| State Compulsory Attendance Laws |
| Compulsory attendance laws require parents to choose from certain options to educate their child.
The first compulsory school attendance act in the United States was passed shortly after 1850. The act stated that any child between the ages of 8 and 14 was required by law to attend any public school at least three months out of each year. Shortly after World War II, high school age children were also required to attend school. Florida compulsory school attendance laws were first enacted in 1915. Current Florida attendance laws affect children ages 6 to 16. |
| Palm Beach County residents can send their letter to: |
School District of Palm Beach County Home Education Office 3308 Forest Hill Boulevard, Suite C-124 West Palm Beach, FL 33406-5813 |
| Retaining a Portfolio of Records |
The statutes require that you hold on to the portfolio you put together for each home educated child for a period of 2 years. |
| Samples of Student's Work |
The law stipulates that you include only samples. You do not have to include every piece of academic work your child has done for the year. Also, many parents who do not use workbooks often include photographs of their child working on various learning projects. This is one way to document student work when using a less formal approach to home education. |
| What Does PROGRESS COMMENSURATE WITH HIS ABILITY mean? |
Each child learns at his own pace. The statutes were written to allow a child room to progress at his own individual rate of learning. Improvement reflecting the unique rate of learning for each child is what *progress commensurate with his ability* refers to. |
| The FCAT |
The Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) is the current state student achievement test. It measures how well a student has learned curricula specifically developed to meet Sunshine State Standards in reading and math Grades 3-10. Since home educators are released from having to use curriculum geared only to address Florida Sunshine State Standards, it is not recommended that home educating students participate in the FCAT. In addition, if you choose to have your home educated child take the FCAT, his test scores will be sent directly to the county superintendent and will automatically be counted as your child's yearly evaluation results. Then a copy of the results will be sent to you. Other test options allow parents to remain in control of evaluation results. |
| Confirmation of Annual Evaluation |
As a home educating parent, you must provide for an annual educational evaluation of your child. You are then required to send confirmation that you have had your child evaluated to the county superintendent. Confirmation of an annual evaluation is due by the anniversary date of your notification of intent to home educate. It must be signed by the teacher or psychologist who performed the evaluation. |
| A home educating parent would send a termination notice if: |
|
| The Importance of Community: |
|
In his book, "How To Talk Well," James Bender relates the story of a farmer who grew award-winning corn. Each year he entered his corn in the state fair, and almost inevitably, for over a decade, it was his corn that won the blue ribbon. One year, during a newspaper interview, the reporter sought to learn something about how this good man, this farmer, grew his corn. The reporter discovered that the farmer shared his seed corn with his neighbors, and the reporter said, “Well, how can you afford to share your best seed corn with your neighbors, when they are entering corn in competition with yours?” The farmer said, “Why, sir, didn’t you know the wind picks up pollen from the ripening corn and swirls it from field to field? If my neighbors grow inferior corn, cross-pollination will steadily degrade the quality of my corn. If I am to grow good corn, I must help my neighbors grow good corn.”
|
© 2001- 2005 Home Educators of Palm Beach County All rights reserved