Today, the DC State Board of Education (SBOE) adopted a resolution approving new regulations for homeschooling in the District of Columbia following a request for approval by State Superintendent of Education Deborah A. Gist. The regulations, which were developed by the Office of the State Superintendent of Education (OSSE), provide the District government with additional tools to ensure that all students receive an excellent education. The regulations were approved by a vote of 5-1 and now move to final promulgation by the State Superintendent of Education.

Under the new regulations, parents and guardians electing to homeschool will be required to submit written notification of their intent to homeschool to the Office of the State Superintendent of Education. The approved regulations will now require parents to maintain a portfolio of their child’s work, which the OSSE may review upon request up to two times a year. Most significantly, the new regulations allow the OSSE to make a determination about whether regular instruction is taking place in the home.

“The participation of the homeschooling community was a very significant component of this process. The voice of the community helped to ensure that we approved regulations which are sound and balanced. We must make sure that our work with the community continues on this issue,” said DC State Board of Education President Robert Bobb. 

Gist noted that “we look forward to working with homeschooling families in the District of Columbia to ensure that they receive all of the supports necessary to successfully educate their students at home.”

View the homeschooling regulations*