November 1, 2007

TO THE INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSED:

This letter provides information about parental instruction or “home schooling” in lieu of public school attendance. It is available to you as a courtesy. The Texas Education Agency does not regulate, index, monitor, approve, register, or accredit the programs available to parents who choose to home school.

For most of this century, Texas has exempted children enrolled in a private or parochial school from compulsory school attendance.  In the case of Leeper et al. v. Arlington ISD et al., the Supreme Court of Texas affirmed a decision by District Judge Charles J. Murray holding that a school age child residing in Texas who is pursuing, under direct supervision of his/her parents, a curriculum designed to meet basic education goals is attending a private school within the meaning of Section 25.086(a)(1) of the Texas Education Code and is therefore exempt from compulsory school attendance.  This case has a statewide application because school districts in the state and certain state officials were parties to the suit. 

The State of Texas does not award a diploma to students that are home schooled.  In the event a home-schooled student wishes to enter a public school, most districts have policies and procedures in place to assess the mastery level of courses that students in home schools have taken.  The results of the assessment may be used for grade placement and/or award of credit.
 
There may be several sources of information, materials, and books about parental/home education available in your community. Parents can obtain information from many different sources, some of which are found in your local libraries and on the Internet. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) does not recommend, approve, support, or endorse any person, educational program, group, or organization. As another alternative, interested parents may also wish to contact the Texas Private School Accreditation Commission, P.O. Box 12073, Longview, Texas 75607, www.tepsac.com  for information about accredited private schools.

Persons interested in acquiring the state-mandated curriculum may purchase the document from the TEA Publications office.  The document is all-inclusive; individual grades and/or courses are not available separately.  To inquire about ordering the State Board of Education Rules for Curriculum, you may contact TEA Publications at (512) 463-9744, www.tea.state.tx.us/publications/ .  The cost of the document changes periodically but is approximately $50.00 per copy.  The publications office maintains publications only and does not respond to questions related to home schooling.  THIS DOCUMENT IS NOT REQUIRED OF PERSONS CONDUCTING HOME SCHOOLING.

A Textbook Current Adoption Bulletin located at www.tea.state.tx.us/textbooks/materials/bulletin/ may be purchased (approximately $10.00 per copy) from TEA Publications; however, state-adopted textbooks can be purchased directly from the publishers.  Please understand that a local school district is not required to provide textbooks nor to facilitate purchases.  Textbooks purchased with public funds are to be used only by students enrolled in a public school.