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Millbury Public Schools

Once a Woolie, always a Woolie

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  2. Curriculum Instruction and Assessment
  3. Homeschool

Homeschool

If you are intending to home school for the current school year, please supply this office with a letter indicating your intention to home school along with the following information on or before September 1st:

The parent/guardian must certify in writing, the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child in the program.
The parent/guardian must submit a Home Instruction Program Plan (HIPP) to the Superintendent for approval. The HIPP shall include the following information:

  1. A proposed curriculum setting forth, without limitation, (1) those subject matters that will be taught to the child, which shall include those subject matters required to be taught at the relevant grade level under Massachusetts General Laws, regulations promulgated by the Department of Education, and any other applicable state laws, rules, and/or regulations; (2) the length of the proposed home school year and an indication of the number of hours of instruction in each subject matter; (3) sample lesson plans, preview of textbooks, and other instructional materials to be used in Home Instruction.
  2. A description of the qualifications of the parent/guardian who will be teaching the child including relevant work experience, educational background, and teaching experience. The parent/guardian need not be a certified teacher nor have college or advanced degrees.
  3. A timeline of when progress reports or periodic standardized testing of the children will be submitted to ensure educational progress and the attainment of minimum standards.

Here is the full School Committe Policy regarding Homeschooling in Millbury:

The Millbury Public School District recognizes and respects the right of parents/guardians to home school their child(ren). The mission of the district is to provide, and to assist parents, in the provision of the best education possible for all the children in this district. The district understands that the approach of home education is different than public education, and wishes to form a healthy collaboration with each parent/guardian to ensure that the best interest of the child(ren) are met. This policy is designed to fulfill its legal obligations, while at the same time maintaining flexibility such that each home education family has the freedom to create and implement and individualized program for their child(ren).

The School Committee of each town is required to provide for and enforce the school attendance of children actually residing therein accordance of Massachusetts General Laws. The law grants certain exceptions, including "a child who is being otherwise instructed in a manner approved in advance by the Superintendent or the School Committee."

When a parent or guardian of a student below the age of 16 wants to establish a home-based educational program for his/her child, the following procedures shall be followed in accordance with the law:

Prior to removing the child from public school:

  • The parent/guardian must submit written notification of establishment of the home-based program to the Superintendent or their designee 14 days before the program is established, and resubmit notification on an annual basis as long as the child or children are being educated in a home-based environment.
  • The parent/guardian must certify in writing the name, age, place of residence, and number of hours of attendance of each child in the program.

The parent/guardian must submit a Home Instruction Program Plan (HIPP) to the Superintendent for approval. The HIPP shall include the following information:

  1.  A proposed curriculum setting forth, without limitation, (1) those subject matters that will be taught to the child, which shall include those subject matters required to be taught at the relevant grade level under Massachusetts General Laws, regulations promulgated by the Department of Education, and any other applicable state laws, rules, and/or regulations; (2) the length of the proposed home school year and an indication of the number of hours of instruction in each subject matter; (3) sample lesson plans, preview of textbooks, and other instructional materials to be used in Home Instruction.
  2. A description of the qualifications of the parent/guardian who will be teaching the child including relevant work experience, educational background, and teaching experience. The parent/guardian need not be a certified teacher nor have college or advanced degrees.
  3. A timeline of when progress reports or periodic standardized testing of the children will be submitted to ensure educational progress and the attainment of minimum standards.

The Superintendent shall approve a Home Instruction Program Plan that, in his/her discretion, sets forth an instructional program that provides instruction in all of the studies required by law equal in thoroughness and efficiency, and in the progress made therein, of that of the School District.

The Superintendent or his/her designee shall assign an administrator to supervise each Home Instruction program. The parent/guardian will submit the Progress Reports to the administrator on a mutually agreeable schedule.

If the administrator assigned to supervise the Home Instruction program determines that the Progress Report is unsatisfactory and/or the Home Instruction program fails to meet the established standards as documented in the approved HIPP, the administrator will notify the Superintendent in writing stating the reason for the non-compliance.

Should the Superintendent or his/her designee find that a Home Instruction program is not in compliance with the approved HIPP, approval of the HIPP may be withdrawn. In such a case, prior to withdrawal, the Superintendent of his/her designee shall notify the parent/guardian in writing of the reasons for the decision and allow the parent/guardian, within a reasonable time period as set forth by the Superintendent, to remedy the inadequacies or correct deficiencies noted by the district.

A student being educated in a home-based program within the District may have access to public school activities of either a curricular or extracurricular nature upon approval of the Superintendent.