Vermont Education Code For Homeschooling
This is not intended to be legal advice and is distributed
for information purposes only. Check for updates to Vermont homeschooling
laws at your public library or online at Vermont
Statutes Online. Title 16: Education.
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Compulsory attendance - From 7 to 16 years
of age.
Days: 175 days.
Teacher Qualifications: None
Subjects: minimum course of study.
- reading
- writing
- math
- citizenship
- history
- United States and Vermont
government
- physical education
- health
- English
- science
- fine arts
Nothing in this section requires that a home study program
follow the program
or methods used by the public schools.
Legislation went into effect in the 2006-07 school
year allowing each Vermont homeschooler to forgo submission
of a curriculum to the state if the homeschooled student has
done well on the standardized test or portfolio assessment for
at least two years. NHELD
Testing: Annually
§ 166b.
HOME STUDY PROGRAM
- (a) Enrollment notice
- (b) Notice to
home study programs
- (c) Enrollment reports
- (d) Progress assessment
- (e) Hearings before
enrollment
- (f) Hearings after
enrollment
- (g) Notice and procedure
- (h) Order following
hearing
- (i) Minimum course of
study
- (j) Deep religious conviction
- High school
equivalency certificates
(a) Enrollment notice.
A home study program shall send a written enrollment notice
to the commissioner whenever it intends to enroll a child. Enrollments
at home study programs shall expire on July 1. If a home study
program intends to re-enroll a child for the following school
year, a new notice under this section is required and may be
submitted at any time after March 1. The commissioner shall accept
and review enrollment notices upon receiving them. A notice under
this subsection shall include the following:
(1) The name and age of the child.
(2) The names, addresses, and telephone numbers of the parents
or guardians of the child.
(3) For each child enrolled during the preceding year, any
assessment of progress required under subsection (d) of this
section.
(4) For each child not previously enrolled in a Vermont public
school or Vermont home study program, independent professional
evidence on whether the child is handicapped. A comprehensive
evaluation to establish eligibilities for special education is
not required, but may be ordered by a hearing officer after a
hearing under this section.
(5) For each child being enrolled for the current year, a
detailed outline or narrative which describes the content to
be provided in each subject area of the minimum course of study,
including any special services or adaptations to be made to accommodate
any handicapping condition in accordance with applicable state
and federal law. Methods and materials to be used may be included
but are not required.
(6) The school district in which the home study program is
located.
(7) The names, addresses, telephone numbers, and signatures
of the persons who will provide the instruction.
(8) The signature of all custodial parents or guardians.
(b) Notice
to home study programs. Within 14 business days of receiving
an enrollment notice, the commissioner or designee shall send
the home study program a written acknowledgment of receipt. The
acknowledgment shall include a determination:
(1) either that the enrollment notice is complete and no further
information is needed, or specifically identifying information
required under subsection (a) of this section which is missing.
If information is missing the home study program shall provide
the additional information in writing within 14 days; and
(2) either that the child may be enrolled immediately or that
the child may be enrolled 45 days after the enrollment notice
was received. At any time before the child may be enrolled, the
commissioner may order that a hearing be held. After notice of
such a hearing is received, the child shall not be enrolled until
after an order has been issued by the hearing officer to that
effect.
(c) Enrollment reports.
Each home study program shall notify the commissioner within
seven days of the day that any student ceases to be enrolled
in the program. Within ten days of receiving any enrollment report,
the commissioner shall notify the appropriate superintendent
of schools.
(d) Progress assessment.
Each home study program shall assess annually the progress of
each of its students. Progress shall be assessed in each area
of the minimum course of study by one or more of the following:
(1) A licensed Vermont teacher.
(2) A teacher from an approved Vermont independent school.
(3) A teacher advisory service report from a publisher of
a commercial curriculum together with a portfolio of the student's
work.
(4) A report prepared by the parents or the student's instructor
together with a portfolio of the student's work.
(5) The complete results of a standardized achievement test
administered by a qualified person.
(6) The complete results of a standardized achievement test
administered by an approved Vermont school, at the option of
the school or school district.
(e) Hearings
before enrollment. If the commissioner has information that
creates a significant doubt about whether a home study program
can or will provide a minimum course of study for a student who
has not yet enrolled, the commissioner may call a hearing. At
the hearing the home study program shall establish that it has
complied with this section and will provide the studentwith a
minimum course of study.
(f) Hearings
after enrollment. If the commissioner has information that
reasonably could be expected to justify an order of termination
under this section, he or she may call a hearing. At the hearing
the commissioner shall establish one or more of the following:
(1) the home study program has substantially failed to comply
with the requirements of this section;
(2) the home study program has substantially failed to provide
a student with the minimum course of study;
(3) the home study program will not provide a student with
the minimum course of study.
(g) Notice and procedure.
Notice of any hearing shall include a brief summary of the
material facts and shall be sent to each parent or guardian and
each instructor of the student or students involved known to
the commissioner. The hearing shall occur within 30 days of the
day that notice is given or sent. If a notice concerns a child
not yet enrolled in a home study program, enrollment shall not
occur until an order has been issued after the hearing. The hearing
shall be conducted by an impartial hearing officer appointed
by the commissioner from a list approved by the state board.
At the request of the child's parent or guardian, the hearing
officer shall conduct the hearing at a location in the vicinity
of the home study program.
(h) Order following
hearing. After hearing evidence, the hearing officer shall
enter an order within ten working days. If the child is not enrolled,
the order shall provide that the child be enrolled or that enrollment
be disallowed. If the child is enrolled, the order shall provide
that enrollment be continued or that the enrollment be terminated.
An order shall take effect immediately. Unless the hearing officer
provides for a shorter period, an order disallowing or terminating
enrollment shall extend until the end of the following school
year, as defined in this title. If the order is to disallow or
terminate the enrollment, a copy shall be given to the appropriate
superintendent of schools, who shall take appropriate action
to ensure that the child is enrolled in a school as required
by this title. Following a hearing, the commissioner may petition
the hearing officer to reopen the case only if there has been
a material change in circumstances.
(i) As used in this
section, "minimum
course of study" is defined as in section 906 of
this title. The educational content provided shall be adapted
in each area of study throughout the school year to the age and
ability of each child and adapted to any handicapping conditions
of the child. Nothing in this section requires that a home
study program follow the program or methods used by the public
schools.
(j) After the filing
of the enrollment notice or at a hearing, if the home study program
is unable to comply with any specific requirements due to deep
religious conviction shared by an organized group, the commissioner
may waive such requirements if he or she determines that the
educational purposes of this section are being or will be substantially
met.
§
167. HIGH SCHOOL EQUIVALENCE CERTIFICATE
The state board is authorized to grant high school equivalency
certificates to any person who has not been graduated from
a high school on the basis of credits earned in the armed forces,
credits earned in approved schools for adults or satisfactory
scores obtained on approved examinations.
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