Intent to Homeschool

Home School Information

Home schooling is an educational option in Oregon. Families who choose to home school children must take the following steps, pursuant to Oregon Administrative Rule 581-021-0026:

Intent to Homeschool Online Notification Form

Notify the local Education Service District (ESD) of intent to home school within 10 days of withdrawing from public or private school (see notification links below).

Coordinate with Home School Tester(s) to assess student growth at the end of grade levels 3, 5, 8, and 10 (testing begins 18 months after notification).

Submit test results to local ESD when requested.

Homeschooling Resources

Oregon Laws

Douglas County Home School Notification

Parents or legal guardians are required to notify the Douglas ESD for each child that will be homeschooled. Notification is required when the student begins/transitions to home schooling or returns to public school. It is also required to update an address as needed. Only non-identifying information per FERPA mandates may be released to the state. An acknowledgement letter will be sent within 90 days after the Douglas ESD receives the form(s).

The online notification provides immediate confirmation to parents and school districts and access to a portal for parents/guardians to upload test scores, change of address and more. The online notification system does not ask information that is not required by law.

Homeschool Notification form Instruction video

Alternative notification options include completing a form or mailing a written letter to 1409 NE Diamond Lake Blvd., Suite 110, Roseburg, OR 97470 or faxing the notification to 541-440-4771. These option do not provide a link to the parent portal to upload test scores or change address, etc.

The information available on this site is based on Oregon Revised Statute 339.035 and Oregon Administrative Rule 581-021-0026 through 581-021-0035, which are Oregon laws on homeschooling.

Homeschooling Forms

OSAA Sports Rules & Activities

The Oregon Sports and Athletic Association (OSAA) governs student participation in sports/athletics in public schools. Home schooled students are eligible to participate in interscholastic activities at their local public school. This eligibility is contingent upon the student receiving a test score at or above the 23rd percentile on an annual standardized achievement test.

OSAA Eligibility Parent Checklist

OSAA Home School Student Pamphlet

Scholarships, Links, & Additional Resources

To apply for scholarships, you will need a copy of the letter acknowledging your intent to home school your child from Douglas ESD. If you do not have a copy of the original letter you can request one from Douglas ESD by completing the records request form found above. Please indicated on the records request form that you are requesting a copy of the intent to home school resident district notification & parent/guardian notification.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Office of Student Access and Completion (OSAC)

Links & Additional Resources

Homeschoolers in Oregon are welcome to use the resources on the Oregon School Library Information System (OSLIS). OSLIS offers guidance for teaching students how to do research, has templates for creating citations in MLA and APA formats, and provides access to databases with quality nonfiction articles from periodicals and reference books and a database designed to help students build skills in reading, writing, and math.

OSLIS

Homeschool Testing Information

Must homeschooled students be tested?

Which tests may be used?

The home schooling Oregon Administrative Rules (OARs) list approved tests for assessment of satisfactory progress by home school students. Parents or guardians must make sure that their home schooled child is tested no later than August 15th, using a test from the following list that is appropriate for the child’s grade level. Please work with a neutral qualified tester and test publishers to use one of the two most recent editions of these comprehensive tests currently approved for testing a home schooled child. Further details about the examination of children instructed by parent, legal guardian or private teachers is provided in OAR 581-021-0026.

Test names and availability change frequently. Efforts are made to keep the list of tests current but in the case where changes are made by the test publisher in name or availability, please work with your local qualified tester and Education Service District Contact to assure you are using one of the two most recent versions of the tests and acting in the best interests of your child. Generally, comprehensive tests are first released for use in public, private schools, and secure testing environments and then released to testers (Home School Organizations or Testing Centers) for use with home schooled students. The list of currently approved tests include the following, with publisher information as available:

This is an update for tests to be used in assessment of homeschool students. For evaluation, students may take one of the following standardized tests:

California Achievement Test
Terra Nova II or III
Iowa Test of Basic Skills
Iowa Test of Achievement and Proficiency
Metropolitan Achievement Battery
Stanford Achievement Battery

The two most recent versions of any of the above tests are approved for use for homeschool evaluators.

The most recent versions of those tests would be:

Terra Nova CTBS II & III
Iowa Test Forms A & B
Metropolitan MAT 7 & MAT 8
Stanford Achievement St 9 & St 10

Students are tested at the 3^rd, 5^th, 8^th, and 10^th grade levels. If you have further questions regarding homeschool testing, you may contact Bob Salazar at (503) 947-591 or Bob.Salazar@ode.state.or.us

Home School Tester by County (PDF)

When must the tests to administerd?

If the child was withdrawn from public or private school, the first test is not required in the first 18 months of home schooling even if the child is in grade 3, 5, 8, or 10.

For example, if a student completed grade 4 in a public school and was then withdrawn to be home schooled, the student would not be required to be tested at grade 5 because grade 5 is within the 18 month period. The child would not be required to be tested until August 15th following grade 8.

Please visit the ODE Homeschool Page for more information about testing.

How do I become an approved homeschool tester?

To be added to the approved home school tester list, please send a letter to our office indicating your desire to be added to the list. Include your contact information and the counties in which you would be willing to test. You also need to include evidence that you have met one of the following requirements:

A “Qualified person” is an individual who:
(A) Holds a current personnel service license or teaching license from Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission; or
(B) Has been licensed by the Oregon Board of Psychologist Examiners; or
(C) Has met the publisher’s qualifications for purchase, and has purchased at least one of the approved tests; or
(D) Provides evidence of satisfactory completion of a graduate course in which test administration and interpretation is included in the objective; or
(E) Has previously qualified as an Oregon home school tester, and has during the previous year administered at least one of the approved tests.

For example, if you have a current Oregon personnel service or teaching license, then you would send a copy of your license with your request. If you qualify because you have met the publisher’s qualifications for purchase and purchased at least one of the approved tests, you would submit evidence that the publisher has approved you and evidence of the test you purchased.

Once on the list, you will be sent an update form each year and asked to return it by April 1. If the form is not returned, your name will be removed from the list and you will have to re-apply.

Become a Test Administrator

The information available on this site is based on Oregon Revised Statute 339.035 and Oregon Administrative Rule 581-021-0026 through 581-021-0035, which are Oregon laws on homeschooling.

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