Welcome to the Homeschool Gathering Place Message Board

[hsgponline]

This is a quick overview of getting started with homeschooling. The Homeschool Gathering Place encourages you to tap the many resources available on homeschooling after reading this.

What does the State of North Carolina require?

You must register with the North Carolina Department of Non-Public Education (DNPE) before beginning. After registering, there are three requirements:

* Take an accredited achievement test (the California Achievement Test, the Woodcock Johnson, the Iowa Basic, and others) for each year that you homeschool.
* Keep an attendance report for each year.
* Keep immunization records if you choose to immunize.

Achievement tests are available from several local sources. Most testing is done at year-end. (Please see our message board topic on testing or ask us for the names or brochures of these testing services when you visit the store.) The attendance report is included in the packet of information that DNPE will mail to you after registering. It also can be downloaded from the DNPE website: www.ncdnpe.org

DNPE recommends ? but does not require ? that you offer a scope of subjects and devote the time per year to schooling that is similar to what is used by the public school system. The list of recommended subjects for each grade is sent to you by the DNPE and is available also from their website.

The task of deciding which books or materials to use for homeschooling is up to you. There is no set list of books or publishers from which to choose materials.

For more and better particulars, we recommend that you visit North Carolinians for Home Education's website at www.nche.com or ask for their brochures when you visit the store.