Overview
New York has one of the most detailed homeschool regulatory systems in the United States. Parents have the legal right to provide home instruction, but they must follow annual notice, Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP), subject, attendance, quarterly-report, and annual-assessment requirements.
An outside curriculum or school program does not replace these New York requirements. New York specifically states that parents must comply with the home-instruction regulations even when curriculum is supplied by a correspondence or online school.
Compulsory School Attendance Age
New York compulsory-attendance rules vary somewhat by locality and age. Parents should confirm the applicable compulsory-attendance age with their resident district, particularly for older teenagers.
Annual Notice of Intent
Parents must provide written notice of intent to the superintendent of the school district of residence by July 1 each school year.
A family beginning home instruction after the start of the school year, or moving into a district after the school year begins, must generally provide notice within 14 days after beginning home instruction in the district.
Individualized Home Instruction Plan — IHIP
Within 10 business days after receiving the notice, the district must send the parent the home-instruction regulation and an IHIP form.
The parent generally submits the completed IHIP within 4 weeks after receiving the materials or by August 15, whichever is later.
The IHIP includes the child's name, age and grade level; curriculum materials or plan of instruction for required subjects; quarterly-report dates; and the names of individuals providing instruction.
Instructional Days and Hours
New York requires the substantial equivalent of 180 days of instruction each school year.
• Grades 1-6: at least 900 hours of instruction per year • Grades 7-12: at least 990 hours of instruction per year
Parents must maintain attendance records and make them available to the district upon request.
Required Subjects
New York specifies required subjects by grade level. Examples include:
• Grades 1-6: arithmetic, reading, spelling, writing, English language, geography, U.S. history, science, health, music, visual arts, physical education, and applicable bilingual/English-language instruction • Grades 7-8: English, history and geography, science, mathematics, physical education, health, art, music, practical arts, and library skills • Grades 9-12: English, social studies including American history, government and economics, mathematics, science, art and/or music, health, physical education, and electives
Additional required topics across K-12 include patriotism and citizenship, substance-abuse health education, highway and bicycle safety, and fire/arson prevention and safety.
Quarterly Reports
Parents must submit quarterly reports on the dates listed in the IHIP.
Each quarterly report includes the number of instructional hours, a description of material covered in each subject, a grade or written narrative of progress, and an explanation if less than 80 percent of planned course material was covered during the quarter.
Annual Assessment
An annual assessment is submitted with the fourth quarterly report.
Depending on grade level and applicable rules, the assessment may use an approved commercially published norm-referenced achievement test or an allowed alternative written evaluation.
For standardized testing, a composite score above the 33rd percentile or evidence of one academic year of growth is considered adequate under the regulation. Alternative written evaluations are allowed more broadly in the lower grades and are restricted in frequency in grades 4-8.
Parent Teacher Qualifications
New York does not require the parent or tutor providing home instruction to hold a teaching credential.
Curriculum Freedom
Parents choose their own curriculum materials and content, but the required subjects and reporting framework must be satisfied.
The district's role is to determine compliance with the regulation, not to require the homeschool to duplicate the district's exact curriculum.
Graduation
New York does not award a public-school diploma merely because a student completes a home-instruction program.
Families may document completion through their own homeschool records and transcript, but should carefully review college, employment, scholarship, military, and New York postsecondary degree-conferral requirements.
Alabama Church School Services for New York Families
New York families may use Alabama Church School for curriculum, organized academic records, report cards, transcripts, diplomas, graduation documentation, and educational support.
Enrollment with Alabama Church School does not replace the parent's New York obligations. The parent must still file the annual notice, IHIP, quarterly reports, annual assessment, attendance records, and other required New York documentation.
New York Homeschool Law References
- 8 NYCRR § 100.10 — Home Instruction
- New York Education Law §§ 3204, 3205, 3210, 3211 and 3212
- New York State Education Department — Home Instruction
- New York State Education Department — Home Instruction Questions and Answers
Families should review current state law and official education-agency guidance when beginning homeschooling because procedures and program requirements can change.
How Alabama Church School supports New York families
ACS does not replace your state's homeschool requirements — it gives families complete curriculum, academic records, transcripts, diplomas, and documentation while you continue satisfying New York law.
Nearby state homeschool guides
Families moving to or from New York often review these states next.