Faline Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 We are considering moving out of state to New York. What are the laws like there? I am in a state now that requires record keeping, attendance, etc. so I am used to some regulations but if the hs laws are terrible in NY it could be a factor in our decision. TIA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacey in NY Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Go to HSLDA web site to see detailed laws regarding homeschooling. We moved here about 4 years ago, they seems restrictive to me at the time, but I have gotten used to them. Yearly letter of intent, submit quarterly reports, 180 days required, specific subjects you need to teach, end of year written narrative assessment or standardized testing (see regs for specifics). I found it was very helpful to connect to local homeschoolers to see how your local school district is. We have lived in 2 different districts, 1 very intrusive and strict, another more laid back. Hope this helps some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faline Posted July 12, 2010 Author Share Posted July 12, 2010 Go to HSLDA web site to see detailed laws regarding homeschooling. We moved here about 4 years ago, they seems restrictive to me at the time, but I have gotten used to them. Yearly letter of intent, submit quarterly reports, 180 days required, specific subjects you need to teach, end of year written narrative assessment or standardized testing (see regs for specifics). I found it was very helpful to connect to local homeschoolers to see how your local school district is. We have lived in 2 different districts, 1 very intrusive and strict, another more laid back. Hope this helps some. Thanks! What do the quarterly reports include? Are there lots of homeschoolers around? Also, I am curious what county you are in and how is the weather where you are? I always think of NY as having hard winters with lots of snow, etc. Feel free to PM me if you want. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bee Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 You must be a high school graduate to hs your children. You submit a yearly letter of intent. You submit a yearly individual home instruction plan, then 4 quarterly reports. Some people just put a grade for each subject in the quarterly report (sort of like a report card you'd get from the school) and some people list thinfgs that their child has done or studied. For grades k-4 you can submit a year end written assessment of the child's progress. For grades 5-8 you test the child every other year and the years in between you submit a written assessment. A very few districts want the assessment done by someone other than a parent but most are ok with a parent writing the assessment. For grades 9-12 year end testing is required or until the child turns 16 in NYS( or 17 if you are in NYC) when you no longer have to report anything. Some areas have lots of hsers, some don't. It seems like more people hs younger children and the children tend to go to school as they get older. But I imagine it's like that anywhere. Some areas get more snow than others. Oswego county,the Tug Hill plateau area,and areas to the east of Lake Ontario usually get lots of snow. But NY salts their roads (good driving conditions in the winter but bad for the cars) heavily. A 4 wheel drive vehicle with good tires can handle almost anything except ice storms. And we rarely get those. Driving at prudent speeds for the road conditions can prevent accidents. We don't get days of bad weather, it's usually just a matter of hours before the snowing and/or blowing stops, the sun comes out and the salt starts to melt any snow on the roads. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Ny looks much worse on paper than it really is. The letter of intent just needs to be one line stating that you are going to homeschool. Your IHIP/annual Plan just tells the grade or age of the child, the dates you plan on turning in your quarterlies (you decide them even if the district provides suggested ones) and a list of the curriculum you are planning on using or how you are planning on homeschooling. I just give a list of the books I plan on using. Quarterlies for elementary are easy just a summary of what you have covered and how the child is doing. My standard response is at or above grade level since dd normally is. You just need a total number of hours. The school district can ask for documentation of that but usually the hours on the quarterly are considered enough. For high school it is recommended that you provide a grade and the hours per subject/class. This is more because colleges will occassionally ask for that from homeschoolers. If you complete all the requirements and paperwork through 12 grade (even though you can stop submitting after 16) you can request a letter of completion from the district. We got ours for sd about a week after we submitted her final quarterly. The paperwork usually takes me only about 10-15 minutes to complete. I know some folks who hand deliever them or mail them by certified mail. We either fax or email ours. I would suggest making sure you are part of HSLDA just incase you have a bad district or there is a new person who does not understand the regs. Usually one call from HSLDA clears everything up. NY does have a very active homeschool groups too. By us there are lots of homeschool groups, co-ops, sports and just other opportunities. What area are you looking at moving to? WNY does get some snow but rarely is it enough to shut it down. I love it up here since we really get to see all the seasons. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GraciebytheBay Posted July 12, 2010 Share Posted July 12, 2010 Ny looks much worse on paper than it really is. :iagree: However, it can be quite time consuming depending on how many children you have. I have found that if I submit everything on time and give them enough but not too much information, the district never has to contact me except for their required packet they send after I submit the letter of intent and also for confirmation of their approval of my IHIP. I live in Western New York, the Rochester area specifically. I grew up in the Buffalo area. Feel free to ask any questions you might have! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faline Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 Thank you all. I was hoping that the regulations look worse than they actually are, so that's a relief. The quarterlies would be a pain, but oh well. We are looking at central NY; also considering south-central. Does anyone know what the growing/gardening season is like? I like a big garden. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 We are up in the Rochester area too. I know that my mil puts her garden in sometime during mid-late May. We usually get the first killing frost sometime in late Sept-Oct it varies. Just so you know that if you are looking around Syracuse that area gets more snow than the Rochester, Buffalo area. They usually win the snow race each year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom'sGirl Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 We live in the Southern Tier of NY. The growing season varies quite a bit just in our region. It is very hilly here, and we live in a valley on a hill. Just a few miles away from us (and down the hill) is a town at the head of one of the Finger lakes, and their growing season is a bit longer because the lake tempers the weather. If you go to the top of the hills, your growing season is even shorter (and the snow is much worse). Lots of people that live around the lakes can grow grapes. We still have a good garden, but you can't be in a hurry to put in the frost sensitive vegetables (we always wait till at least Memorial Day weekend) and you need to be ready to cover them in the fall. As far as reporting, it really depends on your school district on how much it will be a pain. The reporting is the same in the whole state but different districts try to interpret it themselves. Learn the regs so you don't get walked on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy to monkeys Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 We are moving to upstate NY in 5 months or so. Does anyone know how to find out how strict your district is? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 The only way to really tell is by asking around in your area. It can change also depending on changes in personnel in the school. If you are a Christian I would suggest joining a LEAH chapter when you move. It will put you in contact with other hs'ers in your area and they can help you manuver within your district. You can also check out your districts website and see if they have information on homeschooling. Sometimes it can give you a feel for the district. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacey in NY Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Mommy to Monkeys: You should try to contact a local support group where you are moving and ask other families specifically about this. It really varies, some districts are very relaxed and barely communicate with you at all, some try to require many extra forms. You need to know the regs well and stand up for yourself. I also highly recommend joining HSLDA when you live in NY ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick_Mom Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 You must be a high school graduate to hs your children. Everything else you posted was spot-on, but I've never heard this and don't see it in the regulations. Is this a new change? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blossom'sGirl Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Rambling thoughts: I've lived in two different districts. The first was a very large school, and the one I report to now is so small the principle and superintendent know me by name. I'm not sure either district ever read my reports. The biggest thing is to know the regs. I don't think most districts have the man power or interest in giving homeschoolers a hard time. Like was mentioned, google LEAH and try emailing the leader of the group close to where you are planning to move. Maybe they could help. To me the record keeping is not that big a deal. My first school asked for attendance and I sent it to them for awhile but quit and no one noticed. I make my own schedules and write in the date and school day (need 180 days). I don't even bother with a separate attendance sheets anymore. The donna young website has a lot of templates that can help with that if you have to do it. I send in my Letter of Intent with my final quarterly. That was over a month ago and I still haven't heard from the district. I will send in my IHIP soon (I still need to place my Rainbow order). My doctor homeschools their daughter and they live in an adjacent school district. He said he got a call when his quarterly was a week late. Not a big deal, but I know my district wouldn't bother. My bil also homeschools in that district, which is not homeschool friendly, and it is doable you just have to be on top of things. I think the biggest pain is when you have multiple children and have to write three IHIPS, quarterlies, ect.. Next year I will have four. To save on postage, I don't even mail them anymore. I take them straight to the school office. I have a love/hate relationship with the regulations. On one hand it keeps me accountable (I guess I need that) and to keep pushing on even when I don't feel like it. On the other hand, it really takes some of the spontaneity out of homeschooling because I feel like I have big brother looking over my shoulder ready to pounce if we are not studying exactly what I said we would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragons in the flower bed Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 You must be a high school graduate to hs your children. This is not true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mschickie Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Quote: Originally Posted by Bee You must be a high school graduate to hs your children. This is not true. __________________ I agree. I do not see anything in the regs that state you need to be a high school graduate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maverick_Mom Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 I send in my Letter of Intent with my final quarterly. That was over a month ago and I still haven't heard from the district. I' date=' on the other hand, did the same thing (sent in my LOI with my 4th quarter reports), and heard back from my district before the end of June! :eek: The earliest the clock is supposed to start ticking is July 1, so I'm using that as my benchmark. Got to finalize my IHIPs and place that Rainbow order. ;) I think the biggest pain is when you have multiple children and have to write three IHIPS, quarterlies, ect.. Next year I will have four. To save on postage, I don't even mail them anymore. I take them straight to the school office. Yes -- I've been doing three for a while and it *is* a pain. I streamline it, but it still has to be done, copies made, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseam. Do you get a receipt when you hand-deliver them? I hand-delivered my reports once and then got a letter three weeks later that said the district was still waiting for them; turns out they'd gotten misplaced. :001_rolleyes: But when I mail them, I send them certified mail, and that's expensive and a hassle. I have a love/hate relationship with the regulations. On one hand it keeps me accountable (I guess I need that) and to keep pushing on even when I don't feel like it. On the other hand' date=' it really takes some of the spontaneity out of homeschooling because I feel like I have big brother looking over my shoulder ready to pounce if we are not studying exactly what I said we would.[/quote'] This is me, exactly. The accountability is good. But I feel like I'm dancing to the state's tune. Hate it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 Everything else you posted was spot-on, but I've never heard this and don't see it in the regulations. Is this a new change? This is NOT true. I read through the regs yearly and it specifically states there are no requirements of education for the home instructor...only that they provide an "equivalent" education. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted July 31, 2010 Share Posted July 31, 2010 I, on the other hand, did the same thing (sent in my LOI with my 4th quarter reports), and heard back from my district before the end of June! :eek: The earliest the clock is supposed to start ticking is July 1, so I'm using that as my benchmark. Got to finalize my IHIPs and place that Rainbow order. ;) You only need to get your IHIP in by August 15. Yes -- I've been doing three for a while and it *is* a pain. I streamline it, but it still has to be done, copies made, etc. etc. etc. ad nauseam. Do you get a receipt when you hand-deliver them? I hand-delivered my reports once and then got a letter three weeks later that said the district was still waiting for them; turns out they'd gotten misplaced. :001_rolleyes: But when I mail them, I send them certified mail, and that's expensive and a hassle. Quarterlies should look similar to a report card. No details are necessary beyond...Math...Lessons 1-36....Pass Spelling...Lessons 1-9....89% That is all that is required. They have a list of books from your IHIP....They have what you covered in report cards. On the year end evaluation all you need is a statement for each subject. Jack made adequate progress in math, Jack made adequate progress in spelling. Jack made adequate progress in Social Studies. You can choose to add a little more, but it is not required. Try to keep it all to one page. This is me, exactly. The accountability is good. But I feel like I'm dancing to the state's tune. Hate it. Don't. Accountablity is a good thing, but don't let the regs (or a curricula) drive your homeschool. That is a sure way to burnout. Believe me...I have been at this a loooong time. Good luck to you all. Faithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommy to monkeys Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 I fully plan on becoming an HSLDA member before we move. Homeschooling in Oklahoma is way lower maintenance. I bookmarked the LEAH site. Many thanks ya'll:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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