How to Homeschool in New York (2026 Guide)

The short version

New York is one of the most regulated states for homeschooling in the country. Every year you file a written notice of intent with your school district, submit a detailed Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP), send in four quarterly progress reports, and complete an annual assessment. Required subjects are spelled out by grade band, and hourly minimums apply. None of this is optional — but it is manageable once you know what the deadlines are and what goes in each document. This guide walks you through each step.

Legal basis

New York’s home instruction program is governed by 8 NYCRR § 100.10, known as Part 100.10 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education. It was adopted pursuant to New York Education Law §§ 3204 and 3205, which establish both the state’s compulsory instruction standard and compulsory attendance requirement.

Part 100.10 sets out the complete framework: notice of intent, the IHIP, subject requirements, instructional hour minimums, quarterly reporting, and annual assessment. Local school districts administer the regulations — your district superintendent is the point of contact for all filings.

No state agency pre-approves your curriculum, and you are not required to hold a teaching certificate. The regulations focus on process and outcomes, not on how you teach.

Primary DOE resource: NYSED — Home Instruction

Accompanying Q&A: NYSED — Home Instruction Questions and Answers

Notice of intent

You must submit a written notice of intent to homeschool to your local school district superintendent each year. The deadlines under Part 100.10 are:

• July 1 — for families beginning or continuing at the start of the school year (July 1 – June 30)
• Within 14 days of establishing a home instruction program if you begin mid-year

Once the district receives your notice, it is required to respond within 10 business days by sending you a copy of Part 100.10 and an IHIP form to complete.

You are not required to pre-register your child with the public school, and school officials may not deny you the right to homeschool because you decline a meeting with them. The notice of intent is a filing, not a request for permission.

Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP)

After submitting your notice of intent, you must file an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) with the district. The IHIP deadline is August 15, or within four weeks of receiving the IHIP form from the district — whichever is later.

The IHIP must include:

• Your child’s name, age, and grade level
• For each required subject: a list of syllabi, curriculum materials, textbooks, or a plan of instruction to be followed
• The scheduled dates for submitting quarterly reports (these must be evenly spaced across the school year)
• The name(s) of the person(s) providing instruction

You choose your own curriculum materials. The district reviews the IHIP to confirm that required subjects are covered; it is not comparing your materials to district-adopted textbooks. If the district requests more information about an unfamiliar textbook, you may respond with a written scope and sequence or a copy of the text (which the district must promptly return to you).

Required subjects

The required subjects under Part 100.10 vary by grade level. These are not suggested topics — each listed subject must be covered in your IHIP and quarterly reports.

Grades K–12 (all years)

These four areas are required every year at every grade level:

• Patriotism and citizenship
• Health education (alcohol, drug, and tobacco misuse)
• Highway safety and traffic regulations (including bicycle safety)
• Fire and arson prevention and safety

The following must be taught at least once before grade 9:

• U.S. history and New York history, including the U.S. and New York State constitutions

Grades 1–6

• Arithmetic
• Reading
• Spelling
• Writing
• English language arts
• Geography
• U.S. history
• Science
• Health
• Music
• Visual arts
• Physical education

Grades 7–8

Instruction in the following, with credit minimums (1 credit = minimum 108 hours of instruction):

• English (2 credits)
• History and geography (2 credits)
• Science (2 credits)
• Mathematics (2 credits)
• Art (½ credit)
• Music (½ credit)
• Physical education (on a regular basis)
• Health education (on a regular basis)
• Practical arts (on a regular basis)
• Library skills (on a regular basis)

Grades 9–12

Minimum credit requirements for high school:

• English (4 credits)
• Social studies — including American history, participation in government, and economics (4 credits)
• Mathematics (2 credits)
• Science (2 credits)
• Art or music (1 credit)
• Health (½ credit)
• Physical education (2 credits)
• Electives (3 credits)

Total: 18.5 credits minimum (1 credit = minimum 108 hours of instruction)

Instructional hour requirements

In addition to covering the required subjects, homeschooled students must meet annual instructional hour minimums under Part 100.10(f):

Grade band	Required hours per year
Grades 1–6	900 hours
Grades 7–12	990 hours

Attendance records demonstrating the “substantial equivalent” of 180 school days per year must also be maintained and provided to the district upon request.

Annual assessment

An annual assessment is required for every student from grade 1 through grade 12 under Part 100.10(h). The type of assessment depends on the grade:

Grades 1–3

You may choose either:

• A written narrative evaluation prepared by a certified teacher or other qualified person, or
• A standardized achievement test

Grades 4–8

Standardized testing is required at least every other year. In years when standardized testing is not used, a written narrative evaluation is acceptable. For example: narrative in grade 4, test in grade 5, narrative in grade 6, and so on.

Grades 9–12

A standardized achievement test is required every year. College admissions tests such as the SAT or ACT do not satisfy this requirement.

Standardized test options

Acceptable tests under Part 100.10 include (but are not limited to):

• Iowa Test of Basic Skills
• California Achievement Test
• Stanford Achievement Test
• Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills
• Metropolitan Achievement Test
• Other nationally normed tests approved by the superintendent

Tests may be administered at a public school, a registered nonpublic school, in your home, or at another reasonable location — by a New York-certified teacher, another qualified person, or a parent, provided the superintendent has consented. A practical approach is to notify the district in your third quarterly report of the test you plan to use and who will administer it; if you receive no objection, that implies consent.

To demonstrate satisfactory progress: the student’s composite score must be at or above the 33rd percentile, or the score must reflect at least one academic year of growth compared to a test taken the prior school year.

What happens if a student does not meet the assessment standard

If a student’s assessment shows inadequate progress, the district may require submission of a remediation plan as part of the next IHIP. Two consecutive years of inadequate progress can result in the district requiring the student to attend public school. Families in this situation should consult with a homeschool advocacy organization or an attorney before responding to the district.

Record keeping

New York requires substantial ongoing documentation, submitted to the district four times per year.

Quarterly reports

Four quarterly reports must be filed with your local school district each year. The dates must be scheduled in advance and listed in your IHIP. Reports are typically due around October, January, April, and June.

Each quarterly report must include:

• The number of hours of instruction completed during the quarter
• A description of the material covered in each subject
• A grade or narrative evaluation for each subject (a letter grade, numerical grade, or written narrative all satisfy this requirement)

In secondary grades (7–12), it is recommended — and many districts require — that hours be broken out by subject.

Attendance records

Records demonstrating the equivalent of 180 school days per year must be maintained. These are not routinely submitted but must be provided to the district superintendent upon request.

Retaining your own records

Beyond what the regulations require you to file, keeping copies of everything you submit is sensible practice. Curriculum lists, work samples, test results, and annual assessments can support high school transcripts, college applications, and dual enrollment requests. Part 100.10 does not specify a minimum retention period for your own files, but keeping records through at least four years after graduation is prudent.

Scholarship programs

New York does not currently have a state ESA, voucher, or dedicated homeschool scholarship program. No public funding flows directly to homeschool families at the state level.

Proposed legislation: New York Assembly Bill A485 (introduced January 2025) would create a personal income tax credit of up to $2,400 for homeschool families covering textbooks, workbooks, supplemental materials, videos, and software. As of May 2026 this bill has not passed.

What is available:

• Textbook loan program: Under existing state law, homeschooled students are entitled to loan of textbooks from their local public school district. Contact your district office for availability and procedures.
• Federal 529 plan (NY 529 Direct Plan): Federal law now allows up to $20,000 per year in 529 withdrawals for K–12 expenses including homeschool curriculum, tutoring, test fees, and educational therapies (effective January 1, 2026, per HR 1 signed July 4, 2025). Note that New York State’s Department of Taxation and Finance has not yet confirmed whether all expanded K–12 expense categories will be treated as New York-qualified withdrawals for state tax purposes. Verify current guidance before claiming a state deduction on 529 distributions. ny529directplan.com
• Coverdell Education Savings Account: Up to $2,000 per year in contributions; withdrawals for qualified K–12 education expenses are federally tax-free.

Withdrawing from public school

To begin homeschooling, notify your child’s school in writing that you are withdrawing to provide home instruction. You do not need the school’s permission to withdraw.

Once you have notified the school, your child may stop attending. Informing the school is recommended even when not strictly required, so the absence is not flagged as truancy. After withdrawal, submit your notice of intent to the district superintendent as described above.

Students with disabilities: If your child has an IEP or receives special education services through the public school, notify the district’s Committee on Special Education (CSE) in writing as early as possible — ideally by June 1 for the following school year. Homeschooled students with disabilities may request services through the district’s CSE, though the scope of available services can vary by district. Seek guidance from your district or a homeschool advocacy organization before withdrawing a child currently receiving special education services.

Returning to public school: A student who later re-enrolls in public school will typically be assessed by the district for grade placement. Test scores and portfolio materials from your home instruction program can help with that process, even though the district is not required to grant specific credit for prior homeschool work.

Support and community

Several organizations support New York homeschool families, both statewide and regionally:

• Loving Education at Home (LEAH) — leah.org — the largest statewide homeschool organization in New York; maintains a directory of local support groups and co-ops across the state
• New York City Home Educators Alliance (NYCHEA) — nychea.org — NYC-specific support, events, and resources for urban homeschool families
• Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) — hslda.org — membership-based legal advocacy; provides New York-specific forms (IHIP templates, quarterly report templates, notice of intent forms) to members and publishes detailed compliance guides for Part 100.10

New York’s requirements are detailed enough that connecting with a local support group or co-op early on is genuinely useful — experienced families are usually well-versed in what districts expect and how to format quarterly reports in ways that satisfy the regulations without unnecessary paperwork burden.