A New York Field Guide · Updated for 2026

How to start homeschooling in New York.

New York asks more of homeschooling families than almost any other state - and thousands of families meet the ask every year. One letter of intent by July 1. Four quarterly reports. One annual assessment. This guide lays out the full annual rhythm in plain language, so the paperwork becomes routine instead of overwhelming.

The Path · Getting Started

The annual cycle, from July letter to June assessment.

№ 01
01

Send your Letter of Intent.

Mail or deliver a short written notice to your district superintendent (in New York City, the Central Office of Home Schooling) by July 1 - or within 14 days of beginning home instruction mid-year. Within 10 business days, the district must send you a copy of 8 NYCRR 100.10 and an IHIP form for each child. You will repeat this letter every year.

Your letter needs only
  • A statement of intent to homeschool this year
  • Each child's name - one letter covers them all
  • Your signature and the date
  • No fees, forms, or curriculum details required
02

Submit your IHIP.

The Individualized Home Instruction Plan is your year on paper. Return it within four weeks of receiving the district's materials, or by August 15, whichever is later. It describes what you plan to teach - not how well your child must perform - and New York cannot demand information beyond what the regulation lists.

Each child's IHIP includes
  • Child's name, age, and grade level
  • Syllabi, curriculum materials, and textbooks - or a plan of instruction - for each required subject
  • The dates you'll file your four quarterly reports
  • Names of the people giving instruction
03

Teach the year on your own terms.

Plan the substantial equivalent of 180 days: 900 cumulative hours in grades 1-6, 990 in grades 7-12. New York does not dictate your daily schedule, methods, or curriculum brands - mornings, afternoons, museums, and field work all count. Keep attendance records; they stay home unless the district asks.

Keep on file
  • Attendance log toward the 900 / 990 hours
  • Copies of your IHIP and report filings
  • Work samples by subject (smart, not required)
  • A running transcript for grades 9-12
04

File four quarterly reports.

On the dates you chose in the IHIP, send the district a short report for each child. Families who keep a simple weekly log find each report takes an evening. There is no minimum grade to hit - the report describes, it doesn't audition.

Each report contains
  • Hours of instruction that quarter
  • Material covered in each IHIP subject
  • A grade or a brief written narrative per subject
  • An explanation if under 80% of the planned material was covered
05

Close the year with the annual assessment.

With the fourth quarterly report, file an annual assessment. In grades 1-3 a written narrative evaluation works every year; in grades 4-8 you may alternate narrative and standardized test; in grades 9-12 a norm-referenced test is required annually. An adequate result is a composite above the 33rd percentile or one year of academic growth.

Good to know
  • Tests: Iowa, Stanford, CAT, and similar published tests qualify
  • Narratives come from a certified teacher or another person the superintendent agrees to
  • A low score means probation and a remediation plan - not an automatic end to homeschooling
  • Districts can offer their own testing dates on request
The Law · New York

One legal route - fully mapped

№ 02

Home instruction in New York operates under N.Y. Educ. Law § 3204 and 8 NYCRR § 100.10, which require instruction 'substantially equivalent' to the local public schools and spell out a single, detailed compliance path. There is no umbrella-school shortcut and no notice-free option - but the regulation also caps what districts may demand, and approval to begin is never required.

Option 01

Home Instruction under Section 100.10

The single legal route for every New York homeschooling family - more paperwork than most states, and entirely manageable once you see the rhythm.

  • File a Letter of Intent by July 1 each year (or within 14 days mid-year)
  • Submit an IHIP per child, then four quarterly reports on your own chosen dates
  • Teach the required subjects for 900 hours (grades 1-6) or 990 hours (grades 7-12)
  • Close each year with a test or written narrative - no district approval needed to begin
  • Governed by 8 NYCRR § 100.10
Requirements · Curriculum

What New York expects on the syllabus.

№ 03

Section 100.10(e) lists subjects by grade band - a broad core in grades 1-6, additions like practical arts in grades 7-8, and unit counts in grades 9-12 (four units of English, four of social studies, two each of math and science, and more). The state never approves or prescribes curriculum; your IHIP simply shows how your materials cover this ground.

01

English language arts

Reading, writing, and spelling every year - four full units in grades 9-12.

02

Mathematics

Arithmetic through the elementary years; two units required in high school.

03

Science

Hands-on inquiry early on; two units of lab-worthy science in grades 9-12.

04

U.S. history & geography

American history, geography, and in high school, participation in government & economics.

05

Patriotism & citizenship

Required at every grade level, alongside New York's safety topics.

06

Health education

Health every year, including substance-abuse, traffic, and fire safety instruction.

07

Art & music

Visual arts and music in the elementary and middle years; one unit in high school.

08

Physical education

Required across all grades - park days, swim lessons, and team practices count.

4
Quarterly reports

Filed each year on dates you set in the IHIP - hours, material covered, and a grade or narrative per subject.

990
Hours in grades 7-12

900 cumulative hours per year in grades 1-6, 990 in grades 7-12 - the substantial equivalent of 180 days.

14
Days to file mid-year

Starting after July 1? Your Letter of Intent is due within 14 days of beginning home instruction.

33
Percentile floor

An annual test composite above the 33rd percentile - or one year of growth - keeps the program in good standing.

Questions · Answered Honestly

Straight answers for the state that asks the most

№ 04
No. The regulation requires instruction by a 'competent' instructor, and NYSED confirms that state law sets no specific credentials for the person providing home instruction. The structure lives in the paperwork - the IHIP, quarterly reports, and annual assessment - not in who is allowed to teach.
Yes. File your Letter of Intent within 14 days of beginning home instruction, withdraw your child in writing, and the cycle starts from there: the district sends the regulation and IHIP forms within 10 business days, and your IHIP is due within four weeks of receiving them. Your hours requirement is prorated in practice through the quarterly reports you file for the remainder of the year.
No. You never need permission to begin - the Letter of Intent is a notice, not an application. The district does review your IHIP and reports for compliance with 8 NYCRR 100.10, and if it finds a filing deficient you get the chance to revise, with a final appeal to the board of education. Districts cannot demand home visits, curriculum approval, or information beyond what the regulation lists.
Each report covers four things: the hours of instruction that quarter, a description of the material covered in each IHIP subject, a grade or short written narrative per subject, and an explanation if less than 80 percent of the planned material was covered. Families who keep a simple weekly log find each one takes about an evening - the rhythm matters more than the polish.
Attendance records are the one category the regulation names - they stay with you but must be available if the district asks. Keep copies of every filing (letter, IHIP, quarterly reports, assessments) as your own paper trail, and add work samples and a transcript as high school approaches. Nothing is inspected on a schedule.
No. New York ties interscholastic athletics and intramurals to public school enrollment, so homeschooled students cannot join district teams under NYSED guidance and NYSPHSAA rules. Club teams, CYO and rec leagues, YMCA programs, and homeschool sports networks fill the gap for most families - school-run clubs may be open at district discretion.
Not a Regents or local diploma - New York reserves those for registered schools, and a parent-issued diploma is not recognized by the state. Homeschoolers instead finish with a parent-issued transcript paired with the high school equivalency (HSE) exam, 24 college credits, or a superintendent letter confirming a substantially equivalent education. SUNY, CUNY, and private colleges admit homeschool graduates through these routes every year.
Not currently. New York has no education savings account, voucher, or tax-credit program for homeschooling families - and no private school choice program at all. Budget accordingly, and watch current legislation if that ever changes.
Resources · New York

Company for the journey - New York edition

№ 05
Official · State

New York State Education Department

NYSED's home instruction Q&A - the state's own answers on the letter of intent, IHIP, quarterly reports, and assessments under 8 NYCRR 100.10.

Visit NYSED
Community · Statewide

New York State Loving Education At Home (LEAH)

New York's largest homeschool organization - a regulation manual written for parents, local chapters across the state, and an annual conference.

Visit LEAH
Legal · National

Home School Legal Defense Association

Plain-language summaries of New York's rules, filing forms, and member legal help if a district asks for more than the regulation allows.

Read the Law
The New York Getting Started Kit

The whole annual cycle, ready to file.

The New York Getting Started Kit turns 8 NYCRR 100.10 into documents you can actually send - built around the July-to-June rhythm so no deadline ever sneaks up on you.

  • Letter of Intent template - the simple notice 8 NYCRR § 100.10 expects by July 1 (or within 14 days mid-year); print, sign, send.
  • IHIP builder - a fill-in plan for each child covering the required subjects, materials, instructors, and your four self-chosen report dates.
  • Quarterly report template - hours, material covered, grade or narrative, and the 80% note, pre-structured so each filing takes an evening.
  • Annual compliance calendar - July 1 letter, August 15 IHIP, four quarterly dates, and the year-end assessment, all on one page.
  • Attendance & hours log - tracking built to the 900 / 990-hour and 180-day-equivalent standard, with a grades 9-12 transcript starter.
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Arrowstead Academy provides educational information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes; verify current requirements with the New York State Education Department and your school district, or consult an attorney. Citations reflect New York law as of 2026.

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