Homeschooling in Oregon? Here’s your plan.

Homeschooling in Oregon begins with a written notice to your local Education Service District (ESD), not the school district. You send it within 10 days of withdrawing your child from a public or private school or beginning home education. It is a one-time notice; you notify again only if you move to a new ESD. The notice includes your child's and your name and address (phone and e-mail are optional), your child's birth date, and the name of the school your child attends or last attended (or your resident school district if your child has never attended school). The ESD acknowledges your notice in writing.

Oregon does not mandate specific subjects, instructional hours, or days of instruction, and does not require recordkeeping. Your accountability comes through testing at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10, completed by August 15 of the testing year. You choose a test from the state's approved list (Terra Nova CAT/3, Iowa Tests of Basic Skills / Tests of Achievement and Proficiency, or Stanford Achievement Battery) and have it given by a qualified neutral person who is not related to your child by blood or marriage. The tester reports results to you. You submit them to the ESD only if the ESD superintendent asks.

There is no passing score. A composite score below the 15th percentile requires an additional exam within one year. If later scores keep declining, the ESD superintendent may allow continued home instruction, require supervision by a licensed teacher you select at your expense, or order school attendance for up to 12 consecutive months (ORS 339.035(4)).

The primary pathway is home education under ORS 339.035. Alternatively, a child may attend a private or parochial school under ORS 339.030(1)(a). Children in a private school are not subject to the ESD notice or the grade 3, 5, 8, and 10 testing. The statute conditions that exemption on the school teaching the courses of study usually taught in the public schools from kindergarten through high school. That is the school's duty, not yours, and the statute sets no teacher qualification.

Timing of the first test. If your child was withdrawn from a public or private school, the first exam is given at least 18 months after withdrawal. If your child never attended school, the first exam is given before the end of grade 3.

Testing is not annual. You test only at grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. The test must be given by a qualified neutral person, not the parent.

Interscholastic activities. Under ORS 339.460, a school district may not deny an eligible homeschooled student the opportunity to participate in interscholastic activities in the attendance area where the student lives. Your child must meet the district's eligibility requirements (other than attendance) and show academic eligibility, for example through a qualifying test score.

Children with disabilities. If your child has an IEP or a privately developed plan, progress is evaluated according to that program or plan instead of the standard testing, unless the plan recommends the exam (ORS 339.035(5)).

Records. Oregon has no recordkeeping requirement, but keeping copies of your ESD notice, the ESD acknowledgment, and test results is helpful for high school transcripts and college applications.