Compliance & Records
Understand your state requirements and keep organized records.
Standardized Testing for Homeschoolers: Which States Require It, and Who Can Give the Test
Most homeschool families never have to test at all, and many who do can give the test at their own kitchen table. This guide covers which states require testing, in which grades, who is legally allowed to administer it, and where the scores actually go.
16 min read
Homeschool Portfolio: What to Keep, What to Toss, and What Evaluators Look For
In portfolio-review states, your portfolio is a legal instrument with a named reviewer and a hard deadline. Here is what belongs in it, what does not, and what one compliant portfolio actually looks like.
15 min read
Homeschool Attendance Tracking: What Your State Requires and What Counts
Some states count days, some count hours, and about a dozen count nothing at all. Here is what a defensible homeschool attendance record actually contains, what counts as an instructional day, and how to pick a tracker you will still be using in March.
19 min read
Homeschool Achievement Tests: ITBS, CAT, Stanford, and MAP Compared
Five nationally normed achievement tests, side by side: what each costs in 2026, how current its norms actually are, how fast scores come back, and who is allowed to give it. Plus the part that stalls families, which is finding an approved test administrator.
15 min read
Letter of Intent to Homeschool: Template, Fields, and Who to Send It To
A copy-and-paste letter of intent to homeschool, plus the part nobody explains: why your state calls it a notice, a declaration, or an affidavit, and what actually changes behind each word.
15 min read
Homeschool Record Keeping: What Records to Track and Why It Matters
A practical guide to homeschool record keeping—what to track, what to skip, and how to stay organized without drowning in paperwork. Even in low-regulation states, the right records protect your family.
12 min read