Massachusetts Homeschool Requirements Checklist
Everything you need to do to homeschool legally in Massachusetts, based on M.G.L. c.76 Section 1 (Compulsory Attendance). Massachusetts is classified as High regulation.
This is the general checklist for Prior Approval by Superintendent / School Committee. Our free wizard customizes this for your family, including grade, pathway, enrollment status, and IEP.
Your compliance checklist
Do first
Request approval
Submit your education plan to local superintendent of schools or school committee and wait for approval before beginning instruction. Deadline: Before beginning home instruction (approval must be obtained in advance). Specific deadlines vary by district.. Conditions: Notify the resident district as the first step; notification alone is not approval. Obtain district approval before removing a child of compulsory age to begin homeschooling. Each school committee sets its own approval policy and timeline. Whether approval must be renewed each year is set by the school committee's policy.
Deadline: Before beginning home instruction (approval must be obtained in advance). Specific deadlines vary by district.
More details
Conditions: Each school committee sets its own approval policy and timeline..
Ongoing
Required subjects
orthography, reading, writing, English language and grammar, geography, arithmetic, drawing, music, history and constitution of the United States, duties of citizenship, health education, physical education, good behavior Conditions: Home schooling is measured against "all the studies required by law" (G.L. c. 76, § 1, as applied by DESE); G.L. c. 71, § 1 lists the subjects taught in public schools. The district applies this through its approval policy.
More details
Conditions: Home schooling is measured against "all the studies required by law" (G.L. c. 76, § 1, as applied by DESE); G.L. c. 71, § 1 lists the subjects taught in public schools. The district applies this through its approval policy..
Review instructional-time requirements
Check the cited source for the school-term or instructional-time rule that applies to your pathway. Conditions: Public-school structured learning time does not apply; districts review duration and frequency of instruction under their own policy.
Show your child's progress
Other approved method. Conditions: Evaluation is part of the plan the district reviews; the method is set through the district approval process. The evaluation method is part of the home schooling plan your district approves under G.L. c. 76, s. 1; neither the statute nor DESE names a required test or method. Each school committee has its own home schooling approval policy (DESE Home Schooling page). Frequency of evaluation is set by the school committee's approval policy. What must be reported and when is set by the district's approval and oversight policy.
More details
Conditions: Evaluation is part of the plan the district reviews; the method is set through the district approval process.
Filing requirements
- What to file
- approval required
- Send to
- local superintendent of schools or school committee
- Deadline
- Before beginning home instruction (approval must be obtained in advance). Specific deadlines vary by district.
- Each school committee sets its own approval policy and timeline.
- How often
- One-time
M.G.L. c. 76, §1 (instruction approved in advance by the superintendent or school committee); DESE Home Schooling guidance
Ongoing requirements
Required subjects
- ✓orthography
- ✓reading
- ✓writing
- ✓English language and grammar
- ✓geography
- ✓arithmetic
- ✓drawing
- ✓music
- ✓history and constitution of the United States
- ✓duties of citizenship
- ✓health education
- ✓physical education
- ✓good behavior
- Home schooling is measured against "all the studies required by law" (G.L. c. 76, § 1, as applied by DESE); G.L. c. 71, § 1 lists the subjects taught in public schools. The district applies this through its approval policy.
M.G.L. c. 71, §1 (subjects taught in public schools); M.G.L. c. 76, §1 as applied by DESE
Testing and assessment
- Evaluation is part of the plan the district reviews; the method is set through the district approval process.
- Accepted types
- Other approved method
See our full assessment guide for Massachusetts for details.
DESE Home Schooling guidance (evaluation is reviewed as part of the district's plan approval)
Get your personalized checklist
This is the general checklist for the most common pathway. The wizard customizes it for your family's specific situation, including grade, pathway, and IEP status.
Get your Massachusetts checklistRequirements sourced from M.G.L. c.76 Section 1 (Compulsory Attendance). Last reviewed October 2026