Home Schooling

General Information on Home Schooling in New York City

Homeschooling is when parents teach their children at home instead of sending them to a public, charter, or private school. Parents or guardians are responsible for their child’s education, including choosing materials and setting the schedule. The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires families to teach specific subjects and submit documentation annually to our office.  These required documents include the Letter of Intent to homeschool, an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP), quarterly progress reports, and an annual assessment.  The specific requirements and timelines are outlined in the steps below.

Teachers from NYC public schools do not provide instruction and homeschooled students do not receive resources like computers, textbooks, or access to most school-based programs, including sports and extracurricular activities.

• Only a parent or legal guardian may submit the Letter of Intent.
• The homeschool year is July 1 to June 30.
• Children in NYC must attend school or be homeschooled from age 6 until the end of school year they turn 17. Students with special needs can continue until age 21.
• Five-year-olds can be homeschooled, but the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP), reports and annual assessment are only required if you request special education services.
• If your child has a disability and you plan to homeschool, you must request services in writing from the NYCPS Committees on Special Education (CSE) by June 1 for the next school year. 
• Homeschooled students do not receive a New York State diploma.
• Diplomas from online-only schools are not recognized by New York State, but online programs can be part of your homeschooling plan (IHIP). Even if an online program uses words like "accredited" or "certified," your student will not receive a New York State diploma. 

Step 1: Submit a Letter of Intent

• Copy of parent identification (driver's license, passport, etc.)
• Custody Papers (if applicable)

If you are new to NYC Public Schools or have updated information (e.g., address change), you must also provide:

• Proof of your child’s age (child’s birth certificate, passport, or record of baptism)
• Proof of residency (utility bill, lease, etc.)
• Homeschool Demographic Form
• Homeschool Housing Questionnaire

• Only a parent or legal guardian may submit the Letter of Intent. Submissions from third parties—including guidance counselors or tutors—will not be accepted.
• To avoid delays please submit all required documents as a PDF or JPG attachment in the same email.
• You must submit the letter of intent within 14 days of starting to homeschool.
• For the 2025-26 submit your Letter of Intent July 1, 2025, through May 1, 2026.
• After submitting the Letter of Intent, your child can stop attending school and begin homeschooling. Informing your child’s current school is recommended but not required.
• Letters of Intent are processed in the order received, please do not send duplicate submissions as that will delay the process.

Step 2: Submit the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) 

• Your child’s name, age, and grade level of instruction 
• NYC Student ID Number (if available) 
• List of required subjects, curriculum materials, textbooks, or teaching plans 
• Dates for submitting quarterly reports (evenly spaced throughout the year) 
• Names of people providing instruction 

• You may use the IHIP template provided below or create your own.  
• To avoid delays, please submit the IHIP as a PDF in a separate email to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov with the subject line IHIP, your child’s name and NYC student ID Number (if available).  
• We will review the IHIP and let you know if it meets the requirements of Part 100.10 or if additional information is needed. 
• IHIPs are reviewed in the order received; please do not send multiple emails as that will delay the process. 

Step 3: Submit Quarterly Reports and Instructional Hours

• Your child’s name, age, and grade level 
• NYC Student ID Number (if available) 
• Number of instructional hours during the quarter 
• Description of materials covered in each subject 
• Grades or narrative evaluation of progress 

• November 15: Quarterly Report 1 
• January 31: Quarterly Report 2 
• April 15: Quarterly Report 3 
• June 30: Quarterly Report 4 and Annual Assessment  

• You may use our QR (Quarterly Report) Template provided below or your own template.  
• Reports issued by an online program must include the information noted above.  
• Please submit the QR as a PDF in a separate email to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov with the subject line QR, your child’s name and NYC student ID Number (if available). 
• Please note the required annual hours of instruction by grade: 
  • Grades 1-6: A minimum of 900 hours of instruction per year. 
  • Grades 7-12: A minimum of 990 hours of instruction per year. 
• Submit all reports as PDFs to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov. 
• We do not provide feedback on quarterly reports.  
• Please do not send multiple emails as that will delay the process, you may use the sent email as evidence of submission. 

Step 4: Submit the Annual Assessment

• Grades 1–3: Choose a standardized test or a written narrative evaluation. 
• Grades 4–8: Use a standardized test at least every other year; written narratives are allowed in alternate years. For example, you could use a written narrative evaluation in grade 4 but would need to use a standardized test in grade 5, and so on. 
• Grades 9–12: Standardized tests are required every year. 
• For students in grades K-12 whose IESP indicates an alternate assessment, the annual assessment may be the written narrative evaluation or a portfolio of examples of the child’s educational achievement of standards compared with his/her peers.  

• NYS Regents and NYS ELA/Mathematics examinations- Please note that these exams must be taken at a public or registered nonpublic school. If you want your child to take the Regents or the NYS ELA/Math exams, please contact a local public school to register your child for the exam. Please note that this is at the discretion of the principal.  
• Iowa Assessments (formerly Iowa Test of Basic Skills)   
• Stanford Achievement Test Series (formerly Stanford Test of Basic Skills)   
• Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (now known as TerraNova® Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills (CTBS) Plus Edition for grades K-12)     
• California Achievement Test     
• P.A.S.S. (Personalized Assessment of Student Success) Test   
• Metropolitan Achievement Test   

• There is no opt-out process for the annual assessment. In accordance with Part 100.10, all homeschool students are required to submit an annual assessment.
• Parents and/or individuals listed on the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) may write the narrative evaluation, purchase, administer, and score commercially published norm-referenced achievement exams.      
• Submit test results or the narrative as a PDF along with your 4th Quarterly Report by June 30 to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov the subject line 4th QR/Annual Assessment, your child’s name and NYC student ID Number (if available). 
• Please do not send multiple emails as that will delay the process, you may use the sent email as evidence of submission. 
• We will not provide feedback on the annual assessment unless:  
  • The assessment scores fall below the 33rd percentile. 
  • You have indicated that your child did not make significant progress. 
  • You have submitted an incorrect type of assessment. 

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