In recent years, homeschooling has quietly become one of the fastest-growing corners of the school choice movement. In the 2023–24 school year, nearly 6 percent of children ages 5–17 received academic instruction at home, up from 5.2 percent in 2023 and 2.8 percent in 2019.
The boom is partly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which pushed millions of students into virtual instruction. Many families continued to homeschool even after in-person classes resumed. Federal data from the 2022–23 school year show that 83 percent of homeschooling parents cited concerns about the school environment, 75 percent wanted to provide moral instruction, 72 percent emphasized family life, and 72 percent were dissatisfied with academic quality in other schools.
In some states (e.g. Alabama, Arizona, and Georgia, among others), Education Savings Accounts (ESAs) now allow homeschooling parents to access public funds to cover educational expenses, dramatically broadening the range of families who can participate in homeschooling. The number of students using ESAs skyrocketed from 40,000 in 2022 to nearly 500,000 in 2025. While it is unclear how many of these students are homeschooled, this rise marks a sharp departure from the parent-funded homeschooling of the past.
Despite this growth, state regulations and data collection efforts have not kept pace. This raises a critical question: How can we ensure homeschooled students are receiving a quality education?
Homeschooling’s flexibility allows families to tailor instruction and provide individualized attention that traditional schools may not always offer. About 38 percent of homeschooled students have parent-reported special needs, and many parents report higher satisfaction with homeschooling because they feel public schools, despite their resources and specialized programs, do not fully meet their child’s or adequately address issues like bullying, stigma, or social-emotional challenges. However, it is worth noting that many studies are outdated, they rely on self-reported data, and long-term outcomes are poorly documented.
Still, flexibility comes with risk, which is why guardrails are needed to address the most serious dangers without constraining families who are committed to providing a strong education.
Regulations vary drastically from state to state. According to the Home School Legal Defense Association, 12 states have what is considered to be “no notice, low regulation,” and another 21 have only “low regulation.” And in many of these states, parents or guardians are not required to report that their child (or children) is being homeschooled, thus limiting the possibility of systematic data collection.
Other “no notice, low regulation” states don’t require any qualifications for the teacher or instructor in the home environment, have no mandated subjects, or do not require any form of student assessment. As a result, thousands of students are not necessarily required to learn basic reading or math skills, and no specific person or entity is held accountable if they fail to do so.
Even those who value homeschooling should see why this lack of regulation is concerning. The variation in regulations and lack of consistent data makes it nearly impossible to track academic outcomes or enrollment trends, a concern that is only becoming more acute as ESAs and other school choice programs become more popular.
The good news is that there are a handful of states that are already regulating homeschooling in a more effective way. For example, North Dakota, a “moderately regulated” state, requires: (1) families to notify their district of homeschooling, (2) students to learn certain subjects, and (3) testing at certain grade levels. If students fail to meet state-determined proficiency or growth targets, more strict oversight, like remediation plans, may be required to allow the student to remain in the homeschooling environment.
While what works in North Dakota might not work in every state, the 30+ states with minimal oversight should consider how to ensure that homeschooled students receive a solid education. To strike the right balance, we recommend states that have yet to do so should adopt three core policies: mandated core subjects, annual testing requirements, and documentation of students who are being homeschooled.
Requiring core subjects, such as reading and math, ensures that students develop the foundational skills needed to succeed in society and become productive citizens. These mandates provide a clear baseline for instruction while still allowing families the flexibility to tailor learning to their child’s pace and interests.
States should implement testing for homeschooled students to ensure they are mastering the core subjects mandated by law. Just as NAEP provides a measure of learning in public schools, testing would verify that students are making progress in core subject areas, providing both parents and policymakers with concrete data to act on to ensure a student is receiving a solid education. Without these assessments, there is no reliable way to know whether homeschooled children are meeting basic academic standards.
In most states, documenting homeschool enrollment requires notifying the district of a family’s intention to homeschool, typically in a letter to the superintendent. This ensures that homeschooled students are counted and provides opportunities to track academic outcomes. Documentation also allows states to capture the format of instruction—whether virtual programs, co-ops, microschools, or other models—giving policymakers a clearer picture of homeschooling trends and practices.
Moreover, documenting students opens the door to build stronger relationships between districts and families. Even when educated outside of public schools, districts can still provide resources such as extracurricular activities, library access, and part-time enrollment, and in some cases may receive funding for doing so. These connections ensure homeschooled students remain linked to the broader school system while allowing parents to maintain control of instruction.
Together, these three measures safeguard a child’s right to a meaningful education, while also respecting parental autonomy. And in states that funnel ESA dollars into homeschooling, it also ensures that taxpayer money is being well spent on a substantive education.
Homeschooling works for many families, but the sector’s rapid growth without consistent oversight puts students at risk. Policymakers need to act now to make sure every child, no matter where they learn, gets a safe, rigorous, and meaningful education.
