Homeschool requirements · Iowa
Homeschooling in Iowa
Light paperwork · A notice or an enrollment form, then keep your own records.
Choose between Independent Private Instruction (no notice or reporting) and Competent Private Instruction (annual Form A with optional assessment).
What Iowa asks
| Notice | None under Independent Private Instruction; annual Form A for Competent Private Instruction. |
|---|---|
| Days and hours | 148 days |
| Subjects | Reading, Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies |
| Assessment | Optional under most options; required only if you choose the assessment route of Competent Private Instruction. |
| Records to keep | Keep attendance and work samples; requirements depend on the option you choose. |
| Parent qualification | None under IPI. |
| Worth knowing | 148 days applies to Competent Private Instruction; adjust for your option. |
Deadlines
Iowa lets a family homeschool more than one way, and the paperwork differs by route. You pick the route once in the app and it tracks only those dates. Districts vary; the app lets you edit any of them.
Independent private instruction
No notice, no reporting, no assessment. Keep your own records; the state can ask what you teach. Up to four unrelated students.
| What | When | To whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your own records Records · Keep in your files | By the end of the school year | Keep in your files | Nothing is filed. Keep a course of study and attendance in case the state asks. |
Competent private instruction
148 days. Filing Form A with the district is optional; if you file it, an annual assessment goes with it.
| What | When | To whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Form A (optional) Notice · Mail it | Within 30 days of starting | Your local school district | Optional. Filing Form A also commits you to the annual assessment; skip both if you would rather not report. |
| Annual assessment (only if Form A was filed) Assessment · Keep in your files | By the end of the school year | Keep in your files; report as the district asks | A standardized test, a portfolio review, or another approved assessment, only for families that filed Form A. |
| Attendance and course of study Records · Keep in your files | By the end of the school year | Keep in your files | 148 days of instruction in the required subjects. |
Home school assistance program
Enroll through your district's HSAP with a supervising teacher. The program handles forms and provides materials and visits.
| What | When | To whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| HSAP enrollment Notice · Mail it | Within -14 days of starting | Your district's home school assistance program | Enroll before the year starts; the program's supervising teacher tells you its schedule. |
| Records for your supervising teacher Records · Keep in your files | By the end of the school year | Keep in your files; your teacher reviews | Attendance, course of study, and samples for the program's visits. |
What HomeSchool Scribe does in Iowa
- Your own records: Prepares the course of study, the attendance and hours report and the portfolio; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; keeps it in records.
- Form A (optional): Prepares the notice letter and the course of study; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; lets you mark it filed with the date.
- Annual assessment (only if Form A was filed): Prepares the transcript and the portfolio; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; keeps it in records.
- Attendance and course of study: Prepares the attendance and hours report and the course of study; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; keeps it in records.
- HSAP enrollment: Prepares the notice letter; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; lets you mark it filed with the date.
- Records for your supervising teacher: Prepares the attendance and hours report, the course of study and the portfolio; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before; keeps it in records.
Attendance and hours fill in from the lessons you check off, so the documents above come from records you already have.
Read the law yourself
Iowa Department of Education · HSLDA’s Iowa summary · Form A (optional) portal