Frequently Asked Questions

Home education is the most common method of homeschooling in Florida; it's the method that legally is directed by the parent rather than a school.

To begin home education, a Notice of Intent (aka a Letter of Intent) should be sent to the local Florida school district's home education contact to announce that a parent intends to direct the education of a student.
See our "Forms for Homeschool Parents" page for additional information.

​

To see about other options for homeschooling, see our page on Homeschool Information and our information below about private schools.

​

Florida law does not dictate what a home education parent should teach. A parent can use any methods, materials, or such to help a child learn as long as the parent documents that learning with records called a portfolio and turns in an evaluation once a year (and when finishing homeschooling for any reason) verifying that the student has made educational progress commensurate with ability.
See our "Forms for Homeschool Parents" page for information on record-keeping.

Some parents find the standards listed on CPalms.org or those on Worldbook.com's Typical Course of Study lists (or similar scope and sequence lists) helpful to figure out what to teach. Some purchase textbooks or workbooks--many of these offer placement tests to help determine the best level to use for a specific child. Some use online programs. Some use informal learning options such as deschooling or unschooling.

AFE recommends connecting with a local homeschool support group or a homeschooling mentor or researching options with homeschooling books or websites to figure out the best option for your particular child.
See our "Homeschooling Resources" page for more information.

Evaluations are due once a year, by the anniversary of the student's Letter of Intent.
If finishing homeschooling for any reason (transferring to a school, graduating high school, moving out of state, etc.), an evaluation is due with a Letter of Termination within 30 days of stopping homeschooling.
 

AFE does not recommend missing evaluation deadlines. Evaluations verify that the home education program is legally compliant and the student is not truant. Therefore, missed deadlines could lead to legal problems.

AFE recommends notifying the home education contact that the parent is aware of the missed deadline and is contacting an evaluator and will submit the evaluation paperwork as soon as possible.
In our experience, turning in the evaluation will then fix the problem.

No, the first evaluation is due a year from submitting your Letter of Intent (aka Notice of Intent). (If you stop homeschooling before that time, the evaluation will be due with the Letter of Termination within 30 days of stopping homeschooling in Florida.)

If doing a portfolio review evaluation, the evaluator will review the records of your child's education and compare records, especially beginning-of-the-year records and end-of-the-year records, to verify that educational progress has been made, but that does not require a beginning-of-the-year evaluation.

Florida law does not require a parent to declare a grade level for their child and prohibits districts from assigning a grade level unless a student participates in a district program. Thus grade levels do not apply.

Florida law requires documentation verifying whether or not the student has made educational progress commensurate with ability. As long as the student has been learning and has advanced academically from where the student began the year, the student should pass the evaluation.

Note: Many parents find that portfolio review evaluations are a better fit than testing for students who are not working at a level typical of their age.