Homeschooling in North Dakota? We’ll walk you through it.

North Dakota sets your oversight level based on your education. If you hold a high school diploma or GED, you supervise home education without monitoring (NDCC 15.1-23-03). If you do not, a licensed teacher monitors your program for the first two years, reporting your child's progress to the superintendent twice each school year (NDCC 15.1-23-06, 15.1-23-07). If your child scores below the 50th percentile composite during that time, monitoring continues for at least one more year and until the child scores at or above the 50th percentile.

Regardless of pathway, the core requirements are the same: teach the subjects required by law for public school students (English language arts, math, social studies, science, physical education, health, and computer science), provide at least 4 hours of instruction a day for at least 175 days, and have your child take a standardized achievement test at grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. You file the results with your superintendent. A basic composite score below the 30th percentile is not a pass/fail mark, but it triggers an assessment for a potential learning problem and, if the child is not disabled, a remediation plan.

You can skip the testing requirement by notifying your district, when you file your statement of intent, that you have a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized tests. Parents on the standard pathway can also skip it if they are licensed or approved to teach, hold a bachelor's degree, or passed a national teacher examination (NDCC 15.1-23-09(2)).

Your pathway is determined by your education level, not by choice. Parents with a high school diploma or GED supervise home education without monitoring (NDCC 15.1-23-03). Parents without a diploma or GED are monitored by a licensed teacher for the first two years under NDCC 15.1-23-06 and 15.1-23-07, and longer if the child scores below the 50th percentile composite. Both pathways share the same subject, testing, and instructional time requirements.

Public school courses. Your statement of intent lists any public school courses your child intends to take (NDCC 15.1-23-02). Contact your district for details on available courses and enrollment.

Extracurricular activities. NDCC 15.1-23-16 allows a home-educated child to participate in extracurricular activities through the school district of residence, under the same standards as full-time students. List the activities on your statement of intent.

Testing exemption. Under NDCC 15.1-23-09(2), testing does not apply if you notify your district of a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized tests (or, on the standard pathway, you meet one of the education-based exemptions). File the notice and documentation with your statement of intent.

Special needs services. If an assessment team finds that your child has a disability needing special education, you can continue home education by filing a services plan with your superintendent (NDCC 15.1-23-13). For a child with a developmental disability, progress reports are due November 1, February 1, and May 1 (NDCC 15.1-23-15).

Recordkeeping. Under NDCC 15.1-23-05, keep an annual record of the courses your child took and their academic progress assessments, including test results. You furnish the record on request if your child transfers to a public school district.

High school diplomas. Under NDCC 15.1-23-17, your school district, an approved nonpublic high school, or the Center for Distance Education may issue a diploma to a home-educated student who meets its requirements, based on course descriptions and a grades 9 through 12 transcript you provide.