Northampton Public Schools requires parents to submit an annual application and education plan. Additionally, we request a mid-year progress report and an end-of-the-year summary.  Please be aware that students may not be withdrawn from school until parents have an approved plan.

Home school students may not access art, music, extracurricular activities, or clubs. High School students may access high school sports in accordance with the policy referenced below. Resident home school students may access special education services in accordance with the applicable laws as referenced below in policy IHBGB.

Massachusetts law requires that all students be taught the following subjects: spelling, reading, writing, English language and grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, music, United States history and Constitution, duties of citizenship, health (including CPR), physical education, and good behavior. A Family Guide is available from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary & Secondary Education (DESE).  DESE also outlines the specific coursework students will be instructed in when educated in a public school district. These can be helpful for homeschooling parents as well. Please follow this link to the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks site.

Record keeping is the responsibility of the caregiver. The homeschool plan, submitted annually, is an overview of your plan for your child’s education. Proof of an approved plan (annually) is generally a requirement for students transferring to public, public charter, or private schools in future school years.  It is the responsibility of the caregiver(s) to keep careful documentation of the plans they submit and the approval letters they receive from the district. Though there is no legal requirement for caregivers to keep specific records, having records is very helpful in tracking your child’s progress and may be helpful or necessary should you elect to enroll your child into public or private school at a later date. Many parents recommend having a binder for each school year.

These can include any of the following:

• Your child’s typical daily schedule and or an annual school calendar
• Learning materials and curriculum
• List of annual learning goals for your child
• Evaluations, tests, quizzes, report cards, and grades
• Places you visit on field trips
• Extracurricular activities – sports, music or dance classes, etc.
• Photos of your child doing various activities
• A photo log your child has created
• Projects or documentation of projects your child has completed
• Reading lists of books read and or written book reports
• A variety of samples of the child’s school work.
• Projects and accomplishments
• Checklist of life skills acquired
• Transcripts you have created of coursework (high school students)
• Video recordings of your child reading, presenting a book report, reciting a poem, acting out skits, or playing an instrument

In addition to homeschool work, it is recommended for caregivers to keep track of other documentation that may be helpful at a later date. These can include:

• Child’s birth certificates
• Annual Wellness check-up summaries and immunization records
• Previous school records
• Copies of all correspondence with school officials, including Annual Home School Proposals and End of the Year Summary Reports
• Copy of the caregiver or teacher’s degree, diploma, or teaching certificate, if applicable
• Receipts for educational materials
• List of in-service training that you have completed (homeschool workshops, book lists of resources read, tapes, support group topical studies, etc.

As a homeschooled student, the caregiver or primary teacher is responsible for creating a high school transcript and for sending it to colleges. Caregivers have a few different options for going about this:

1. creating their own transcript and diploma,
2. enlisting a service that specializes in transcript and diploma creation,
3. or joining a home school group that produces professional transcripts and diplomas. 

If a student has taken classes online or outside of their homeschooling, you should contact each institution to make sure they also send schools an official copy of the transcript. The transcript created by a caregiver should be cumulative and include both homeschooled classes and any classes taken at an outside institution.

The caregivers of home school students may issue a diploma if the transcripts indicate the student has met the basic state requirements for graduation.

As of July 1, 2012, there are some new requirements for federal student aid programs.  At Massachusetts community colleges, homeschoolers do not need a GED to be eligible for federal financial aid as a matriculated student, but depending on the college, students may need a GED to be admitted as a degree candidate. Policies regarding admission of homeschooled students differ.  Some colleges require the GED, others may require a letter from the school district acknowledging that all of the home school requirements had been met (i.e. approved homeschool plans for all four years the student was of high school age and home educated). Check with the individual college. Having copies of the approved plans is the responsibility of the caregiver. You may contact the Superintendent to request a letter stating that the student met the requirements of homeschooling per school committee policies during the student’s high school years.

The Massachusetts High School Equivalency Team, housed within the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, oversees the issuing of the Massachusetts High School Equivalency credential, a nationally recognized document that is accepted by virtually all colleges, universities, and employers in the country as exactly equivalent to a high school diploma; and the administration of the tests required to earn the credential. Learn more about the MA High School Equivalency (HSE) Information here.