Washington Homeschool Deadlines & Calendar

Initial filing deadline

September 15 of the school year, or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester

Annual renewal deadline

September 15 of the school year, or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester

Send to

superintendent of the public school district where the parent resides, or the district that accepts the transfer

RCW 28A.200.010(1)(a) (declaration of intent to provide home-based instruction)

Varies by pathway. Standard Home-Based Instruction (45 College Credits): "annual"; Home-Based Instruction (Approved Course): "annual"; Home-Based Instruction (Certified Teacher Supervision): "annual"; Home-Based Instruction (Deemed Qualified by Superintendent): "annual"; Private School Extension Program: null

Frequency

annual

See our full assessment guide for Washington for accepted test types and scoring details.

RCW 28A.200.010(1)(c) (annual standardized test or assessment by certificated person)

Varies by pathway. Standard Home-Based Instruction (45 College Credits): "September 15 (or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester)"; Home-Based Instruction (Approved Course): "September 15 (or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester)"; Home-Based Instruction (Certified Teacher Supervision): "September 15 (or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester)"; Home-Based Instruction (Deemed Qualified by Superintendent): "September 15 (or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester)"; Private School Extension Program: null

Annual renewal

Required by September 15 (or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester)

RCW 28A.200.010(1)(a) (annual declaration of intent)

These deadlines are for Standard Home-Based Instruction (45 College Credits). Washington offers 5 pathways, and each may have different deadlines:

• •
  Standard Home-Based Instruction (45 College Credits)(this page): You file a declaration of intent with your local superintendent each year by September 15, or within two weeks of the beginning of any public school quarter, trimester, or semester, and teach at home. You qualify by having earned at least 45 college-level quarter credit hours, or the equivalent in semester hours (RCW 28A.225.010(4)(b)). You provide instruction in eleven required subject areas for hours equivalent to approved private schools (1,000 hours for grades 1 through 12). Each year your child takes an approved standardized achievement test or receives a written assessment from a certificated person; there is no minimum score.
• •
  Home-Based Instruction (Approved Course): You complete a course in home-based instruction at a postsecondary institution or vocational-technical institute (RCW 28A.225.010(4)(b)), then file a declaration of intent by September 15. Same subject, instructional hour, and assessment requirements as the 45-credit pathway.
• •
  Home-Based Instruction (Certified Teacher Supervision): You teach your own child at home under the supervision of a certificated person (certified under chapter 28A.410 RCW) and file a declaration of intent by September 15. Supervision means planning objectives together, a minimum each month of an average of one contact hour per week with your child, and evaluation of your child's progress by the certificated person, who may supervise no more than thirty children (RCW 28A.225.010(4)(a)). Same subject, instructional hour, and assessment requirements as the other home-based pathways.
• •
  Home-Based Instruction (Deemed Qualified by Superintendent): Your local school district superintendent deems you sufficiently qualified to provide home-based instruction (RCW 28A.225.010(4)(c)), and you file a declaration of intent by September 15. Same subject, instructional hour, and assessment requirements as the other home-based pathways.
• •
  Private School Extension Program: Your child is enrolled in an approved private school's extension program, and you teach at home under the supervision of a certificated employee of the school (RCW 28A.195.010). Because your child is enrolled in the school, you do not file a declaration of intent and the home-based testing rules do not apply. The school's certificated supervisor evaluates your child's progress.

Our wizard calculates the right deadlines for your pathway. Compare all pathways for Washington