I have a question that no one seems to know the exact answer for...

[lovelaughs_times_three]

I have asked this question more than once locally. I was asking the speaker at our local homeschool support group. She was talking about the legal requirements to hs in our state. She answered the question, but I could tell she actually had NO idea...so, I'm asking you! :)

 

In my state, it is a requirement that we keep a "record of progress." That can be a simple report card, a narrative journal of what has been taught and what progress has been observed, or a portfolio of examples of the child's work. I have found it easiest to keep a portfolio. I have a drawer for each child that I fill during the year with their Math worksheets, artwork, Language sheets, written essays & stories, etc. etc. At the end of the year, I put it in an accordian folder by child/by year.

 

ETA: I live in Kentucky.

 

My question is this.....my accordian file is STUFFED! I also have a closet full of the workbooks that are filled out, but were too big to stuff in there. I am wondering, if the state comes a-callin', how far back are they going to ask to see? If my daughter is in 7th grade (like she is now), will they really want to see samples of her 3rd grade work?

 

I know there are only so many years of tax receipts that you have to keep. Is it the same here?

 

The "expert" speaker at my hs event told me that I should keep ALL of it! That just doesn't sound right to me. And what a storage NIGHTMARE that is going to become (and already is!).

 

Has anyone here actually been approached by their state? If so, how much information were they looking for? I'm thinking that they would primarily be interested in the current year, and maybe the year before that, at most. But, heaven forbid I throw it all away, and they come a-knockin' and I get busted for not having the right records!

 

Anyone here know the actual answer to this?

Edited September 5, 2011 by lovelaughs_times_three

[Starr]

I don't know but I only keep things one year back. :)

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Do you keep every single paper they do during the year? I don't know what state you are in, but I can't imagine you would need to do that. I had a portfolio review this year, and I had anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 of the papers they had done in each subject in the portfolio. I think if you saved a small sampling from each year, you'd be fine.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Well, I don't know the actual answer, but that won't stop me from giving you a guess! :D

 

I'm guessing that the state would only care about this year and last year. Why? Because if they are only interested in 'making progress' then last year's work would be a measure of where they were BEFORE and the present work would be an indication of where they are NOW. Make sense? If there were doing long division last year who cares what they knew/didn't know the year BEFORE that?

 

But, of course, that is just my best guess. I would call someone in the state office, if there is such a thing.

[Jamauk]

Our state does not have this requirement, but I'm thinking I would maybe keep a small sampling from the beginning of each year and a small sampling from the end of the year, just enough to show progress has been made in each core subject.

Hopefully all of that will fit into an accordion file or two. I'm not sure I'd keep all of the workbooks. Unless you want them for posterity.

[Jean in Newcastle]

In our state the child has to "make reasonable progress consistent with his or her age or stage of development". So all I would need to keep is enough material for the year so that an evaluator (required in our state) can issue a report that there has been adequate progress. Once the report is written, I can get rid of all samples and just keep the report. In older grades I would also generate my own transcript.

[SkateLeft]

What state are you in?

 

If the state is content with a portfolio or narrative journal as a "record of progress," then I don't see why you'd need to keep everything. I pull a few representative work samples out of workbooks, binders, etc., and that's it.

 

If my child has work samples from Algebra 1, that pretty much validates that they've done elementary math. There's no good reason to keep all the earlier stuff.

[chepyl]

Does a standardized test score from each year count? If so, I would test yearly and keep that as my main record. I would keep a writing sample from each quarter. You could also take pictures of history and science projects and field trips. Make a photo album or scrapbook. I don't know if that would be enough, but I would assume that shows good progress as well as demonstrating breath and depth through visual proof of activities. I am keeping my blog, partially as a record of our Homeschool activities.

[lovelaughs_times_three]

Do you keep every single paper they do during the year? I don't know what state you are in, but I can't imagine you would need to do that. I had a portfolio review this year, and I had anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 of the papers they had done in each subject in the portfolio. I think if you saved a small sampling from each year, you'd be fine.

 

Did they want to see more than just one year of your portfolio?

[lovelaughs_times_three]

What state are you in?

 

Kentucky.

[lovelaughs_times_three]

I would keep a writing sample from each quarter. You could also take pictures of history and science projects and field trips. Make a photo album or scrapbook. I don't know if that would be enough, but I would assume that shows good progress as well as demonstrating breath and depth through visual proof of activities. I am keeping my blog, partially as a record of our Homeschool activities.

 

That's a great idea. But for how many years would you hold on to it? I don't mind holding on to less paperwork per year, but I'm also curious when I can just throw it all away (except of course for the special papers I want to keep for personal reasons!)

 

I just want to start throwing things away. I just don't want to get in trouble for doing that later.

 

KWIM?

[Ellie]

I don't see anything in KY's law that leads me to believe you need to keep all that paper. Write a progress report, file it away. The end. If it makes you feel better, keep a few samples, stapled together, filed away.

Edited September 5, 2011 by Ellie

[lovelaughs_times_three]

In our state the child has to "make reasonable progress consistent with his or her age or stage of development". So all I would need to keep is enough material for the year so that an evaluator (required in our state) can issue a report that there has been adequate progress. Once the report is written, I can get rid of all samples and just keep the report. In older grades I would also generate my own transcript.

 

 

Seems like it would be easier if there was such a report in our state. We just have to keep it all "just in case" someone wants to see it. The problem is, no one that I know has EVER had to show it. Therefore, no one around here can tell me how much they asked to see. So, it feels like I am keeping all this stuff for a rainy day that will never come.

 

But, it's kind of like selling something you think you don't need at a yard sale, and realizing a few months later - that's exactly what you needed! In that case, you can just go out and re-buy it. In this case, I'd be stuck!

[laundrycrisis]

This is my completely uneducated opinion:

 

The states with the most vague requirements are the ones in which I would choose to keep more proof.

 

In a state with very well defined requirements for what must be turned in, reviewed, tested, etc, you know exactly what you have to do. In a state with really vague requirements, you have no idea what you might need if you are investigated.

 

We are in IL. IL law does not define any records that must be kept, any testing, any files or portfolios, any reviews, etc. There is no paperwork legally required here. However, IL case law is that if a family is investigated, the burden of proof is on the parents to show that the children are receiving an education equivalent to the public schools. But there is absolutely nothing spelled out about what would constitute such proof. So, I keep everything.

 

I would look up your state educational regulations regarding homeschooling and read the document as written. I would also look online for any written interpretations of it. Then I would look for any previous court cases in which homeschoolers were investigated in your state, and see if there are decisions you can go by. These might be summarized on a webpage somewhere about homeschooling in your state. That may give you a better idea of what you might need in the worst case.

[chepyl]

That's a great idea. But for how many years would you hold on to it? I don't mind holding on to less paperwork per year, but I'm also curious when I can just throw it all away (except of course for the special papers I want to keep for personal reasons!)

 

I just want to start throwing things away. I just don't want to get in trouble for doing that later.

 

KWIM?

 

If all I was keeping were a few stories and research papers (4-6 per year), photo albums, and test scores so would probably keep it all. I don't think that would be much. If you have test scores, you dont need math workbooks. The proof of growth is in the scores on harder tests each year. And the pictures, they just become great family memories. My mom has one plastic box of work my sister and I did in PS - drawings, projects and cute stories. We have both had our 10 year high school reunions!

[lovelaughs_times_three]

It would be helpful if we knew which state you're in, as every state, including the ones which require some sort of portfolio, have different requirements.

 

Generally speaking, no, you absolutely don't need to keep every piece of paper for every year you homeschool. Even PA, which has the most recordkeeping of any state, doesn't require every piece of paper. And as far as I can tell, once your annual review is finished, no one looks at that portfolio again.

 

I've never heard of any homeschool court cases where "the state" reviewed past years' schoolwork. Not that I've read every court case, lol, but still...

 

I live in Kentucky. I think it would almost help me if they had an annual review. Then it would be seen and I would know that I was finished and could toss what I wanted to. It is the vagueness of our state's requirements that keeps me anxious.

 

But, it seems to be a consensus here that I can get rid of a lot of this paper! Do you think I'd be safe to get rid of everything that I didn't want to keep up to last year? That way I would have this year and last year. Or, if not, how much further back do you think I need some kind of portfolio for?

[Alison in KY]

I thought E. said she pitched all the old stuff?

[swellmomma]

Our state does not have this requirement, but I'm thinking I would maybe keep a small sampling from the beginning of each year and a small sampling from the end of the year, just enough to show progress has been made in each core subject.

Hopefully all of that will fit into an accordion file or two. I'm not sure I'd keep all of the workbooks. Unless you want them for posterity.

 

 

THis is how it is handled in my province. We have a meeting at the start of the year and show some samples of work done at the start of the year while outlining our goals etc. At the end of the year we have another meeting showing samples of their work at that point and discuss if goals were met. In a past year I had a mid-year meeting as well showing where we were at the midpoint of the year. At that time I pitch everything out and start over the next year.

 

If I did not have the meetings each year but still needed to show a portfolio I would only keep as far back as the previous year and toss the rest, so then I would have a file of last year's samples and a file of this year's samples and that is it.

[lovelaughs_times_three]

This is my completely uneducated opinion:

 

The states with the most vague requirements are the ones in which I would choose to keep more proof.

 

In a state with very well defined requirements for what must be turned in, reviewed, tested, etc, you know exactly what you have to do. In a state with really vague requirements, you have no idea what you might need if you are investigated.

 

We are in IL. IL law does not define any records that must be kept, any testing, any files or portfolios, any reviews, etc. There is no paperwork legally required here. However, IL case law is that if a family is investigated, the burden of proof is on the parents to show that the children are receiving an education equivalent to the public schools. But there is absolutely nothing spelled out about what would constitute such proof. So, I keep everything.

 

I would look up your state educational regulations regarding homeschooling and read the document as written. I would also look online for any written interpretations of it. Then I would look for any previous court cases in which homeschoolers were investigated in your state, and see if there are decisions you can go by. These might be summarized on a webpage somewhere about homeschooling in your state. That may give you a better idea of what you might need in the worst case.

 

Darn! Just when I was feeling safe to toss it! You are RIGHT! I am in a state (Kentucky) with vague requirements. I also don't know how much proof they would need if it came to that. But, :confused:........I really don't want to keep everything.

 

I guess I'll try to find out if there is any case law, like you said.

[lovelaughs_times_three]

I thought E. said she pitched all the old stuff?

 

Ah! The one person here on these forums that would know what meeting I am talking about ---just HAPPENS to read this thread. Yikes! Busted! :tongue_smilie:

 

No, E said that if it were her, she would keep the records for every. single. year. The difference is the kind of records she keeps. She keeps a narrative type record. Therefore it neatly fits into a spiral notebook. Much easier to keep only one notebook each year. While this makes it easier for storage, I find this makes it more time-consuming during the year. It is much easier for me to just stick a worksheet in a drawer, than to take time to write out what we accomplished that day. When I was trying the narrative approach, I found myself putting it off. Then, a week or more would go by, and I'd be scrambling to remember what we did.

[ThatCyndiGirl]

Have you thought about just scanning it all in and putting it on a thumb drive then putting the thumb drive in your safe? That's what I would do. Of course, I live in a low-reg state and have all of my oldest child's papers.....from every year of school.....and she just started high school. :lol:

 

In other words,..."Do as I SAY, not as I DO!" :tongue_smilie:

[AHASRADA]

I keep all loose papers in a large 3-ring binder as they are completed throughout the year, divided by subject. At the end of the year, I go through everything and keep what I believe is a good representative sample of the child's progress, a few pages from the beginning, middle and end of the year, for each subject, including workbooks. The rest gets tossed into recycling (I try to do this when the kids aren't around to see their hard work getting tossed out!)

 

I put these samples into a duotang folder, you know the ones like a pocket folder, but with brads (metal tabs) that 3-hole punched pages slide onto so the papers are tightly secured inside the folder. I usually end up with 2 folders per kid per year, labeled with the child's name, grade, school year, and the subjects included in the folder.

 

I am keeping a portfolio for every year from K-12, just in case. They also take the CAT test every year, so I have those in my records as well. These skinny folders don't take up much space, so it isn't a burden to keep a record for every year, and it is nice to have, for posterity as well as "proof" if needed at some point.

 

Incidentally, I had a psychoeducational assessment done for both of my dc a couple of years ago at the local university. Guess what they asked for? Work samples, and standardized test scores, preferrably for several years to see their progress or lack thereof in certain areas.

 

You never know when or why you might need a portfolio of a year's work, or for how many years. So, keep a representative sample, and toss the rest.

[cin]

wouldn't test scores be a sample of progress? I don't keep anything, just copies of the test scores each year. I'm probably going to be on the evening news some year as one of those rabid HS moms who hasn't done anything with her kids, but snaps and bites at the Feds when they knock at the door :lol:

[Ellie]

I live in Kentucky. I think it would almost help me if they had an annual review. Then it would be seen and I would know that I was finished and could toss what I wanted to. It is the vagueness of our state's requirements that keeps me anxious.

 

But, it seems to be a consensus here that I can get rid of a lot of this paper! Do you think I'd be safe to get rid of everything that I didn't want to keep up to last year? That way I would have this year and last year. Or, if not, how much further back do you think I need some kind of portfolio for?

I think you're way too worried about it. I think you're overthinking the "vagueness" thing. Do you even KNOW of anyone's ever being hauled into court and having to produce any kind of reports from previous years???

 

None of the archived cases on HSLDA's site ever call into question the homeschooling parents' recordkeeping.

 

Vaugueness is your friend. It plays in your favor. Write a "scholarship report." Since there is no definition of what that means, then it means whatever *you* think it does. File it away. The end.

 

Go toss all that stuff you've been hanging on to. Nothing in the law implies that anyone has the right to see samples of student work.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

Did they want to see more than just one year of your portfolio?

 

No, but I have to show a portfolio each year. So, I think they just want to show progress from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I'm in Ohio, though.

[laundrycrisis]

Have you seen this ? It is specific to your state.

 

http://www.chek.org/resources/Documents/Background-Info.pdf

 

"HSR requires that private schools, including home schools, keep scholarship records of

the students in that school. Furthermore, it requires that the scholarship reports be

summarized or tabulated at the same interval as the grading period of the local public

school district, normally every nine weeks."

 

Based on that, I would probably pull samples of work in each of the required subject areas every nine weeks and put those in the "official" portfolio along with the reports. I would keep the portfolios until homeschooling was done.....but I would not keep everything in them...just the work samples and reports for each nine weeks.

 

I keep everything here because our state does not have anything like this defined at all. Just "the burden of proof is on the parents". Too much leeway. If any requirements were defined here, I would just meet the requirements. Does that make sense ?

Edited September 6, 2011 by laundrycrisis

[lovelaughs_times_three]

Thanks to all!!! You have each helped me get better clarity on this! I feel comfortable now with the idea of throwing most of this away. *whew!*

 

I think it is a cool idea to just pick out a few samples and put it into a thin folder. That way, I have it not only for the state, but also for memories sake.

 

Ok. Now to ditch the rest! With the Hive's blessing. Can I count that as my legal expert source when I need to? :D

 

Seriously, thanks for taking time to help me! I was drowning in a sea of old paper! :tongue_smilie:

[SeekingHim77]

I keep a binder for each child for each year. It serves as both a scrapbook of sorts and a record should the authorities come a-calling. I think we're required to keep a couple of years worth of portfolios and learning logs here in Florida. One of our binders holds a sample of that student's best work from throughout the year. Everything else goes in the garbage. If your curriculum uses tests, you can just keep the tests and throw everything else out. I like a wide variety of samples including artwork and plenty of writing. It's fun to look back over the old ones together every now and then. Our binders are 1.5 inches.