Parents who have chosen to provide their children with a homeschool education now have tremendous choices in curriculum, materials, services, and organizations. One of the most important decisions a homeschooling family must make is whether or not to withdraw their child from the local public school.
The process to legally remove a child from school is specific to each jurisdiction; this article will cover how parents can withdraw their child legally from a school in the St. Louis Public School (SLPS) district.
How to Notify SLPS
What Documents Are Required? How Early Can Families Withdraw?
What Is the Impact of Withdrawal?
What Are the Home Instruction Statutes in the State?
What Are the SLPS Regulations for Home Instruction? What Are the Guidelines for Homeschooling in the Local Area?
What Are the Records Required for A Homeschool Program?
How are Parents Expected to Monitor Their Child’s Progress? What Are Parents Doing to Help with Academic Struggles? 1 How Does Attendance Affect the Child’s Progress? 1 What Does Homeschooling Require for Socialization? 1 What Are the Technology and Resources Available for Home Instruction? 1 What Are the Additional Benefits to Home Instruction? 1 How Are Graduation Requirements Different for Homeschoolers?
How to Notify SLPS
When withdrawing a student from the SLPS district, it is important to follow the proper procedure. The first step is to officially notify the district that the student is no longer attending public school. A formal written notification or letter of withdrawal must be submitted, which includes the student’s name, birthdate, address, and the date of termination.
Notification can be sent in person, by mail, or by email; once the student is officially withdrawn, the district must also be informed of the student’s new school. In addition to submitting a formal letter of withdrawal, a parent must also provide the SLPS office with verification of their homeschooling program.
This could include an outline of the courses of study, curriculum being employed, and internet service provider being used. Also, SLPS requires that parents fill out additional forms such as a demographic worksheet, technology approval, and residency/property verification. Finally, all parents, legal guardians, and students must sign a registration form in order to be officially withdrawn and to confirm the family’s intent to homeschool.
What Documents Are Required?
The documents that must be submitted to the SLPS office include a formal notification or letter of withdrawal, a demographic worksheet, a technology approval form, a residency/property verification form, and a registration form. The demographic worksheet contains information such as gender, race, ethnicity, and primary language. The form is needed for SLPS to monitor student achievement, rate of retention, and legal compliance related to special education regulations.
The technology approval form ensures that the school district’s technology resources are being used appropriately. The residency/property verification form confirms the school district’s responsibility to keep students who are enrolled in their district and the property taxes associated with those students.
Finally, The registration form confirms the parents and student’s intent to homeschool, and includes the student’s legal name, birthdate, address, and the date of termination.
How Early Can Families Withdraw?
In order to withdraw a student early, SLPS regulations allow a parent to provide notice of withdrawal no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the next academic year. This allows families to withdraw students at any time during the school year, including the summer months before school starts.
Withdrawing early allows families to begin homeschooling immediately, and can also enable them to take advantage of free or reduced cost online courses and other educational opportunities.
What Is the Impact of Withdrawal?
Home instruction may have both a positive and a negative impact on a student’s academic progress. On the one hand, being removed from the traditional classroom environment can provide greater flexibility and tailor learning to a specific student’s needs. It also allows for individualized instruction and can enable a parent to address specific areas where the student has difficulties or interests.
On the other hand, withdrawing a student from school can also create a sense of isolation, a lack of peer interaction, and difficulty keeping up with the pace of traditional schooling. Additionally, students who withdraw may not be able to access the same level of college readiness and career-preparation courses available in the traditional school setting.
What Are the Home Instruction Statutes in the State?
Each state has its own laws and guidelines that govern home instruction and the withdrawal of a student from school. The St. Louis Public School district must comply with all state laws and regulations pertaining to home instruction and student instruction.
Missouri laws require that families inform the school district of their intention to homeschool and parents must meet specific requirements for their instruction program to be approved by the district. Families wishing to withdraw must have a program that meets the guidelines of the Missouri Department of Education for home instruction.
To meet the requirements for home instruction, a family must provide a minimum of 1000 hours of instruction in the subjects of reading, language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, and any other subjects required by the state governing body. Additionally, families must also keep an appropriate portfolio of student work and provide a yearly assessment of the student’s progress.
What Are the SLPS Regulations for Home Instruction?
The SLPS office has certain regulations that must be met in order to withdraw a student from the district. The State of Missouri requires that families notify the public school district no later than 30 days prior to the beginning of the next academic year.
The students’ withdrawal must be verified by providing an outline of the courses of study, curriculum, and any other materials that will be employed. The SLPS office must also be provided with a technology approval form and residency/property verification form. Additionally, the State of Missouri requires that parents keeping records of their homeschool activities including a portfolio of the student’s work, attendance records, and a completed yearly assessment of the student’s progress.
The assessment must be completed by an accredited teacher, psychologist, social worker, or any qualified person appointed by the district. The school district must also be informed of the student’s new school status if transferring to another public or private school.
What Are the Guidelines for Homeschooling in the Local Area?
The local area (St. Louis Public Schools district) has its own guidelines that must be met when acquiring permission to withdraw a student for homeschooling.
Parents must attend an orientation program or submit an orientation video to the school district. The orientation process must cover assessment and evaluation, instructional approaches, civil rights and safety issues, and student and parent expectations. Additionally, parents must obtain a technology survey and use the district’s online system for registering the student for instruction.
The district also has guidelines for curriculum, instruction time, and assessment. Parents must provide at least 1000 hours of instruction in the core subject areas of reading, language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Instruction time must also be recorded and maintained on a daily basis, and the student must also be evaluated and assessed at least once a year by a trained evaluator.
What Are the Records Required for a Homeschool Program?
When homeschooling, parents must provide and maintain records of their student’s progress. This includes lesson plans, attendance records, grades, and completed assessments. It is important that parents use these records to track the student’s progress, help identify strengths and weaknesses, and help develop new and better methods for teaching.
Records should be kept for all subjects, including math, reading, writing, science, history, and foreign language. Parents should also keep a record of completed assignments and tests, as well as student portfolios.
Additionally, families should keep attendance records, including the dates and times of instruction, for an entire school year. These records should include special courses, trips, and field studies.
Finally, parents should keep a record of their assessment results, which can include standardized tests, evaluations from a qualified home instruction evaluator, and teacher evaluations.
How Are Parents Expected to Monitor Their Child’s Progress?
As part of the homeschooling process, parents are expected to monitor their child’s progress and evaluate their performance. This can be done through weekly or monthly progress reports, tests, and/or evaluations. Parents should also review student portfolios, which provide insight into a student’s academic performance and learning progress.
Additionally, parents should review test scores and grades, observe their child’s level of engagement during instruction, and provide feedback on student performance. Regular communication between parents and the student’s teacher is also important to ensure that the student’s success is being facilitated and monitored.
What Are Parents Doing to Help with Academic Struggles?
Parents of homeschoolers often have to find ways to support their child’s academic struggles. This can include providing additional resources such as online worksheets and lessons, tutoring, online and live instructional videos, and discussion forums.
Parents can also assign more difficult assignments to their student or provide more challenging activities to help improve the student’s academic skills and knowledge. Additionally, parents can implement time management and organisation techniques to help keep their child on track with lesson plans and assignments. This can include setting a designated time for classes each day and providing periodic reminders throughout the day.
Finally, effective communication is key; parents should discuss assignments and goals with their student and provide encouraging words of support and guidance.
How Does Attendance Affect the Child’s Progress?
Attendance is one of the most important factors in student progress. Students must attend the required hours of instruction to meet the state and local requirements for homeschooling, and attendance records must be kept and submitted to the school district. If a student is not attending the specified hours of instruction, the student will not have a sufficient level of instruction.
Additionally, it will be harder for the student to reach academic goals and to remain on pace with academic expectations. It is important for parents to monitor their student’s attendance throughout the homeschool program.
Regular communication between parents, teachers, and the student can help ensure that the student is meeting the required hours of instruction. Additionally, parents should provide incentives for their student to show up to classes, such as extra free time, book reading, or educational trips.
What Does Homeschooling Require for Socialization?
Homeschool students must still participate in social activities, even though they are removed from a traditional classroom setting. There are still plenty of opportunities for students to participate in activities such as field trips, sports teams, clubs, after-school activities, and in community service activities.
Additionally, there are a variety of homeschooling networks and organizations that organize social activities such as meet-ups, art classes, and field trips. It is important for parents to find ways to encourage students to participate in social activities. Ideally, parents should find individuals and groups with interests similar to the student’s interests, as well as activities that can help introduce the student to new topics and activities.
Finally, parents should also ensure that the student participates in at least one physical activity each week. This can help the student establish a healthy lifestyle and to develop social skills.
What Are the Technology and Resources Available for Home Instruction?
Home instruction programs have access to numerous technology resources and tools to help students with their learning. This includes online courses and resources that students can use as supplemental instruction or as a means to enrich their learning.
There are also a variety of tools such as online libraries, online assessment tools, online tutorials, and online practice tests. These tools can be used to enhance a student’s learning and can even provide the opportunity for the student to engage in more challenging and advanced topics. Additionally, there are various materials and resources that can be purchased for use in the home instruction program, such as textbooks and supplemental books.
These materials can provide additional information about topics and can also help introduce new topics to the student. There are also various online web portals and other online resources that can also be utilized.
What Are the Additional Benefits to Home Instruction?
Home instruction can provide students with numerous additional benefits due to its flexibility and ability to cater to their specific interests. For example, students can explore different topics and interests without having to adhere to a traditional school setting. Additionally, a home instruction program allows the student to work at their own pace and helps to reduce the student’s stress level.
Furthermore, due to the lack of school-imposed deadlines and rigid curricula, a home instruction program allows the student to be creative and think outside the box. Additionally, students can develop and hone skills such as critical thinking, communication, problem-solving, and self-discipline.
Home instruction also allows parents to be more involved in the student’s education and to provide feedback to improve their performance. Finally, many home instruction programs offer online courses, which can provide access to new opportunities and experiences that the student may not be able to obtain in a traditional school setting.
How Are Graduation Requirements Different for Homeschoolers?
Graduation requirements for homeschoolers are generally the same as for traditional schools with the addition of a portfolio review. The student must complete all the required credits for their grade level and must also provide an assessment of their progress which must be approved by the school district. Additionally, the student must participate in a final portfolio review prior to graduation and must submit all the required documents, including their assessment results, in order to be conferred with a diploma.
A student must also submit a portfolio of their completed projects, assignments, and tests in order to demonstrate their mastery of the subject material. The portfolio review must be conducted by an approved evaluator and must be signed by both the student and the parent.
The portfolio review will not be considered complete until all the documents are received, approved, and signed off on by the evaluator.
Conclusion
Home instruction can provide an excellent educational opportunity for students and can provide many additional benefits to families. Withdrawing a student from the St. Louis Public School system is an important step in the home instruction process.
It is important for parents to be familiar with the regulations, guidelines, and documents required for withdrawing their student from the district. Additionally, it is important for families to understand the benefits and challenges of home instruction, and to provide the necessary resources for the student to be successful with their home instruction program.
Finally, families should understand the requirements for graduation and how to provide a portfolio review in order to be conferred with a diploma.