Survey Results

Page:

1. When do school officials ask that you submit an education plan?
	answered question		742
	skipped question		1
		Response Percent	Response Count
By start of school		22.5%	167
Two weeks before school starts		8.2%	61
One month before school starts		15.6%	116
Longer than a month before school starts		10.5%	78
They don't specify		27.0%	200
Don't know		16.2%	120

2. If they specify, do you comply?
	answered question		492
	skipped question		251
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		79.1%	389
No		20.9%	103
If you do not comply, what do you do? Please explain. [ShowReplies]			182

3. Regarding face-to-face meetings, do your school officials:
	answered question		742
	skipped question		1
		Response Percent	Response Count
Not ask for any meetings		63.7%	473
Ask to meet with homeschoolers only when filing your education plan for the first time		7.5%	56
Ask to meet with homeschoolers annually		6.6%	49
Ask to meet with homeschoolers more than once a year		1.3%	10
Not sure		6.2%	46
Other (please specify) [ShowReplies]		14.6%	108

4. If they do ask for face-to-face meetings, do you, or did you, comply?
	answered question		243
	skipped question		500
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		53.1%	129
No		46.9%	114
If you answered no, what do you do? Please explain. [ShowReplies]			123

5. Regarding hours and schedules, do school officials:
	answered question		742
	skipped question		1
		Response Percent	Response Count
Ask for a daily grid-type schedule		2.4%	18
Ask for number of hours spent on each subject		10.5%	78
Ask that you state you will meet or exceed the 900/990 hours required yearly in the public schools		37.3%	277
Not ask for anything		23.7%	176
Don't know		10.0%	74
Ask for more than one of the above options, or for other info regarding hours and/or scheduling? (please specify) [ShowReplies]		16.0%	119

6. Regarding hours and schedules, if school officials ask for any of the information in question #8 above, do you comply?
	answered question		441
	skipped question		302
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		67.6%	298
No		32.2%	142
If you do not comply, what do you do? Please explain. [ShowReplies]			183

7. In your education plan, regarding access to materials, do you:
	answered question		742
	skipped question		1
		Response Percent	Response Count
Provide nothing		6.6%	49
Say a list will be available upon request		11.9%	88
Provide a list or partial list of materials and/or resources		67.0%	497
Physically show materials to school official		0.9%	7
Do more than one of the above or something else (please specify) [ShowReplies]		13.6%	101

8. In your education plan, regarding parental qualifications, do you:
	answered question		742
	skipped question		1
		Response Percent	Response Count
Provide nothing		13.1%	97
Say only that you are “of competent ability and good morals”		31.1%	231
Summarize your educational background		35.4%	263
Provide more than one of the above, or something else? (please specify) [ShowReplies]		20.4%	151

9. Form of assessment: (check what you provide)
	answered question		742
	skipped question		1
		Response Percent	Response Count
Progress report		46.1%	342
Work samples		13.2%	98
Standardized test results		8.6%	64
Nothing		12.4%	92
If you provide different forms of assessment for different children, or provide something other than listed above, please specify here: [ShowReplies]		19.7%	146

10. How many times a year?
	answered question		742
	skipped question		1
		Response Percent	Response Count
Once		68.6%	509
Twice		6.5%	48
Three times		0.4%	3
Four times		0.8%	6
n/a		15.9%	118
Other (please specify) [ShowReplies]		7.8%	58

11. If a test, which one?
	answered question	121
	skipped question	622
		Response Count
[ShowReplies]		121

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12. Regarding approval letters, do you:
	answered question		722
	skipped question		21
		Response Percent	Response Count
Always receive a letter of approval from school officials		61.5%	444
Usually receive a letter of approval from school officials		10.1%	73
Sometimes receive a letter of approval from school officials		7.8%	56
Receive a letter only if you ask for it		3.3%	24
Never receive a letter, even if you ask for it		2.1%	15
Never receive a letter, and have never asked		5.0%	36
Not sure		4.2%	30
Receive a letter but it is conditioned on (please specify): [ShowReplies]		6.1%	44

13. Do school officials allow homeschoolers to participate in any of the following activities? Check all that apply.
	answered question		723
	skipped question		20
		Response Percent	Response Count
Classes		12.4%	90
Sports		20.2%	146
Extracurricular activities		18.8%	136
Chorus or band		15.6%	113
Borrow books		8.2%	59
None of the above		8.6%	62
Don't know		57.4%	415
Other (please specify) [ShowReplies]		17.4%	126

14. Have any of your children entered tenth grade or higher in a public high school after having homeschooled through ninth grade or later?
	answered question		686
	skipped question		57
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		2.5%	17
No		97.5%	669
If yes, tell us the details of the transition, i.e. did the high school award credit for homeschool work? How was grade placement decided? Was a diploma awarded? What about MCAS? Etc. [ShowReplies]			15

15. Do you use a correspondence or distance learning school?
	answered question		711
	skipped question		32
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		11.1%	79
No		88.9%	632
If yes, which one? [ShowReplies]			81

16. If you answered yes to question #18, and you do use a correspondence or distance learning school, do you still seek approval for your education plan from your local school district?
	answered question		83
	skipped question		660
		Response Percent	Response Count
Yes		89.2%	74
No		10.8%	9
Whether yes or no, how does it work? [ShowReplies]			55

17. Which best describes your town or district?
	answered question		704
	skipped question		39
		Response Percent	Response Count
Nice and easy: At most, school officials request an initial "Letter of Intent" or minimal education plan (similar to the AHEM sample plan), and never ask for evaluation. They have a friendly and supportive stance toward homeschoolers, or have a hands-off attitude.		32.7%	230
Run of the mill: School officials accept a plan that adheres to the Charles guidelines, and expect an annual evaluation of the parents' choosing. Their official policy may have extralegal expectations in it, but in practice they stay within the Charles guidelines. In general, they are reasonable to deal with, and might even be friendly and supportive toward homeschoolers.		62.6%	441
A little rocky: School officials may try to push the envelope on the Charles guidelines, and seem bent on making life a little difficult. They may insist on meetings, nitpick about materials, ask for evaluations more than once a year, or ask for multiple forms of evaluation, such as a "portfolios." Their attitude toward homeschoolers is kind of skeptical.		4.3%	30
Pain in the you-know-what: School officials have a hostile attitude toward homeschoolers, regarding them with suspicion. They regularly ask for more information than is outlined in the Charles decision. They may demand meetings more than once a year, insist on standardized testing, ask that materials be physically brought in, make threats if their demands aren't complied with. And so on.		0.4%	3

18. Any other information you feel would be useful for other homeschoolers to know about how your town puts homeschooling policy into practice?
	answered question	257
	skipped question	486
		Response Count
[ShowReplies]		257