NOTE:  Before reading the following, it is recommended that you read the
State of North Carolina Home School Information Packet.

May an "outside of the household" professional educator be used exclusively to provide academic instruction directly to my child?  No, not if the student is of compulsory attendance age (at least age 7 but not yet age 16) and if it is during the local public school system's traditional nine month school year (when home school laws are legally applicable).  G.S. 115C-563(a) gives the legal definition of a home school.  It does not define it by where the school meets but rather by from whom the student receives his/her academic instruction.  The only sources of the academic instruction listed in the statute are:  Parent; legal guardian; or, a member of the household in which the child resides.  The only exception given is for a two household home school arrangement.  Otherwise, the student would then be receiving "academic instruction from" someone in direct violation of G.S. 115C-563(a) since academic instructors who do not live with the student are not included in the listing of the three types of persons.  A parent/guardian not meeting this home school legal definition automatically voids his/her home school's legal status which could then result in compulsory attendance violation prosecution by local officials.  However, once the parent/guardian each year has provided the initial foundational instruction in the academic subjects, he/she may then arrange with any other person he/she wishes to provide supplemental learning activities in any or all academic subjects desired.  The key issue here is the supplemental nature of what's being taught, not the actual substance.  Professional educators may be utilized entirely, though, for elective learning activities such as foreign or sign language instruction, private music lessons, choral or band instruction, athletic related training, art instruction, keyboarding, computer usage and other similar types of enrichment or skill development/enhancement activities.  The traditional academic subjects of language arts, math, science and social studies are widely regarded by educators as academic subjects.  Also, see the fourth, fifth and sixth questions below relating to "tutors;" "enrichment, elective or supplemental classes;" and "enrolling students part time in a conventional school."

May an "outside of the household" professional educator provide consultative services directly to the parent/guardian or other teaching adult in the home?  Yes.  Professional educators may provide such services as:  Guidance concerning the choosing of curriculum, textbooks and standardized testing; acquiring curriculum, textbook and standardized test materials; administering and scoring of the student's annual nationally standardized achievement test; meeting periodically with the teaching parent/guardian to instruct him/her on how to best present the forthcoming academic subject material to the student; assist the parent with the grading of homework; and, answer any educational questions the teaching parent/guardian may have.

May an "outside of the household" professional educator who is already legally teaching one or more of his/her own children of compulsory attendance age teach my children academic subjects as a two household arrangement?  Yes.  See two household schools for details about such a teaching arrangement.  Academic instructional arrangements involving children from three or more households do not qualify as home schools; but, are required to follow instead the conventional non-public school legal requirements.

May "tutors" be utilized to supplement or reinforce directly with the student what the parent/guardian is teaching in the subject areas of language arts, math, science or social studies?  Yes.  Once the parent/guardian has provided the initial foundational academic instruction in the academic subject, a tutor may then provide any additional academic instruction in that subject.  Tutors may not be used, however, to provide the initial foundational academic instruction in lieu of the parent/guardian.  See the first question above and the next two for further information.

What about enrolling students in "enrichment," "elective," or "supplemental" classes?  Evaluate very carefully proposals from professional educators (or organizations) attempting to offer such "pro-family" classes or services (or claim to be operating ministries) to home school students.  Such instructional arrangements are legally permissible only if the classes are supplementing what the parent/guardian is teaching the student in that academic subject at home (not the parent/guardian supplementing what the professional classroom educator is teaching the student).  G.S. 115C-563(a) does not limit group academic instructional settings to students from only two households IF the group academic instruction is supplemental.  For example, home schooled students could be brought together in group settings for science lab experimentation in which the student is applying scientific information and theories he/she learned at home via his/her parent/guardian.  Also, see co-ops; and then, also click on and read the answer to the question "Is there a distinction between support group activities & academic instruction."  Professional educators wishing to serve parents of compulsory attendance aged students, who are currently enrolled in a home school listed with DNPE, by exclusively teaching language arts, math, science or social studies subjects in lieu of the parent/guardian must first legally establish and then meet the ongoing requirements for a conventional non-public school.  They may then enroll such families in their school "parent teaching at home program" once the home school family has closed its own school with DNPE.  A reminder that persons who organize and encourage illegal home school activity are not themselves potentially prosecutable under North Carolina law; however, individually listed with DNPE home school families who participate are.  The owners of buildings in which home school illegal activities occur may encounter possible insurance liability risks relating to the presence of students who are enrolled in a listed with DNPE home school, since such activities are then no longer legal home school gatherings.  Also, see the first and fourth questions above and the next one.

What about enrolling students part time in a conventional school setting for language arts, math, science or social studies?  Such an instructional arrangement involving any of those academic subjects would not be legally acceptable for students of compulsory attendance age (at least age 7 but not yet age 16).  Read very carefully G.S. 115C-563(a) which defines the legal concept of the home school.  The academic instruction in this case would not be supplemental in nature.  The student would then be receiving the academic instruction in any of those subjects from a professional classroom educator in lieu of the parent/guardian.  Also, see questions one, four and five above.

What about the use of various electronic instructional technologies?  The use of audio visual electronic technologies (such as the internet, video schools, satellite, etc.) is legally acceptable.  See "Distance Learning Programs" for more information.
 

2/07