Attached is the revised 2004-2005 NOTICE OF INTENT TO HOME SCHOOL form to be used by parents/legal guardians in declaring their intent to provide home schooling for their children. There are no changes to the attached WAIVER form. Also attached are copies of a Fact Sheet on Home Schooling in Arkansas and Act 1793 of 2003; these documents may be copied and distributed as needed. The home school law and regulations may be downloaded from the Home School Office web page at:
http://arkedu.state.ar.us/schools/schools_homeschool_p1.html
It is requested that each district enter the following information in the designated areas on the Intent form before copying and disseminating to home school parents/legal guardians: District LEA, cooperative, superintendent, school district and county.
SUBMIT TO THE ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION (ADE): A legible copy of each Notice of Intent to Home School form (front and back) filed with your district. Please continue to submit the Notice of Intents all year long. Submit forms to:
Dottie Hughes
Home School Office
ADE Technology Center
8221 Ranch Blvd.
Little Rock, AR 72223
School districts should keep the original Notice of Intent to Home School and Waiver forms for their files.
Please notify the Home School Office should a home school student return to public school. The student would be coded “withdrawn” from home school and not counted on the annual home school statistical report.
PARENTS/LEGAL GUARDIANS MUST COMPLETE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON THE NOTICE OF INTENT TO HOME SCHOOL FORM:
* The name, date of birth and grade level of each child and the name of the public, private, home school or parochial school last attended, if any, for each student.
* The location of the home school (parents address/mailing address).
* A brief description of the basic core curriculum to be used and the subjects to be taught.
* Schedule of instruction to be followed (hours per day; days per week; number of weeks).
* The education qualifications of the parent/legal guardian.
* Parent/legal guardian must sign and date the Notice of Intent to Home School form.
* Parent/legal guardian must complete and sign the Waiver form.
Incomplete forms submitted by parents/legal guardians do not meet the requirements of state law; please do not accept incomplete forms.
Beginning with the 2004-2005 school year, home school students are required to test at the same grade levels (3 through 9) as public school students. Testing of home school students will occur in March 2005.
Guidelines for submitting copies of Notice of Intent to Home School forms to the education service cooperatives will remain the same. Submit a copy of each Intent to your cooperative that list a student in grades 3 through 9. This is to facilitate the required home school testing process for the 2004-2005 school year.