Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics

Education Policy Analysis Archives ^ | May 16, 2002 | Kurt J. Bauman

[Faraday]

Interesting article. Following is the conclusion section which addresses some of the questions/points raised in the comments:

Conclusion

The data examined here show that it has established itself as an alternative to regular school for a small set of families, and is poised to continue its growth. In 1999 around 790,000 children between the ages of 6 and 17—around of 1.7 percent of the population that age—were being schooled at home, and in the late 1990s the number was apparently growing.

Home schoolers and their families were different from regular school attenders and their families, but the differences weren't that large. Some of the distinctive characteristics of home schoolers seemed to be decreasing. Home schoolers were likely to be non-Hispanic White, but there was some evidence of fading racial differences over time. Some distinctive characteristics of home schoolers seemed not to be changing very rapidly, but the characteristics needn't be thought of as limitations to future growth. Households with home-schooled children had moderate to high education and income and were located in the rural or suburban West. Home-schoolers were likely to live with two adults, with one not in the labor force or working part time.

We have just begun to see the emergence of home schooling as an important national phenomenon. Unless the needs of parents are met in different ways, it is likely that home schooling will have a large impact on the school as an institution in coming decades.

[MinorityRepublican]

Some rights.....if any group ought to ditch the system and take charge of their kids' education, it's the black people. The current school system keeps them in the four D's: Dumb, Depressed, Dependent, and Democrat.**

Absolutely, which is why we must have vouchers to reach out to them. For once, young black students will get a decent education that they have deserved for so long!

Isn't it annoying that RICH LIBERALS such as the Kennedys, Gores, and Chelsea Clinton were all educated in private schools?

Concidence? I think not.

[ladylib]

With all the nonsense kids have to go through today when they attend public schools -- poor curriculum (but high-stakes tests), socialistic indoctrination, moronic zero-tolerance rules that can destroy a kid's life, being constantly watched as if they were potential criminals (prove to us you're not a criminal), etc., etc., if more kids knew about homeschooling and how easy it is to access good curriculum sites on the web, do you think they would be satisfied with public schools? As soon as the dissatisfied kids and their parents find out that you don't need a government high school diploma to get into a good college, don't you think they'll look at different alternatives? This movement is going to grow.

[SuziQ]

Seems like a good solution, assuming the community colleges (higher level government schools) are prevented from accepting "underage" students. Let's hope this doesn't happen.

The man who runs the High School through which my daughter will be provided a 'record, transcript and diploma told me that the Community Colleges CANNOT deny access to their programs by younger students IF those students meet any pre-requisites for the college and the course. Most colleges will have some sort of 'Entrance Exam' If the student passes it, and if the course has no other pre-requisites then the student should be able to take the course regardless of age. We'll probably wait until our daughter is 16 simply because she doesn't feel comfortable with the idea of being in a college classroom yet. If she wants to go earlier, we'll be happy to get her set up for that. We're going to use our local CC for Chemisty (w/lab), Physics, Spanish, and maybe Psychology.

[SuziQ]

As soon as the dissatisfied kids and their parents find out that you don't need a government high school diploma to get into a good college, don't you think they'll look at different alternatives? This movement is going to grow.

I called the Admissions office of UMass-Amherst a few weeks ago to discuss the 'diploma' requirements. I wanted to know what THEY required in the way of a diploma from an 'accredited' school. The school under which my daughter will get her diploma is NOT accredited; frankly, having been throught the accreditation process with a school my kids attended, I can tell you for certain it has NOTHING to do with the quality of education!

As it turns out, the lack of a diploma is NOT a problem for admission; they will look over any portfolio you present. The problem is with the Fed. Student Loan Program. It is VERY restrictive regarding 'mommy diplomas'; it requires a diploma from a supposedly 'accredited' high school. Sir SuziQ wonders how the crappy inner city public high schools can be accredited and the students not have a problem using THOSE diplomas, while the Feds give our kids a hard time! ANY education our kids receive at home will be head and shoulders above those crappy high schools!

[jadimov]

.....The problem is with the Fed. Student Loan Program.....

Ever wonder why the federal government even has a student loan program? Nothing in the Constitution gives the federal government any right to influence education. Student loans give the government influence over curriculums and other parts of educational institutions. The government also gains power over who can and can't attend college.

Why don't we rely solely on private institutions for grants and scholarships?

[jadimov]

Hopefully the Homeschool system will grow to the point where it doesn't even need Community Colleges or it supercedes them with private versions. In this day of internet communities, it should become easier and easier for people to band together locally and hire their own experts.

[jadimov]

.....Virtually every state has had a controversy already on the eligibility of home schooled students on sports teams and the issues will grow in the future.....

You don't need public schools to have organized sports:

Homeschooling sports in Pennsylvania are set to take a big leap forward this year by coming under the umbrella of one of the oldest amateur athletic organizations in America, the AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) which from 1888-1978 represented the United States in international athletic competitions, including the Olympics and since then has been providing sanctioning and insurance coverage for sports programs at the grass roots level.

Once we join AAU, organized homeschool sports in PA will be insured for liability and medical injuries and should expand rapidly as more and more support groups take the plunge to field teams and organize tournaments.

This leap brings closer the day when homeschoolers will have almost as many opportunities to play sports as school students. AAU membership will be required this year for participants in the PA Homeschoolers co-ed volleyball tournament. We expect that within the next couple years there will be AAU sanctioned homeschool tournaments for boys basketball, girls basketball, soccer, and cross country. In addition many homeschoolers will participate in some of the already-available AAU tournaments.

Pennsylvania Homeschool link

HSPN is committed to help neighboring states "get noticed" and participate in events that are held in Virginia. In fact, teams from Maryland and North Carolina have participated in some of the HSPN tournaments.

In fact HSPN's team locator lists some contacts for sports programs in other states. As we begin our new sports magazine project, this list is expected to grow quickly.

Virgina Home School Sports Network link

There are similar organizations in just about every state.

[jadimov]

.....The real question will be: how public schools will allow home schooling parents to use the local public school as a "buffet" of services such as foreign languague, sports, advanced math and science, music, etc? .....

Homeschoolers could pool their resources and hire professionals, instead of settling for the quality you find in public schools. Imagine: (1) advertise a class on a local homeschool page, (2) gather enough interested students, (3) advertise for a teacher. The homeschool moms could even attend the class. It would be the free market society in action.

[jadimov]

.....Absolutely, which is why we must have vouchers to reach out to them.....

Vouchers will still leave the government in charge of schools. The only thing it will eliminate is substandard teachers. The state will set rules on who you can take vouchers to. There will be an "approved" list. To get on the approved list a school will be forced to accept the benevolent guidance of the state.

The best answer is to completely abandon public schools AND public funding of schools. Vouchers will only prolong the agony.

[toddst]

The man who runs the High School through which my daughter will be provided a 'record, transcript and diploma told me that the Community Colleges CANNOT deny access to their programs by younger students IF those students meet any pre-requisites for the college and the course.

I'm glad to know the interpretation you have been given. Perhaps this is already being done (or has been) but it would make sense for home school parents to get legislation passed that requires what you have been told per "CC's cannot deny access to younger students IF . . ."

Congratulations on doing a fine job with your obviously bright youngster.

[glockmeister40]

Here's what I really want to happen: For every child homeschooled, the parents get the dollars that the public school would have gotten for that child.

For example, if my local public school gets $3000 per kid and I am homeschooling my two children, I get $6000. That would help pay for the homeschooling stuff and the kids would get a better education to boot. This benefits society by having better educated kids entering college and the workforce. Also, this $6000 wouldn't be wasted supporting a defunct educational system.

[jadimov]

.....Dumb, Depressed, Dependent, and Democrat.....

Thousands Protest Clinton at Free Republic March for Justice

31 October, 1998

By Ben Anderson
CNS Staff Writer

(CNS) – Returning to the White House today, President Bill Clinton passed a crowd of protestors calling for his impeachment at the "March for Justice" sponsored by internet bulletin board FreeRepublic.com.

The March for Justice featured a line-up of conservative figures from Presidential hopeful Alan Keys and Representative Bob Barr (R-GA) to author and former FBI agent Gary Aldrich and literary agent Lucianne Goldberg.

Many among the protesters, estimated to be as many as 5,000, are known as "Freepers" – those who often post their views on Free Republic's web site. The rally evolved from what began as a one-man impeachment march in front of the White House by the Freeper known to fellow posters as "Confetti Man". While protesting against Clinton in Philadelphia in September, he was allegedly assaulted by union members gathered in support of the President.

In the aftermath of the attack, "Confetti Man" decided to conduct a solo protest at the White House. In the following weeks, he was joined by 25 other Freepers. When word spread that Free Republic owner Jim Robinson would join the protest, others began to express interest in protesting, too. Interest in the protest snow-balled into today's rally, drawing people from throughout the country.

Joyce Smith of Hope Ministries came to the March for Justice from Houston Texas. She originally came as a protestor, but ended up addressing the rally after one of the scheduled speakers met her in a hotel lobby and took note of her zeal and charismatic personality. In an impromptu speech to the protesters, Smith said the black community has been misguided by what she calls the "Four-D syndrome – Dumb, Dependent, Depressed and Democrat."

Smith told CNS the black community is not "monolithic" as a race. "We have some common sense blacks," Smith said. "We think for ourselves and we are not going to stand by and let the Sheila Jackson-Lees and the Al Sharptons speak for us." She said she came to the March for Justice to break down the viewpoint that all blacks must stand behind Clinton.

Conservative News Service link

(CNS) – The Conservative News Service Saturday erroneously reported that a Free Republic user with the on-line name of 'Confetti Man' was allegedly assaulted by union members during a Bill Clinton demonstration in Philadelphia in early October.

The man who was hospitalized as a result of the Philadelphia incident was Don Adams, who does not use the name Confetti Man on Free Republic. The inadvertent misidentification was the result of a mistaken identity from an interviewed source, and CNS regrets the error.

[Lady Heron]

read an article from Home School Legal Defense Assoc. newsletter on blacks homeschooling. Really interesting, but sad. I don't know how many of you are aware but blacks take a great deal of flack from their own race if they choose to homeschool their children

Same thing was happening 10 to 15 years ago to whites that began homeschooling. My own mother thought that I was being subversive to society by pulling my kids out of school. It is a product of being new to that community. The more that people in that community that homeschool the more normal it will seem to that community.

[Aquinasfan]

In 1999 around 790,000 children between the ages of 6 and 17—around of 1.7 percent of the population that age—were being schooled at home, and in the late 1990s the number was apparently growing.

Considering that 10% of the school-age population is enrolled in private schools, the fact that 2% of the school-age population is homeschooled is a significant number.

The greatest limiting factor to the growth of homeschooling will be the rise in the number of single-parent families. I hope that the movement hasn't peaked. As more people homeschool, and as other parents observe homeschooled children, the faster the movement will grow. Here's hoping.

[Domestic Church]

"In this day of internet communities, it should become easier and easier for people to band together locally and hire their own experts."

Yes! It is happening now with colleges like Yorktown University...totally online.

[Domestic Church]

"As it turns out, the lack of a diploma is NOT a problem for admission; they will look over any portfolio you present. The problem is with the Fed. Student Loan Program. It is VERY restrictive regarding 'mommy diplomas'; it requires a diploma from a supposedly 'accredited' high school."

Well, the public system in Pennsylvania isn't accredited so there are some major loopholes. I would check with HSLDA about this problem with the FSLP.

[Diago]

The real question will be: how public schools will allow home schooling parents to use the local public school as a "buffet" of services such as foreign languague, sports, advanced math and science, music, etc? This will definitely become the issue in districts with budget problems or have magnet programs.

What is your view on the "buffet?" Is this a good idea for homeschoolers? I know some homeschoolers view it as a trap. Is it the trend of the future - allowing homeschoolers to use the school system they help pay for in a way that benefits them? Or, will the school system see this as a way to punish homeschoolers - - "come to our schools fulltime or no baseball."

[Wordsmith]

bump for later...

My wife is black, and has primary responsibility for the homeschooling of our 3 boys. The black heritage has many often-neglected characteristics that are supportive of homeschooling...