Resources

Alaska

Alaska has a no strings attached policy on homeschooling. There are no reporting requirements

• Compulsory Attendance Ages: Between 7 and 16. A child who is six years old and enrolled in the first grade in public school is subject to the compulsory attendance law. A parent may withdraw such a child from public school within 60 days of enrollment, and the child will not be subject to the compulsory attendance law until age seven. (§14.30.010)

• Required Days of Instruction: None.

• Required Subjects: None.

• Teacher Qualifications: None. Certification is required only if parents use a private tutor. (§14.30.010 (b)(1)(B)

• Standardized Tests: None. If operating as a religious or other private school (option 5), testing is only required for fourth, sixth, and eighth grades. Standardized test results must be made available to the Department of Education upon request. The parent may select any standardized achievement test. (§14.45.120(a))

• Home schools have five options, four of which are under alternative statutes:
Option 1: If "the child is being educated in the child's home by a parent or legal guardian," the child is exempt from compulsory attendance. Under this option, there are no requirements to notify, seek approval, test, file forms, or have any teacher qualifications. The burden is on the state to prove that parents are not teaching their children. (§14.30.010(b)(12))

• Alternative Statutes:
Option 2: Tutoring by a certified teacher. (§14.30.010(b)(1)(B))

Option 3: Enrollment in "a full-time program of correspondence study approved by the department." (§14.30.010(b)(10))

Option 4: The child "is equally well-served by an educational experience approved by the school board," after a written request for excuse from school attendance. (§14.30.010(b)(11))

  Option 5: A home school may qualify as a "religious or other private school" as long as it   meets the following requirements:
    a. the child's parent must file an annual notice of enrollment (Private School Enrollment Reporting Form) with the local superintendent by the first day of public school. (§14.45.110(a));
    b. before October 15 each year, file the "Private and Denominational Schools Enrollment Report" and "School Calendar" forms with the Department of Education;
    c. the school must maintain monthly attendance records showing 180 days of school attendance each year. (§14.45.110(b);
    d. The definition of a private school is a school "that does not receive direct state or federal funding." (§14.45.200(1));
    e. The definition of a religious school is a "private school operated by a church or other religious organization that does not receive direct state or federal funding." (§14.45.200(2));
    f. maintain and certify to department of education that records on immunization, courses, standardized testing, academic achievement, and physical exams are kept. (§14.45.130);
    g. according to the Alaska Department of Education's Guide for Establishing a Private or Religious School, home schools are exempt from fire, safety, and asbestos regulations and developing a corporal punishment policy.
    h. If a school is not operated in compliance with this section, it is not exempt from other requirements and must make monthly attendance reports and annual reports to the Commissioner of Education. (§14.45.030)

Reference: Click Here

Alaska High School Graduation Requirements:

English units: 4
Math units: 2
Social studies units: 3 – (after 1/1/09 must include .5 unit of credit in Alaska history or demonstration that the student meets the Alaska history performance standards.
Science units: 2
P.E./Health units: 1
Arts: 0
Foreign language: 0
Electives units: 0
Other units: 0

TOTAL # units: 21

ALASKA ADMIN. CODE tit. 4, § 04.020, 06.075

Important Note: State Graduation requirements are not necessarily the best guideline for homeschoolers to use. They have been included here as a guideline for what a typical public school student would need to complete in order to graduate.

A more important guideline may be the College Entrance requirements for where your student would like to attend college. While colleges have differing requirements, there are many colleges that publish requirements for homeschool graduates.

Related Pages:
Homeschool Support Groups in Alaska
Colleges in Alaska

*E-Mail Address:

*First Name:

Last Name:

*Subscriber Action: