High School Seniors and Standardized Testing
Q. Are homeschooled high school seniors required to submit standardized test scores in August following their senior year?
A. The requirements of the home instruction statute apply to children who are between the ages of five and 18. If your senior is 18 years old, he is no longer under compulsory attendance laws, which include home instruction and its requirements.
§ 22.1-254. Compulsory attendance required; excuses and waivers; alternative education program attendance; exemptions from article.
A. Except as otherwise provided in this article, every parent, guardian, or other person in the Commonwealth having control or charge of any child who will have reached the fifth birthday on or before September 30 of any school year and who has not passed the eighteenth birthday shall… provide for home instruction of such child as described in § 22.1-254.1.
Also, according to §22.1-254 (A), if a child has obtained a high school diploma or has graduated, he is no longer required to comply with compulsory attendance laws which include home education.
§22.1-254 (A) The requirements of this section shall not apply to…(b) any child who has obtained a high school diploma or its equivalent, a certificate of completion, or a GED certificate, or who has otherwise complied with compulsory school attendance requirements as set forth in this article.
The Notice of Intent form includes a paragraph stating that the parent or guardian understands he must provide evidence of educational achievement according to §22.1-254.1. This statute defines the requirements for home instruction and the ages of the children to which it applies (children who are between the ages of five and 18).
§22.1-254.1 (A) Any parent of any child who will have reached the fifth birthday on or before September 30 of any school year and who has not passed the eighteenth birthday may elect to provide home instruction in lieu of school attendance…
The purpose of providing the results of a standardized achievement test or an evaluation is to show satisfactory progress so homeschooling can continue. A senior who has graduated will not be continuing home instruction. Also, a child who is 18 years old and not compulsory school age does not have to meet the requirements of the homeschool statute including testing or evaluation.
