Homeschooling

Definition

Students are considered to be homeschooled by the U.S. government if they receive instruction at home for more than 25 hours a week and do not attend public, private, or parochial school. In addition, students who were schooled at home because of a temporary illness are not counted as homeschooled. This data is typically reported by parents. To qualify for membership in the Home School Legal Defense Association, a parent must provide direct instruction to the student for at least 51 percent of the time.

Background

A 2004 study conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics, from the U.S. Department of Education, estimated that there are 1.1 million homeschooled students in the United States. This indicates that as many as 1 in 25 U.S. students are homeschooled. However, this data is difficult to gather and interpret because states are inconsistent in how they count and track homeschooled students.

When parents were asked in this survey about the reasons for homeschooling their children, approximately 60 percent indicated that they were concerned about the environment of the schools for their children or they desired greater religious or moral instruction for their children. However, 16 percent cited concerns about the academic programs provided by schools.

In the context of gifted education, homeschooling has been considered an option for some families. However, there is no systematic identification procedure for gifted students. Therefore, there is a lack of reliable data about the number of gifted homeschooled students. To date, no empirical studies have investigated the role of gifted education in homeschooled populations. However, researchers have begun to document instances of homeschooling among gifted populations in small, nonrepresentative samples.

Critics of the homeschooling movement cite several concerns with the implementation of homeschooling for gifted learners. These concerns tend to focus on two areas—the social development of homeschoolers and the lack of quality control within homeschooling environments.

Social Development

One common concern is the social development of children. However, several options for the socialization of homeschooled students may be especially appropriate for gifted learners. Many communities across the country have local homeschool support groups that allow members to get together for field trips, weekly meetings, and social gatherings. These groups may provide support for particular ideologies (such as religious groups, unschoolers, or interest-based organizations). Other options for social development include virtual homeschooling groups in which young people may meet other homeschooled children through supervised online bulletin boards or chat rooms.

In addition to the social support provided by local homeschooling organizations, gifted children may find opportunities at local colleges and universities. Many colleges and universities provide opportunities for advanced learners to attend classes or workshops. Dual enrollment programs are common for high-ability students at the secondary level. In this case, high school–aged students may attend college classes as they complete the requirements for their high school diploma.

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