A Delaware Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in Delaware.

Delaware keeps homeschooling refreshingly simple: register once each year, report twice, and teach however you see fit. One online registration. Two short annual reports. Zero mandated subjects or tests. Here is exactly how the First State's nonpublic-school model works, deadline by deadline.

The Path · Getting Started

Five steps from first decision to a registered Delaware homeschool.

№ 01
01

Pick your homeschool type.

Delaware law (14 Del. C. 2703A) defines three kinds of homeschool. Nearly everyone chooses the single-family homeschool - your own children, taught mainly at home. Families who teach together across households register as a multi-family homeschool and name a liaison to DDOE. The third type, coordinated with the district, puts curriculum under the local superintendent and is rarely used.

The three types
  • Single-family homeschool (most common)
  • Multi-family homeschool (names a DDOE liaison)
  • Single-family coordinated with the district (superintendent-approved curriculum)
02

Register with DDOE online.

Homeschools register as nonpublic schools through the Delaware Department of Education's online system - you'll create an EdAccess account, choose your school type, and enter your school and student information. Register before you begin operating so your child is continuously enrolled for compulsory-attendance purposes (ages 5-16). Then send a written withdrawal letter to the public school and keep a dated copy.

Have ready
  • Homeschool type and a school name
  • Home address & parent contact information
  • Each student's name, birth date & grade
  • A dated withdrawal letter for the old school
03

Build the curriculum you want.

For single- and multi-family homeschools, Delaware mandates no subjects, approves no curriculum, and reviews nothing. Most families anchor the year in reading, math, science, and social studies, then build outward - but that is convention and good sense, not law. Textbooks, online programs, co-ops, unit studies: all fair game.

Useful starting points
  • Delaware content standards (optional benchmarks)
  • Tri-State Homeschool's convention & co-op network
  • Public library programs across all three counties
  • Curriculum review sites like Cathy Duffy
04

Track attendance all year.

Your one ongoing legal task is an attendance record. Delaware sets no required number of days or hours - you define your own calendar - but you must report end-of-year attendance to DDOE by July 31. A simple weekly log makes that report a five-minute job instead of a reconstruction project.

Keep on file
  • Daily or weekly attendance log
  • Your school-year calendar
  • Recommended: work samples & course lists
  • Recommended: transcript entries for high schoolers
05

File the two annual reports.

Two dates carry the whole compliance load in Delaware. By September 30, submit a statement of pupil enrollment as of the last school day in September. By July 31, report the year's attendance. Both go to DDOE through the same online system you registered with - and that's it. No tests, no portfolios, no evaluations.

The annual rhythm
  • Sept 30 - enrollment statement (14 Del. C. 2704)
  • July 31 - end-of-year attendance report
  • Re-confirm registration each school year
  • Keep copies of every submission
The Law · Delaware

Three ways Delaware lets you structure the school.

№ 02

Delaware homeschools operate as nonpublic schools under 14 Del. C. 2703A, which defines three homeschool types, and 14 Del. C. 2704, which sets the only ongoing duties: a September 30 enrollment statement and a July 31 attendance report to the Department of Education. The state mandates no subjects, hours, tests, or teacher qualifications for family-run homeschools.

Option 01

Single-Family Homeschool

Best for the standard case: teaching your own children, mainly in your own home, on your own terms.

  • Register online with DDOE before starting
  • File the Sept 30 enrollment & July 31 attendance reports
  • No mandated subjects, hours, or testing
  • Curriculum and calendar are entirely yours
  • Defined by 14 Del. C. 2703A
Option 02

Multi-Family Homeschool

Best for co-ops and families who pool teaching across households and want one registration covering them all.

  • Children from multiple families taught by the parents
  • One liaison appointed to deal with DDOE
  • Same two annual reports, filed by the liaison
  • No subject, hour, or testing mandates
  • Defined by 14 Del. C. 2703A
Option 03

Coordinated with the District

Best for the rare family that wants the public-school curriculum at home, with the oversight that comes with it.

  • Single-family homeschool using district-approved curriculum
  • Curriculum approved by the local superintendent
  • Closest tie to public-school scope & sequence
  • Least independence of the three types - few choose it
  • Defined by 14 Del. C. 2703A
Requirements · Curriculum

What to teach when the state names no subjects at all.

№ 03

Honest answer: Delaware mandates no subjects for single- and multi-family homeschools. The four areas below are the conventional core most families build on - shown here as a planning aid, not a legal requirement. Only the district-coordinated type follows a prescribed (superintendent-approved) curriculum.

01

Reading + Language Arts

Phonics through literature, plus writing, grammar & spelling.

02

Mathematics

Numeracy, arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and applied reasoning.

03

Science

Inquiry and observation across life, physical & earth sciences.

04

Social Studies

History, geography, civics & the world your student lives in.

2
Reports per year

A September 30 enrollment statement and a July 31 attendance report - the entire ongoing compliance load.

3
Homeschool types

Single-family, multi-family, and single-family coordinated with the district, defined in 14 Del. C. 2703A.

0
Tests required

Delaware has no standardized testing, evaluation, or portfolio-review requirement for homeschooled students.

5-16
Compulsory ages

School attendance is compulsory from age 5 (by August 31) through 16 - register before withdrawing so there's no gap.

Questions · Answered Honestly

The questions Delaware parents ask before they leap

№ 04
No. Delaware sets no teacher qualifications for any homeschool type - no diploma, degree, or certification. You register the school, you teach it, and the state's role is limited to collecting the two annual reports.
Yes. Register your homeschool through DDOE's online system first, then deliver a written withdrawal letter to the school. Because Delaware's compulsory-attendance law covers ages 5-16, doing it in that order means your child moves directly from one enrolled status to another, with no truancy gray zone. Keep dated copies of both.
No. Registration with DDOE is administrative, not an application - no one reviews your curriculum or qualifications, and your local district has no role at all for single- and multi-family homeschools. The only exception is the rarely chosen 'coordinated' type, where the superintendent approves the curriculum by design.
Not many. You need enrollment information for the September 30 statement and an attendance record sufficient for the July 31 end-of-year report - both filed online with DDOE under 14 Del. C. 2704. Beyond that, nothing is collected. We still recommend keeping work samples, course lists, and (for teens) a real transcript, because your homeschool's diploma is only as strong as the records behind it.
No. DIAA eligibility rules require athletes to be enrolled full-time at the member school they represent, which leaves homeschoolers out of interscholastic play. Delaware families typically turn to rec leagues, YMCA and club sports, and homeschool co-op teams instead.
Yes, with a caveat worth knowing. Your homeschool issues its own diploma and transcript, exactly like any other nonpublic school in Delaware. The caveat: DDOE does not validate or back nonpublic-school credentials, so acceptance rests on your documentation. A clear transcript, course descriptions, and test scores (SAT/ACT) carry homeschool graduates into colleges and jobs every year.
Not currently. Delaware has no education savings account, voucher, or homeschool funding program as of 2026. The upside of that is the state's light touch - two reports a year and genuine curricular freedom. Keep an eye on legislation, as school-choice proposals do circulate.
No. Homeschooled students are not required to take the Delaware System of Student Assessments or any standardized test, and no evaluation or portfolio review exists in Delaware law. Many families still test privately every year or two for their own benchmarking - it's entirely optional.
Resources · Delaware

Where First State families plug in

№ 05
Official - State

Delaware Department of Education

DDOE's homeschools and private schools hub - the online registration system, annual reporting instructions, and official FAQs.

Visit DDOE
Community - Regional

Tri-State Homeschool, Inc.

The Newark-based network serving Delaware and neighboring states - co-op activities, parent support, and the annual Delaware Home Education Convention.

Visit Tri-State
Legal - National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of Delaware's three homeschool options and reporting duties, plus member legal support.

Read the Law
The Delaware Getting Started Kit

Two deadlines a year, never missed.

The Delaware Getting Started Kit turns 14 Del. C. 2703A into a working system: registration done right the first time, both annual reports on autopilot, and records that make your homeschool's diploma worth the paper.

  • DDOE Registration Walkthrough - step-by-step through the online nonpublic-school registration, including choosing between single-family and multi-family status.
  • Delaware Compliance Checklist - every requirement of 14 Del. C. 2703A and 2704 as checkable items, keyed to the Sept. 30 and July 31 deadlines.
  • Attendance Log - a simple weekly tracker built so the July 31 end-of-year report takes minutes, not an afternoon.
  • Weekly Planning Template - a flexible core-four framework (reading, math, science, social studies) for a state that mandates none of them.
  • First 30 Days Roadmap - from registration and withdrawal letter to your first full week of teaching, in order.
Instant Digital Download
$29
One-time purchase · Yours forever
Get the Delaware Kit
Secure checkout · Instant delivery by email
Arrowstead Academy

Insights, tools, and inspiration to help you cultivate wisdom, curiosity, and character at home.

Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the Delaware Department of Education, or consult an attorney. Statute citations reflect Delaware law as of 2026.

© Copyright 2026 Arrowstead Academy. All rights reserved.