MA HOMESCHOOL REPORTING
The education plan is simply a list of the subjects that are standard in the MA curriculum. This education plan along with the skills set for the corresponding grade level are all you need to submit to your school district for homeschooling. A letter of intent is not necessary because these documents are provided. The end of this letter informs the school district in which way you will be reporting progress at year end. There are multiple ways to go about this; progress reports, testing, or portfolios.
For more information on Massachusetts homeschooling laws and guidelines, please visit AHEM.
Skills Sets per Grade Level
Reporting does not begin until the child would be entering first grade as kindergarten is NOT mandatory in the state of Massachusetts.
From mass.edu: Each child must attend school beginning in September of the calendar year in which he or she attains the age of six. Each school committee may establish its own minimum permissible age for school attendance, provided that such age is not older than the mandatory minimum age established by 603CMR 8.00.
Children age 16 and over do not require reporting because state law states that compulsory attendance is only from ages 6-16.
All information on these documents is taken directly from the standards set forth by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and have been copied directly from the Department of Education website. If you have any question about how any of this works, please do not hesitate to reach out. Some districts may not require anything further than the Education Plan, but districts, such as Pittsfield, ask for it. For unschoolers, this information replaces that of a curriculum’s contents.
At the end of the school year, you must submit whatever form of reporting you and the school district agreed to. School districts may have a certain time frame that they want them by. It is best to check in with your district to see when they would like to receive the information. Many people recommend sending all information certified mail (though many people also drop off items directly).
While this can seem intimidating at first, once you develop a method, it does get easier. If you are enrolled with Berkshire Freedom Academy, this is a process we are involved with from start to finish and that older learns are a part of tracking on their own.
And again, we are here to support you, whether you are enrolled with us or not. Reach out with any questions, concerns, or if you need assistance!