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Tennessee Homeschool Documents & Templates

Every document you need to homeschool legally in Tennessee, based on T.C.A. 49-6-3050.

These are general templates for Independent Home School (Grades K-8), the most common of Tennessee's 3 pathways. Our free wizard generates personalized documents with your name, address, and district filled in.

What documents do you need?

Notice of Intent

Required. Send to Director of schools (superintendent) of the local education agency (LEA) by Before each school year

Assessment Results

Submit to Local director of schools and the state board of education (results also go to the parent-teacher) , at_grades

Annual Renewal

Required by Before the start of each school year

Notice of Intent

What to file
simple notice
Send to
Director of schools (superintendent) of the local education agency (LEA)
Deadline
Before each school year
How often
annual
Free-form letter accepted?
Yes. You can write your own letter instead of using an official form.

Your notice must include:

  • •child's name
  • •number of children
  • •child's age
  • •child's grade level
  • •school location
  • •list of subjects to be taught
  • •instruction hours
  • •instructor qualifications
Practical tip: Before each school year, send your notice to the local director of schools. It reports your children's names, number, ages and grade levels, the location of your school, your proposed curriculum, your proposed hours of instruction and your qualifications as the parent-teacher.

T.C.A. 49-6-3050(b)(1)

Assessment Results

Submit to
Local director of schools and the state board of education (results also go to the parent-teacher)
Frequency
at_grades
Practical tip: In grades 5 and 7, your child takes either a nationally normed English language arts and math test you select (proctored by someone not related to your child, at your expense) or the state tests given to public school students in that grade. Results go to you, the director of schools and the state board of education. No passing score is set.

See our full assessment guide for Tennessee for accepted test types, minimum scores, and remediation details.

T.C.A. 49-6-3050(b)(5)

Annual Renewal

Deadline
Before the start of each school year

T.C.A. 49-6-3050(b)

Recordkeeping requirements

Varies by pathway. Independent Home School (Grades K-8): true; Independent Home School (Grades 9-12): true; Church-Related School (Umbrella School): false

  • ✓Attendance records

Records may be reviewed by the district.

T.C.A. 49-6-3050(b)(2)

Other ways to homeschool in Tennessee

This page covers Independent Home School (Grades K-8). Tennessee offers 3 different ways to homeschool, and each may require different documents:

  • •
    Independent Home School (Grades K-8)(this page): You send an annual notice to your local director of schools before each school year, teach at least 4 hours a day for 180 days, keep attendance records and turn them in at the end of each school year, and arrange a standardized test in grades 5 and 7. The law sets no required subject list; you describe your proposed curriculum in the notice. The parent-teacher must hold a high school diploma or a state board-approved high school equivalency credential.
  • •
    Independent Home School (Grades 9-12): The same rules as the K-8 independent home school. You send an annual notice to your local director of schools before each school year, teach at least 4 hours a day for 180 days, and keep attendance records and turn them in at the end of each school year. The parent-teacher must hold a high school diploma or a state board-approved high school equivalency credential. The tested grade for high school is grade 9.
  • •
    Church-Related School (Umbrella School): You enroll your children in a church-related school (defined in T.C.A. 49-50-801) and teach as a parent-teacher in that school. You follow the requirements the school sets for home school teachers, and the independent home school rules do not apply. The law does not require a notice to the local director of schools under this option. For grades 9-12, the parent-teacher must hold a high school diploma or a state board-approved high school equivalency credential.

Our wizard helps you choose the right one and generates the correct documents. Compare all pathways for Tennessee

Education savings available

Tennessee offers Tennessee Education Savings Account (ESA) Pilot Program. ESA programs may have additional documentation requirements. Learn about ESA programs

Get your personalized documents

These are general templates. The wizard generates documents with your name, address, and district already filled in, ready to download and send.

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Requirements sourced from T.C.A. 49-6-3050. Last reviewed October 2026