Home schools fill expanding niche

Although it remains a small percentage, the number of home schoolers in Clark County has increased fiftyfold over the past 15 years as the number of students in the district has doubled.

In 1983, 43 students in Nevada were being taught at home. Last year the number reached 2,376 and school officials estimate that when all the paperwork is accounted for, the current school year will show a number exceeding 2,500. The paperwork includes forms that parents must fill out exempting their children from traditional public education.

Nationwide, the number of home schoolers has reached more than 1 million, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association.

Marge Comeau, principal clerk within the Clark County School District's Pupil Personnel Services Department, said reasons vary for the growing number of home schoolers. What used to be religious grounds for home teaching is now being replaced by a reaction to the conditions in today's schools.

"It's kind of interesting to see how the trend has changed," she said, adding that violence in schools, overcrowding and peer pressure are recent complaints she hears from parents.

Some parents say they see home school as a means to maintaining family unity. But whatever their reasons, the small minority comprised by home schoolers have a voice.

The Southern Nevada Homeschool Advisory Council had a say in the Nevada state Board of Education's decision last fall to eliminate mandatory testing requirements of home schoolers.

"The fact that home schoolers presented evidence to the Nevada State Board of Education showing that they were doing quite well is one of the reasons the School Board decided to eliminate testing," said Holly Walton-Buchanan, assistant director for private schools and home schools with the state Department of Education.

Hiring personnel to test home-school students, even though government funds are not available for those students (because they are not pupils in the district), was another reason to eliminate testing, Buchanan said.

But District Superintendent Brian Cram said he thinks the tests should still be required. He said mandatory testing gives parents an indication of how their home-schooled children will perform on college entrance exams.

"Home-school children should be accountable to state standards," he said.

The council used statistics provided by the Home School Legal Defense Association showing that the national average of scores of home-school students, kindergarten through 12th grade, was in the 87th percentile. The same study shows public-school students averaging in the 50th percentile, said Carri Benson, president of the council.

"We score so much higher than the average public school," Benson said. "We don't like being tested. We don't get any benefit from being tested. We see where our kids are at every day."

Cram said parents have no need to fear testing if their children are getting a good education.

"I believe there is a niche market for parents who want to home-school. Our concern is whether they're getting a quality education at home."

Some also question whether the parents are qualified to teach.

Benson referred to another study from the legal defense organization concluding that home-school students of parents certified to teach scored in the 88th percentile. Home-school students with parents never certified scored in the 85th percentile. Students in public school with a certified teacher scored 50 percent.

Cram said a college degree is not essential to instruct children. "If children are passing a standard test, then it doesn't matter who's teaching them," he said.

When parents are concerned enough about their child's education to teach them at home, their children would excel anywhere, he said. "What's admirable is the parents' commitment to their children."

Cram added that there are benefits to home schooling, such as the chance for parents to spend time with their children, the smaller class size and an opportunity for parents with religious beliefs to include those beliefs in their curriculum.

His concerns are the lack of broad educational opportunities, such as band and lab classes, and the fact that a small percentage of home schoolers are keeping their children home for reasons other than education, such as baby-sitting.

"Once they declare themselves home schoolers, it's hard to check on them at all."

Home schooling is a state provision. To be home schoolers, parents must comply with state regulations by presenting substantial evidence mandated by the Nevada State Board of Education and the local school board.

This includes written evidence stating the child will be instructed by any one of the following: a teacher who possesses a teaching license; a parent who possesses a teaching license; or a parent who has already provided home instruction for at least three years for the grade being taught.

Also, a parent without certification and who has never taught may teach in consultation with a person who possesses a license or a parent who has taught at least three years. The student may also take correspondence courses provided through certain regionally accredited associations.

A statement of the parents' educational plan must be provided, including educational goals, methods of teaching, instructional materials, a calendar of teaching days and a schedule of a typical week of instruction.

A signed declaration from the parent stating that the educational plan will be followed in its entirety must also be submitted.

Because there is no entrance testing, home-school students in kindergarten through 8th grade who wish to re-enter a school district usually have no problem, Buchanan said.

But students in grades nine to 12 have a lot of trouble re-entering regular classes, Buchanan said.

"All the districts in the state have passed a ruling of how many credits they'll accept from home-school students toward graduation," she said. A total of 22 1/2 credits are required for a high-school diploma.

"Home schoolers have to get a diploma from a correspondence school or none at all," Buchanan said.

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