Making Positive Connections With Homeschoolers

By Request...January 2000

Implementation Ideas

Partnerships between schools and homeschoolers can take services to staffed learning centers for home taught students (Knowles et al., 1992). These programs don't necessarily have to be for homeschoolers only—public, private, and charter school students may be served by some of these programs as well. Listed below are a few of the more common kinds of programs and services schools can offer. For profiles of specific programs Northwest schools have implemented to serve homeschoolers and other non-public school students, see the Northwest Sampler in the second half of this booklet.

Access to school resources & facilities: Schools can contribute to homeschoolers' education by allowing students to use school libraries, computer labs, scientific equipment, gymnasiums, and other school facilities (Guterson, 1992). Schools may wish to open the doors to homeschooling parents as well, inviting them to use school libraries and computers to research teaching strategies, educational resources, and different areas of their curriculum (Mayberry et al., 1995). Depending on the number of homeschoolers wishing to use school facilities, it may be necessary to set specific times during the day or evening that facilities will be available to them.
Assistance with curriculum planning, testing, and evaluation: School districts can support homeschoolers by providing information about child development and student learning, making textbooks and other teaching tools available, and assisting parents with curriculum planning, student assessment, and evaluation (Dahm, 1996). Administering achievement tests and proctoring exams are other ways schools can both support homeschoolers and ensure that students' academic progress is being regularly evaluated.
Curriculum subsidies: If funding is available, schools can offer to help homeschoolers buy books, curricula, educational videos, and other supplies (Hill, 1996). Some districts give a portion of the state funding they receive for serving homeschoolers back to parents, allotting a set amount each year for parents to spend on "school-district approved textbooks and other teaching tools" (Natale, 1992).
Opportunities to volunteer: Homeschoolers can play a valuable role as school volunteers, working as tutors, reading to younger students, or serving as instructional aides in elementary and middle school classrooms (Holt, 1983). A volunteer program benefits both teachers, who get a helping hand in their classroom, and homeschooled students, who can develop academic, job, and/or social skills while working in the school building (Hancock, 1994; Holt, 1983).
Part-time or dual enrollment: A service schools can provide without having to develop a special program is part-time or dual enrollment for non-public school students. As is now required in several states, schools can enroll interested homeschoolers part-time in regular school courses and other curricular programs. Part-time enrollment allows participating homeschoolers to supplement their home curriculum with specialized courses and classes their parents may be unable to teach, such as foreign language, art, advanced math and science, and vocational education (Guterson, 1992; Mayberry et al, 1995). Part-time enrollment also benefits schools, who may be able to collect partial state funding (Guterson, 1992; Knowles, 1989; Mayberry et al., 1995).
Sports and other extracurricular activities: Another service schools can offer is to open athletic programs and other extracurricular activities to homeschoolers, allowing homeschooled students to participate in organized sports, after school clubs, the school band, or act in school plays (Blum, 1996; Diegmueller, 1995; Guterson, 1992). To be fair to regularly enrolled students, schools should adopt minimum academic requirements for homeschoolers equivalent to those that conventional students must meet in order to participate in extracurricular activities (Brockett, 1995; Natale, 1992).
Visiting teacher programs: In visiting teacher programs, the school district hires one or more certified teachers to oversee homeschoolers' educational progress. In the Des Moines Public School System's Home Instruction Program, for example, district teachers work with parents to develop educational plans for the school year and then meet with the family once every two weeks to monitor students' progress. Visiting teachers also offer guidance, share teaching ideas, and provide resources and information parents request. The program considers parents to be the primary educators, allowing them to choose "the curriculum they will follow, the type of assistance they would like from teachers, a method of evaluation, and whether their child will attend the neighborhood school part-time" (Dahm, 1996). With this type of program, the school district can increase enrollment and stay in touch with homeschoolers' progress at the same time it offers parents the resources and support needed to successfully teach their children at home.
Internet courses and programs: An option for serving homeschoolers who aren't interested in working in the school building is to provide distance education courses over the Internet. The Federal Way School District in Washington, for example, operates an Internet Academy for K-12 students which offers on-line courses, class chat rooms, and e-mail and phone support from supervising district teachers. Students enrolled in the program can take one or two courses to supplement their home curriculum or can sign up to take all of their classes on-line (MSNBC, 1998). Students who don't have computers at home can use a district computer lab or computers at public libraries to access the Internet Academy. Other Internet programs, such as the Interior Distance Education of Alaska (IDEA) program, provide participating homeschoolers personal computers and other necessary supplies (Sandham, 1998). Although these types of programs take a lot of work to start up—developing Web-based curriculum, getting computers networked, etc.—they have a number of advantages for students and schools: students earn credit from an accredited public school; students' progress can be measured in relation to a standard school curriculum; and school districts can increase both enrollment and revenue (Hancock, 1994; Natale, 1995; Sandham, 1998). See page 34 for a full description of one Northwest school district that has recently implemented an Internet school.
Learning centers: Schools can serve homeschooled students and their families by setting up special centers for homeschoolers that offer a combination of some or all of the above services (Hill, 1996). These centers, housed in a public school building or an alternate location, can offer computer labs, weekly group classes and activities, a curriculum resource center, testing services, and other services specifically for homeschooled youth (Brockett, 1995; Mayberry et al., 1995). Such centers may be staffed by one or more certified teachers who are available to teach small group classes and provide individualized instruction to students who need additional help. Weekly group activities may include field trips, hands-on science and art projects, physical education classes, and other group learning experiences (Dahm, 1996). The learning center can also serve as a resource center for parents, offering seminars on curriculum planning, computer skills, child development, etc.

No matter what type of program or service your school decides to offer, it can't succeed unless students and parents know it is available (Mayberry et al., 1995). Be sure to advertise widely in order to reach all homeschoolers in the area (Pearson, 1996). Posting fliers at public libraries is one way to reach homeschooling families. It is also be helpful to ask local and state homeschooling organizations to post announcements about the program on their Web-sites, at meetings, or in their newsletters.