes
The following is a list of Oregon Revised Statutes (ORS) and Oregon Administrative Rules (OAR) relating to home school:
| OAR | Title |
|---|---|
| 581-021-0026 | Examination of Children Instructed by Parent, Legal Guardian or Private Teacher |
| 581-021-0029 | Home Schooling for Children with Disabilities |
| 581-021-0033 | Interscholastic Activities Eligibility Requirements for Home School Students |
| 581-021-0034 | Administration of Interscholastic Activities |
| 581-021-0076 | Exemption from Compulsory Attendance |
| 581-021-0077 | Compulsory Attendance Notices and Citation |
| 581-021-0230 – 581-021-0300 | Rights and Records |
| 581-021-0330 – 581-021-0390 | Disclosure of Records |
| 589-007-0400 | General Educational Development Program and Certificates of High School Equivalency |
| ORS | Title |
|---|---|
| 339.010 | School attendance required; age limits |
| 339.020 | Duty to send children to school |
| 339.030 | Exemptions from compulsory school attendance; rules |
| 339.035 | Teaching by private teacher, parent or guardian; notice; examinations; rules; effect of low or declining score |
| 339.257 | Documentation of enrollment status for students applying for driving privileges; notification of student withdrawal to Department of Transportation |
| 339.460 | Home school students authorized to participate in interscholastic activities; conditions |
Summary of Home School Legal Requirements
Compulsory Attendance
Effective July 1, 2016, ORS 339.010 has been amended to lower the age of compulsory attendance from 7 to 6. Children between the ages of 6 and 18 are required to attend public school unless they qualify for an exemption. Under ORS 339.030, being legally home schooled is one such exemption. A child who is not exempt and not attending public school is considered truant. Failure to send comply with compulsory attendance requirements is a Class C violation of the law and is punishable by a court imposed fine, as provided by ORS 339.925
Required Days of Instruction
None
Required Subjects
None
Teacher Qualification
None
Reporting
The parent or guardian must notify the education service district (ESD) in writing within 10 days when a child is taught at home or is withdrawn from a public school to be taught at home. When a child moves to a new ESD, the parent or guardian must notify the new ESD in writing within 10 days of such occurrence. Annual notification is not required.
The notice must include the child’s and parent’s names and addresses, the child’s birth date, and the name of the school the child is presently attending or last attended or, if the child has not attended school, the name of the public school district where the child resides.
Record Keeping
None
Testing
Students must be tested at the completion of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, by August 15th. If the child was withdrawn from public or private school, the first test is not required in the first 18 months of home schooling.
Tests must be given by a qualified and neutral person as defined in OAR 581-021-0026(1)(i).
OAR 581-021-0026(1)(a) lists approved tests for assessment of satisfactory progress by home school students. Parents must make sure that their home schooled child is tested using a test from the list that is appropriate for the child’s grade level.
Special evaluation rules exist for students with disabilities.