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Online School-At-Home

Texas

• Compulsory Attendance Ages: Between 6 (or who is younger than six years of age and has previously been enrolled in first grade) and 18. If a child is 17 but has been issued an equivalency certificate, that child is exempt. (§ 25.085(b))

• Required Days of Instruction: 180 days. Only required for public schools. (§ 25.081)

• Required Subjects: Good citizenship, math, reading, spelling and grammar.

• Standardized Tests: None.

• Alternative Statutes Allowing for Home Schools:
   "Any child in attendance upon a private or parochial school which shall include in its course a study of good citizenship" is exempt from the requirements of compulsory attendance. (§ 25.086(a)(1))
   Since this law does not specifically mention home schooling, the Texas Education Agency announced that home schooling was illegal in 1985. After over 80 innocent home school families were criminally prosecuted for truancy, Home school plaintiffs filed a class action suit against every school district in Texas (over 1,000). The class action suit, Leeper v. Arlington Indep. School Dist., No. 17-88761-85 Tarrant County 17th Judicial Ct. Apr. 13, 1987), resulted in a trial level decision in favor of home schooling. The court ruled that:
   a. Home schools can legally operate as private schools in Texas;
   b. Article 7, section 2 of the Texas Constitution only authorizes the legislature to establish and maintain public education, not private or parochial
   c. Home schools must be conducted in a bona fide manner, using a written curriculum consisting of reading, spelling, grammar, math and a course in good citizenship; no other requirements apply.

• College Admission: Homeschool graduates are specifically protected by law from discrimination by Texas colleges: "Because the State of Texas considers successful completion of a nontraditional secondary education to be equivalent to graduation from a public high school, an institution of higher education must treat an applicant for admission to the institution as an undergraduate student who presents evidence that the person has successfully completed a nontraditional secondary education according to the same general standards as other applicants for undergraduate admission who have graduated from a public high school." (Texas Education Code, Chapter 51,  Subchapter Z, Section 51.9241)

Reference: Click Here

Texas State High School Graduation Requirements
  • English units:  
    • Minimum program: 4
    • Recommended program: 4
  • Math units:  Recommended program: 3, incl. Algebra I and II and geometry
    • Minimum program (Pre- and eff. 2011): 3, incl. Algebra I and geometry
    • Recommended program, eff. Class of 2011: 4, incl. Algebra I and II and geometry. Fourth credit must selected from specified math courses higher than Algebra II.
  • Social studies units:  Recommended program: 4
    • Minimum program: 3. Same as recommended but students choose between 1 unit World History Studies or World Geography Studies
    • Recommended: Must include 1 unit World History Studies, 1 unit World Geography Studies, 1 unit U.S. History Studies Since Reconstruction, and .5 unit each of economics and U.S. Government.
  • Science units:  
    • Minimum program (pre- and eff. 2011): 2, incl. biology and Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC)
    • Recommended program: 3, incl. biology. Two add'l credits must be chosen from the areas of
      •  (i) integrated physics and chemistry;
      •  (ii) chemistry; and
      •  (iii) physics or Principles of Technology I.
    • Recommended program, eff. Class of 2011: 4, incl. biology. Two add'l credits must be chosen from
      •     (i) integrated physics and chemistry;
      •     (ii) chemistry; and
      •     (iii) physics or Principles of Technology I. Fourth unit to be chosen from state-approved lab science courses.
    • Recommended program, eff. Class of 2016: 4 units, with 3 selected from one of each category:
      •     (i) biology;
      •     (ii) chemistry;
      •     (iii) physics or Principles of Technology I. Fourth unit to be chosen from state-approved lab science courses.
    • Notes/Citation: Recommended: Biology credit must be taken in biology, Advanced Placement Biology or International Baccalaureate Biology. The other two units must be chosen from (a) Integrated Physics and Chemistry (IPC); (b) Chemistry, AP Chemistry or IB Chemistry; and (c) Physics, Principles of Technology I, AP Physics or IB Physics.
  • P.E./Health units:  Recommended and Minimum programs: 2.  Must include 1.5 units p.e. and .5 unit health education.
  • Arts:  
    • Minimum program: 0
    • Recommended program: 1
  • Foreign language:  
    • Minimum program: 0
    • Recommended program: 2Notes/Citation: 2 units in 1 foreign language
  • Electives units:  
    • Minimum program: 6.5
    • Recommended program: 3.5.  "All students who wish to complete the Recommended High School Program are encouraged to study each of the four foundation curriculum areas (English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies) every year in high school." Minimum: Must include 5.5 general electives and 1 unit "academic elective" chosen from World History Studies, World Geography Studies or any state board-approved science course.
  • Other units:  Recommended and Minimum program: 1.5.  Must include .5 unit speech credit ("Communication Applications") and 1 unit technology applications.
  • TOTAL # units:  
    • Minimum program: 22
    • Recommended program: 24
    • Recommended program, eff. Class of 2011: 26
Other diploma options:  State offers honors/college prep curriculum option and proficiency-based credit option. State does not offer technical diploma pathway.

Technical notes and citations:  Effective with the Class of 2008, all students must complete the recommended or distinguished program unless the student, student's parent and school counselor or administrator agree the student should complete the minimum program. Recommended program: "All students who wish to complete the Recommended High School Program are encouraged to study each of the four foundation curriculum areas (English language arts, mathematics, science and social studies) every year in high school."

19 TEX. ADMIN. CODE § 74.26, 74.41 through 74.43, 74.51 through 74.53, 74.61 through 74.63

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 Texas
Colleges in Texas