Homeschool requirements · New York
Homeschooling in New York
Paperwork state · Several filings a year with real deadlines.
Submit an annual notice and an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP), file quarterly reports, log 900/990 hours over 180 days, and submit an annual assessment.
What New York asks
| Notice | Annual notice of intent by July 1 (or within 14 days of starting) followed by an IHIP for each child. |
|---|---|
| Days and hours | 180 days, 900 hours a year in grades 1–6, 990 in grades 7–12 |
| Subjects | Language Arts (including reading, writing and spelling in grades 1–6), Math, Science, Social Studies (including geography and U.S. history), Health, Physical Education, Music, Visual Arts, U.S. and New York History and Constitutions (at least once in grades 1–8), Bilingual Education / English as a Second Language (grades 1–6, where needed), Practical Arts (grades 7–8), Library Skills (grades 7–8), Participation in Government (grades 9–12), Economics (grades 9–12), Electives (grades 9–12), Patriotism & Citizenship (K–12), Fire and Arson Prevention & Safety (K–12), Alcohol, Drug & Tobacco Misuse Prevention (K–12), Highway, Traffic & Bicycle Safety (K–12) |
| Assessment | Annual assessment: use an approved standardized test each year in grades 9–12; in grades 4–8, a written narrative may be used no more often than every other school year; grades 1–3 may use a narrative each year. Choose a New York-certified teacher, home instruction peer review panel, or other person with the superintendent’s consent to write the narrative after interviewing the child and reviewing a portfolio. Home test administration also needs consent to the administrator. A test score is adequate if the composite is above the 33rd percentile or shows one academic year of growth against a test from the prior school year or later. An inadequate score or a narrative finding inadequate progress leads to probation and a plan to address the gaps. See 8 NYCRR 100.10(h)–(i) for approved tests and administration options. |
| Records to keep | Quarterly reports with hours and grades; attendance records; the IHIP. |
| Parent qualification | None. |
| Worth knowing | 900 hours for grades 1–6, 990 hours for grades 7–12 (each child’s own number is set at setup). Quarterly reports are due on the schedule set in your IHIP; one IHIP is filed per child, and the annual assessment is filed with the fourth report. Required subject units are totals across each grade band, not annual totals: 8 NYCRR 100.10 sets different lists for grades 1–6, 7–8, and 9–12. Across grades 7–8: 2 units each of English, history and geography, science, and math; 0.5 unit each of art and music; regular PE, health, practical arts, and library skills. Across grades 9–12: English 4; social studies 4 (including American history 1, participation in government 0.5, economics 0.5); math 2; science 2; art and/or music 1; health 0.5; PE 2; electives 3. One unit is 6,480 minutes of instruction. See 8 NYCRR 100.10(e) for the full grade-by-grade requirements. |
Deadlines
These are the dates the app tracks for New York. Districts vary; the app lets you edit any of them.
| What | When | To whom | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Letter of intent Notice · email | By July 1 each year | District superintendent of residence; in NYC, Central Office of Homeschooling | Or within 14 days of starting. The district replies with an IHIP form within 10 business days. Outside NYC, confirm the submission method with your district; email here is a planning default, not a statewide requirement. In NYC, email letterofintent@schools.nyc.gov; returning families in 2026–27 use the personalized submission link sent by the office. |
| IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan) Notice · email | By August 15 each year | District superintendent of residence; in NYC, Central Office of Homeschooling | Due four weeks after receiving the district’s materials or August 15, whichever is later, including for a mid-year start. Change the August 15 planning date here to your actual deadline. Syllabi, materials, and instructors per subject, plus the four quarterly report dates. Outside NYC, confirm the submission method with your district; email here is a planning default, not a statewide requirement. In NYC, email PDFs to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov. |
| Quarterly report Report · email | Four times a year, on the dates in your plan | District superintendent of residence; in NYC, Central Office of Homeschooling | Hours per subject and a grade or narrative for each. HomeSchool Scribe builds this from the term picker in Records. New York does not fix these four dates: 8 NYCRR 100.10 has them fall on the dates you name in your own IHIP, so move these to match what you filed. Outside NYC, confirm the submission method with your district; email here is a planning default, not a statewide requirement. In NYC, email PDFs to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov. |
| Annual assessment Assessment · email | By the end of the school year (grades 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) | District superintendent of residence; in NYC, Central Office of Homeschooling | File with the fourth quarterly report on the date in your IHIP. The date here starts at your school year’s end; change it to your IHIP’s fourth-report date, even if that report is due earlier. Annual assessment: use an approved standardized test each year in grades 9–12; in grades 4–8, a written narrative may be used no more often than every other school year; grades 1–3 may use a narrative each year. Choose a New York-certified teacher, home instruction peer review panel, or other person with the superintendent’s consent to write the narrative after interviewing the child and reviewing a portfolio. Home test administration also needs consent to the administrator. A test score is adequate if the composite is above the 33rd percentile or shows one academic year of growth against a test from the prior school year or later. An inadequate score or a narrative finding inadequate progress leads to probation and a plan to address the gaps. See 8 NYCRR 100.10(h)–(i) for approved tests and administration options. Outside NYC, confirm the submission method with your district; email here is a planning default, not a statewide requirement. In NYC, email PDFs to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov. |
What HomeSchool Scribe does in New York
- Letter of intent: Prepares the notice letter; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before.
- IHIP (Individualized Home Instruction Plan): Prepares the course of study and the reading log; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before.
- Quarterly report: Prepares the attendance and hours report and the report card; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before.
- Annual assessment: Prepares the report card and the transcript; reminds you 14 days and 2 days before.
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
New York State Education Department · HSLDA’s New York summary
Not legal advicePlanning summaries in plain language, reviewed 2026-09-11. Deadlines and recipients vary by district; confirm with New York’s current law or a homeschool legal organization before you file anything. If something here is out of date, tell us and we’ll fix it for every family in New York.