Overview
North Dakota recognizes home education supervised by a child's legal parent or legal guardian. The state requires annual notice, minimum instructional time, required academic subjects, academic records, and standardized testing in specified grades unless the family qualifies for an exemption.
Families are not required to enroll with a cover school or umbrella school. They may still choose Alabama Church School for curriculum, report cards, transcripts, diplomas, attendance tools, and organizational support while meeting North Dakota's own legal requirements.
Compulsory School Attendance and Who May Supervise
The supervising adult must be the child's legal parent or legal guardian.
North Dakota's home-education filing requirement applies to each child age 7 or older who is receiving home education.
Statement of Intent
The parent must file a Statement of Intent to Supervise Home Education with the superintendent of the child's school district of residence, or the county superintendent if the district has no superintendent.
The statement must be filed every school year and the parent must generally wait 5 days after filing before beginning home education.
The statement includes the child's identifying information and grade level, the supervising parent's information and qualifications, any public-school courses or extracurricular activities in which the child plans to participate, proof of immunization or an applicable exemption, and proof of identity.
Instructional Days and Hours
North Dakota requires at least 4 hours of instruction per day for at least 175 days each school year.
Required Subjects
The home education program must include the subjects required by North Dakota law to be taught to public-school students. North Dakota DPI provides grade-level guidance, but home educators are not required to use the public-school curriculum or teach directly to state content standards.
Attendance and Academic Records
The parent must maintain an annual record of courses taken and the student's academic progress, including standardized test results when applicable.
If the student transfers to a public school, the parent must provide the academic record upon request.
Standardized Testing
Students are generally tested with a nationally normed standardized achievement test in grades 4, 6, 8, and 10.
A parent may opt out of the testing requirement if the parent qualifies under one of North Dakota's statutory exemptions, including certain educational or professional qualifications or a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized achievement testing.
Opt-out documentation is filed with the annual Statement of Intent.
Parent Teacher Qualifications
A parent with a high school diploma or GED may supervise home education without monitoring.
Curriculum Freedom
The supervising parent chooses curriculum, materials, educational philosophy, instructional method, and delivery.
Families may use online programs, printed curriculum, tutors, work study, individual courses, and other resources.
Graduation
North Dakota home-educated students must meet the state's minimum high-school graduation credit requirements, including required credits in English, mathematics, science, social studies, physical education or health, selected language/arts/CTE areas, computer science or cybersecurity, and electives.
Most home-education diplomas are issued by the supervising parent. A local district, approved nonpublic high school, or the North Dakota Center for Distance Education may issue a diploma under its own policies.
Alabama Church School Services for North Dakota Families
North Dakota families may choose Alabama Church School for complete curriculum, enrollment documentation, attendance tools, academic records, report cards, transcripts, diplomas, graduation documentation, and educational support.
Enrollment with Alabama Church School does not replace the parent's responsibility to file the annual Statement of Intent, meet North Dakota instructional-time and graduation requirements, maintain required records, arrange testing or a lawful testing exemption, and comply with other applicable North Dakota requirements.
North Dakota Homeschool Law References
- North Dakota Century Code Chapter 15.1-23 — Home Education
- North Dakota Department of Public Instruction — Home Education
- North Dakota Department of Public Instruction — Home Education in North Dakota: A Parent Guide
Families should review current state law and official education-agency guidance when beginning homeschooling because procedures, deadlines, and program requirements can change.
How Alabama Church School supports North Dakota 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 North Dakota law.
Nearby state homeschool guides
Families moving to or from North Dakota often review these states next.