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Anyone in upstate New York? Can you please fill me in?


EKT
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So, my husband and I are discussing a possible new job for him that would relocate us to Syracuse, New York. (It is very theoretical at this point, but I want to get a handle on what a move could mean for our homeschooling before we pursue the idea any further.) We currently live in a medium-regulation state and I really enjoy the freedom I have here. (The area I'm in is so homeschool-friendly and it is tough to even consider leaving!) I've heard New York and Pennsylvania are terrible for homeschooling (that is, high regulation). Is this true? How bad is it? Can anyone give me the quick-and-dirty version of the homeschool requirements in New York? (Some particulars I'd love to know: Is testing of any kind required? Is it one of those states where you have to call your household a private school and give it a name? What are evaluations like and what are you required to show the state? How often are evaluations? Anything else that is specific to New York that I should know?)

 

Bonus if you live in/near Syracuse: Is there a good homeschool vibe there? Are there a lot of homeschoolers and extracurriculars to choose from? Would love to hear about your experience! 

 

Thank you in advance (so much!) to anyone who can fill me in before we put too much stock in considering the job possibilities.  

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No idea about the Syracuse area, but the regs in NY don't seem to be that big a deal - but I haven't had to do the standardized test yet. Basically, you send the school district about seven pieces of paper a year.

The first is the letter of intent. (I want to homeschool my child as per Section 100.10 blah,blahblah...)

The second is the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). (You list the books you intend to use, or a very brief description of the course)

Then you send in quarterly reports. (We covered pp.45-90 in x. Student performance was satisfactory -- I never give grades)

Then you send in an assessment. (My student has completed the necessary requirements to enter x grade in the fall. --AND THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY!)

The law says you can have a narrative assessment done by someone you and the superintendent agree on. I tell them in the 3rd quarter report. Nothing in the law says it CAN'T be you. The law says that between 4th and 8th grade, you must do a standardized test every other year, and in high school, every year, and that gets sent in with the 4th quarterly.

 

You may find the following thread to be enlightening:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/645076-submitting-paperwork-in-highly-regulated-states/

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No idea about the Syracuse area, but the regs in NY don't seem to be that big a deal - but I haven't had to do the standardized test yet. Basically, you send the school district about seven pieces of paper a year.

The first is the letter of intent. (I want to homeschool my child as per Section 100.10 blah,blahblah...)

The second is the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). (You list the books you intend to use, or a very brief description of the course)

Then you send in quarterly reports. (We covered pp.45-90 in x. Student performance was satisfactory -- I never give grades)

Then you send in an assessment. (My student has completed the necessary requirements to enter x grade in the fall. --AND THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY!)

The law says you can have a narrative assessment done by someone you and the superintendent agree on. I tell them in the 3rd quarter report. Nothing in the law says it CAN'T be you. The law says that between 4th and 8th grade, you must do a standardized test every other year, and in high school, every year, and that gets sent in with the 4th quarterly.

 

You may find the following thread to be enlightening:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/645076-submitting-paperwork-in-highly-regulated-states/

 

Thank you so much! I so appreciate your taking the time to answer. 

 

Do the SCORES of the standardized tests matter at all? (Like, if your child "fails," does it mean anything? Are there consequences? Or do you just have to participate in the testing so the state can gather information?) Thank you!!

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No idea about the Syracuse area, but the regs in NY don't seem to be that big a deal - but I haven't had to do the standardized test yet. Basically, you send the school district about seven pieces of paper a year.

The first is the letter of intent. (I want to homeschool my child as per Section 100.10 blah,blahblah...)

The second is the Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). (You list the books you intend to use, or a very brief description of the course)

Then you send in quarterly reports. (We covered pp.45-90 in x. Student performance was satisfactory -- I never give grades)

Then you send in an assessment. (My student has completed the necessary requirements to enter x grade in the fall. --AND THAT IS ALL YOU HAVE TO SAY!)

The law says you can have a narrative assessment done by someone you and the superintendent agree on. I tell them in the 3rd quarter report. Nothing in the law says it CAN'T be you. The law says that between 4th and 8th grade, you must do a standardized test every other year, and in high school, every year, and that gets sent in with the 4th quarterly.

 

You may find the following thread to be enlightening:

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/645076-submitting-paperwork-in-highly-regulated-states/

 

Also, as I understand it, you choose the dates for the quarterlies.

 

NY's regs have lots of words, but they don't mean that much. Even I, the unschooler, could comply with these regs. :-)

 

OTOH, HSLDA has a case against New York City  because of its continued lack of follow-through with the law, resulting in false reports of educational neglect.

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Do the SCORES of the standardized tests matter at all? (Like, if your child "fails," does it mean anything? Are there consequences? Or do you just have to participate in the testing so the state can gather information?) Thank you!!

 

According to HSLDA, your child's scores must be "above the 33rd percentile, or the score must reflect one academic year of growth compared to a test administered the prior school year."

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My sister lived up by Syracuse and it would probably be a kind of hard place to homeschool when the kids get older because people in general are very spread out. (So likely not a lot of co-ops and classes and such) I mean, the school was a big deal for my sisters boys In terms of seeing people. Many areas up there are very rural. Or maybe not, if you actually live in Syracuse obviously that’s a bigger town with more stuff going on.

 

I also have friends in Maine with this situation but they solved their problem when a Classical conversations opened up there. Between CC and their church and hobbies, they feel very connected and plugged in.

 

I would look at the exact location and find out what co ops are there, what the philosophies are, so you have an idea of what you’re getting into. When I moved across the country, I found two homeschool groups ahead of time and was able to email them and they helped a lot in terms of getting me started and telling me more specifics about what was around.

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Thank you so much! I so appreciate your taking the time to answer. 

 

Do the SCORES of the standardized tests matter at all? (Like, if your child "fails," does it mean anything? Are there consequences? Or do you just have to participate in the testing so the state can gather information?) Thank you!!

 

As Ellie said above, it needs to be above the 33 percentile. Or show a year's growth, if you did testing the year before. You can have a look at the regs here.

 

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I'm in the Syracuse area. There are LOTS of homeschoolers and at least half a dozen co-ops. There are four big ones (two secular, two Christian) and several smaller ones. There are two active Facebook group for the area that are always hopping with field trips and other opportunities. If you want to PM me, I can give you links.

 

Most of the school districts are very easy to work with, though the city school district has been a little fussy in the least year or two. HSLDA did have to get involved in one situation (they tried to declare IHIPs that had previously been compliant, non-compliant). 

 

To the east of Syracuse (out of Onondaga County), there are still a lot of homeschoolers, but the co-ops are more limited. Meet-ups out there are more in the line of field trips, monthly groups, and the like, though there is one large Classical Conversations-style group and an Abeka-only co-op.

 

The regs are not bad at all. You must test in grades 5 and 7 and 9-12. Scores do matter-- it's 33 percentile OR one year of growth. Alternate years can write a narrative evaluation.

 

Let me know if you have other questions!

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I'm in the Syracuse area. There are LOTS of homeschoolers and at least half a dozen co-ops. There are four big ones (two secular, two Christian) and several smaller ones. There are two active Facebook group for the area that are always hopping with field trips and other opportunities. If you want to PM me, I can give you links.

 

Most of the school districts are very easy to work with, though the city school district has been a little fussy in the least year or two. HSLDA did have to get involved in one situation (they tried to declare IHIPs that had previously been compliant, non-compliant). 

 

To the east of Syracuse (out of Onondaga County), there are still a lot of homeschoolers, but the co-ops are more limited. Meet-ups out there are more in the line of field trips, monthly groups, and the like, though there is one large Classical Conversations-style group and an Abeka-only co-op.

 

The regs are not bad at all. You must test in grades 5 and 7 and 9-12. Scores do matter-- it's 33 percentile OR one year of growth. Alternate years can write a narrative evaluation.

 

Let me know if you have other questions!

 

Thank you so much for this info! As I mentioned, we are still in the hypothetical stage of all of this, but if it turns out we consider the job/moving, I will definitely reach out. Thanks again; I really appreciate the help! :-)

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There are several tests to choose from. We used the PASS test as it can be given by a parent and is not timed. I don't think they have to be given every year. Most school districts don't have the personnel to fuss much. As long as the basics are in they are good. 

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