Subscribe to our mailing list and be kept up to date on Home Schooling across America.

*E-Mail Address:
*First Name:
Last Name:
*Subscriber Action:

* Required

We will never pass your information to third parties

Resources Support Group Sign-up
Homeschool Friendly Colleges

Indiana

• Compulsory Attendance Ages: Generally, between 7 and 18, or upon graduation.
   (§ 20-33-2-6-8)

• Required Days of Instruction: Generally, 180 days. Specifically, the number of days public schools are in session in the school corporation in which the child is enrolled in Indiana. (§ 20-33-2-5).

• Required Subjects: "A school that is nonpublic, non-accredited, and not otherwise approved by the Indiana State Board of Education is not bound by any requirements with regard to curriculum or the content of educational programs offered by the    school." (§ 20-33-2-12 (a))

• Teacher Qualifications: None.

• Standardized Tests: Not required by statute.

• Alternative Statutes Allowing for Home Schools: Ind. Code Ann. § 20-33-2-4(2). A child may attend "some other school which is taught in the English language."

   1. The Indiana Appellate Court held that the Indiana compulsory attendance law allows the operation of home schools. State v. Peterman, 32 Ind. App. 665, 70 N.E. 550 (1904). Essentially, the Court said a school at home is a private school.

       The Court defined a school as "a place where instruction is imparted to the young... We do not think that the number of persons, whether one or many, make a place where instruction is imparted any less or any more a school." Peterman, at 551. The court explained further: "Under a law very similar to ours, the Supreme Court of Massachusetts has held that the object and purpose of a compulsory educational law are that all the children shall be educated, not that they shall be educated in any particular way." Peterman, at 551.
       The Court concluded; "The result to be obtained, and not the means or manner of attaining it, was the goal which the lawmakers were attempting to reach. The [compulsory attendance] law was made for the parent who does not educate his child, and not for the parent who … so places within the reach of the child the opportunity and means of acquiring an education equal to that obtainable in the public schools...." Peterman, at 552.

   2. In Mazanec v. North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation, 614 F. Supp. 1152 (N.D. Ind. 1985), (aff'd by 798 F.2d 230), a federal district court recognized that parents  have the constitutional right to educate their children in a home environment (at  page 1160). The court wrote concerning the qualifications of home school parents that, "it is now doubtful that the requirements of a formally licensed or certified teacher … would pass constitutional muster." (at p. 1160). On appeal, the circuit  court ruled that a school corporation is not immune from a 1983 action for improper enforcement of compulsory attendance.

   3. Parents must keep attendance records, Ind. Code Ann. § 20-33-2-20, "solely to verify the enrollment and attendance of the particular child upon request of the state superintendent … or the superintendent of the school corporation in which the private school is located."

   4. A private school administrator shall furnish, on request of the state superintendent of public instruction, the number of children by grade level attending the school.  § 20-33-2-21(b). This request must be to the individual private school, not merely a blanket announcement to the public at large.

   5. Although the child must be "provided with instruction equivalent to that given in public schools" (§ 20-33-2-28), the State Board of Education is not given the  authority to define "equivalent instruction" nor to approve home schools. Furthermore, § 20-33-2-12(a) has removed all subject requirements, leaving home  schools without any mandatory subjects.

Reference: Click Here

Indiana State High School Graduation Requirements

  • English units:  4
  • Core 40: 4
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
  • Math units:  2
    • Eff. Class of 2008: Must include 1 unit Algebra I or Integrated Mathematics I
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 2
  • Core 40: 3-4
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 3
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
Math Notes:
  • Core 40: One unit each Algebra I, Algebra II and geometry, or Integrated Math I, II and III for 3 units. Additional units may be completed in pre-calculus/trigonometry, AP Calculus, discrete mathematics, probability and statistics or AP Statistics.
  • General diploma eff. Class of 2008: Must include 1 unit Algebra I or Integrated Mathematics I unless student completed one of these courses before entering high school. General diploma eff.
  • Class of 2010: 2 math units must be completed after the student enters high school.
  • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: Students must complete one of two course sequences: (1) Algebra I, geometry and Algebra II or (2) Integrated Mathematics I, II, III. Students are strongly encouraged to complete a unit of math during their final year of high school.
  • Social studies units: 2
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 2
  • Core 40: 3
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 3
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
Social Studies Notes:
  • General diploma: Must include 1 unit U.S. history, .5 unit U.S. government and .5 unit in another social studies course. Core 40: Three units must include 1 unit U.S. history and .5 unit each of U.S. government, world history and civilization or world geography, economics, and an additional course from the social studies area.
  • Eff. Class of 2010: Same as existing requirements except that third unit may be completed "in another social studies course, global economics, or consumer economics."
  • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: 3 units must include 1 unit U.S. history, .5 unit each of economics and U.S. government and 1 unit either world history and civilization or geography and history of the world.
  • Science units: 2 lab science
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 2, incl. Biology I
  • Core 40: 3 lab science
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 3
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
Science Notes: "All approved high school science courses are laboratory courses and must be taught as laboratory courses."
  • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: Must include 1 unit biology, 1 unit chemistry, physics or integrated chemistry-physics and 1 unit additional credits in Core 40 science courses.
  • P.E./Health units: 1
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 1.5
  • Core 40: 1.5
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 1.5
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
P.E./Health Notes:
  • General and Core 40 pre-Class of 2010: .5 unit each of "Health and education" and "basic physical education."
  • Eff. Class of 2010: .5 unit "health and wellness" and 1 unit "Physical education I."
  • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: Must include .5 unit "health and wellness" and 1 unit "Physical education I."
  • Arts:  0
  • Core 40: 0.  Students encouraged but not required to take arts coursework as part of required 4 directed elective units.
  •   * Eff. Class of 2010: Class of 2010: 2.5 units directed electives must be chosen from any combination of units in foreign language, fine arts and career-technical.
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
  • Foreign language:  0
  • Core 40: 0.  Students encouraged but not required to complete foreign language units as part of required 4 directed elective units.
    • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: 2.5 units directed electives must be chosen from any combination of units in foreign language, fine arts and career-technical.
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
  • Electives units:  9.  General diploma: 1 unit directed elective in language arts, social studies, math, science or "in technology competency" plus 8 general electives units chosen from language arts, science, social studies, math, health, physical education, or other specified courses.
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 5.5
  • Core 40: 5-6. 5-6 units electives includes 1-2 units general electives plus 4 units directed electives chosen from English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, arts, computers or a career area. Students are encouraged to complete the directed electives units in the areas of foreign languages, arts, computers and career area.
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 3 units electives (chosen from subjects listed above)
    • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: 5.5 units includes 3 units general electives plus 2.5 units directed electives. Directed electives must include any combination of units chosen from foreign languages, fine arts and career-technical.
    • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: 5.5
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts.
  • Other units:
    • Pre-Class of 2010: 1 elective unit must be either language arts, social studies, math, science or "technology competency.
    • Eff. Class of 2010: Students must complete 3 units in "career-academic" sequence and 2.5 "flex credits."
  • Core 40: 0
    • Eff. Class of 2010: 2.5 units directed electives must be chosen from any combination of units in foreign language, fine arts and career-technical. Pre-and eff. Class of 2010: Districts may offer students the opportunity to earn credit for community service.
    • Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 reqts

TOTAL # units (Std.)     20

Core 40: 20

  • Eff. Class of 2010: 20
  • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: 20
  • Eff. Class of 2011: 20

Other diploma options: State offers honors/college prep curriculum option, and will offer technical diploma option effective with the Class of 2010. State also offers proficiency-based credit option.

Technical notes and citations:

  • High-ability students allowed to complete course requirements through performance assessment.
  • Core 40: End-of-course exams in Core 40 courses required. If a student fails 3 or more Core 40 courses, student, parent and counselor must decide if the student should continue in the Core 40 curriculum or complete the general curriculum.
  • The current Core 40 Diploma requirements were developed through an agreement among the Indiana Department of Education, the Indiana Commission for Higher Education and the state's public university and were not a part of statute or regulation.
IND. CODE ANN. § 20-10.1-16-13, 20-30-14-1; IND. ADMIN. CODE tit. 511, r. 6-7-1 through 6-7-9, 6-7.1-9, 6-9.1-1 through –3; state science standards
  • Eff. Class of 2010: IND. ADMIN. CODE tit. 511, r. 6-7.1-1, 6-7.1-4
  • Core 40 Eff. Class of 2010: "Only courses that officially have been designated as Core 40 courses may be counted." Students are encouraged to complete a career-academic sequence.

Eff. Class of 2011: All students must meet Core 40 requirements, but a student who does not complete the Core 40 course and credit requirements and does not pass the graduation exam may be eligible to graduate if the student: (1) Retakes the graduation examination in each subject area not passed. "(2) Completes remediation opportunities .... (3) Maintains a school attendance rate of at least ninety-five percent (95%) with excused absences not counting against the student's attendance. (4) Maintains at least a "C" average or the equivalent in the courses comprising the credits specifically required for graduation by rule of the board. 5) Otherwise satisfies all state and local graduation requirements. [and] (6) Either: (A) completes: (i) the course and credit requirements for a general diploma, including the career academic sequence; (ii) a workforce readiness assessment; and (iii) at least one (1) career exploration internship, cooperative education, or workforce credential recommended by the student's school; or (B) obtains a written recommendation from a teacher of the student in each subject area in which the student has not achieved a passing score on the graduation examination. The written recommendation must be concurred in by the principal of the student's school and be supported by documentation that the student has attained the academic standard in the subject area based upon: (i) tests other than the graduation examination; or (ii) classroom work."

In addition, upon request by a student's parent, "the student may be exempted from the Core 40 curriculum requirement ... and required to complete the general curriculum" to graduate.

IND. CODE ANN. § 20-10.1-16-13

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 Indiana
Colleges in Indiana