How to Homeschool in New York

New York requires an annual IHIP by Aug 15, four quarterly progress reports to your district, an annual assessment, and 900/990 instructional hours. Everything is filed with your local school district.

Is homeschooling legal in New York?

Yes — homeschooling is legal in every U.S. state. New York is a higher-regulation state, meaning you file a notice and keep up several ongoing duties, such as reports, assessments, and instruction-hour records. Children roughly ages 6–16 must be enrolled in school or a legal homeschool.

How to get started

In New York, you send a notice to your local school district superintendent (NYC: the NYC DOE). There is no statewide portal — file with your local district by mail or email. NYC families file with the NYC DOE's home-schooling office. Look up your district's contact on its website.

What New York asks of homeschooling families

• File the IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan). Submit an IHIP to your district by Aug 15 listing each child's syllabi/materials and the required subjects for their grade.
• Four quarterly reports. Submit a progress report each quarter listing hours of instruction and a grade or narrative for each subject.
• Instructional hours. Provide 900 hours/year for grades 1–6 and 990 hours/year for grades 7–12.
• Annual assessment. Each year file an annual assessment — a nationally normed standardized test or, in many grades, a written narrative evaluation by a qualified person.
• Required subjects. Cover New York's required subjects for each grade band (the IHIP must address them).

Specific deadlines and details can change year to year and vary by district — always confirm the current rules with your district or state.

Keeping records

Keep copies of every IHIP, quarterly report, and assessment.