Providing Notice of Intent to Home School

Parents and guardians who choose to home school children in their care must notify the local Education Service District (ESD) of their intent within 10 days of withdrawing from public or private school. SOESD registers home schooled students between the ages of 6 and 18 residing in Jackson, Josephine, and Klamath counties.

A link to access the online system is posted under the “Register” tab below for parents and guardians to provide Notification of Intent to Home School for the 2022-2023 school year.

Contacts

SOESD Home School Notification
101 N. Grape Street, Medford, OR  97501
541-776-8590, Option 2
home_schooling@soesd.k12.or.us

Curriculum

SOESD and local public schools are not required by law to provide educational materials and/or curriculum.  Parents and guardians are responsible for the acquisition and cost of materials/curriculum.  Helpful answers to questions about educational materials, curriculum, and supports can be found on the Oregon Department of Education Home School Questions and Answers page.

Testing Information

Testing for home school students is administered by independent test examiners approved by the Oregon Department of Education. The SOESD does not administer tests for home school children.  It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to arrange and pay for testing.  A list of all testers currently registered by the Oregon Department of Education is available on the ODE website at https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/HomeSchool/Pages/default.aspx.

Testing is required for students at the end of grades 3, 5, 8 and 10. If the child never attended public or private school, the child must be tested before August 15 following the end of grade 3.  If the child was withdrawn from public or private school, no testing is required for the first 18 months of home schooling, even if during that 18 month period the child is in grade 3, 5, 8, or 10.

High school students wanting to participate in sports or extra-curricular activities need to be tested on a yearly basis. Guidelines and rules can be found on the OSAA web site at: www.osaa.org

Oregon Department of Education (ODE) has the answers to Home School Frequently Asked Questions.

The Oregon Department of Education sets the guidelines and requirements for home school students. For specific questions, please contact ODE directly.

Oregon Department of Education contact information: 

Annie Marges
Alternative Education Options Specialist
Email: annie.marges@state.or.us 
Phone: 503-934-0787
Students with Disabilities

RaeAnn Ray
IDEA General Supervision Specialist
Office of Enhancing Student Opportunities
Email: raeann.ray@state.or.us
Phone: 503-947-5722

https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/HomeSchool/Pages/default.aspx

Providing Your Notice of Intent to Home School

Click the Home School Registration Portal to proceed with setting up your account.  You’ll enter the following information to complete the notification process:

  • Parent/Guardian’s name
  • Parent/Guardian’s address
  • Resident School District
  • Child’s Name
  • Child’s Birthdate
  • Child’s Current Grade

After completing the online notification, parents/guardians will have the ability to log into their account to:

  • Print a registration confirmation letter
  • Update information
  • Add another child
  • Change home school status
  • Print a letter to a college

Home School Registration Portal

Please note: Southern Oregon ESD only handles home school registration, not curriculum or testing.  For more information about home schooling in Oregon, please check out the Oregon Department of Education‘s website.

Resources

Oregon Department of Education
255 Capitol St. NE
Salem, OR  97310
https://www.oregon.gov/ode/learning-options/HomeSchool/Pages/default.aspx

 

These resources are provided as reference information only:

Oregon Home Education Network (OHEN) 
P.O. Box 1386
Beaverton, OR  97075
www.ohen.org/resources

NW Textbook Depository (K-12)
17970 SW Mc Ewan Road
Portland, Oregon 97224
503-639-3193
www.nwtd.com

Jackson County Libraries
www.jcls.org

Josephine County Libraries
www.josephinelibrary.org/eshelf-research/learningexpress.html

PBS Education:
www.pbslearningmedia.org (search for “Lesson Plan”)
SOPTV – 541-200-2056 or Ben Garcia, bgarcia@soptv.org

Support Groups

Students who are home schooled do not receive credit toward a high school diploma.

GED Option Program

Students under the age of 18 who are being home schooled and want to receive their GED must contact the SOESD to receive the proper paper work in order to take the GED tests. Home schooled students in Oregon are eligible to participate in the GED Option Program if:

  • They are at least 16 years of age.
  • They have an independent reading level (in English or Spanish) at the eighth grade level or above.
  • It has been determined that the GED option is the most appropriate available at the time.
  • They have completed the appropriate home school testing as stated in OAR 581-021-0026 (5), if applicable.

Rogue Community College – General Educational Development (GED)
http://www.roguecc.edu/GED/

Klamath Learning Center – 
Klamath Falls City School District (for 16 year olds or 5th year senior) (541) 883-4719

Falcon Heights Academy – 
Klamath County School District (for 16 year olds or 5th year senior) (541) 883-6699, ext 221

GED Online Practice Tests
It is recommended that you do your studying for the GED tests before you register to test. If you would like to study independently for the tests, there are GED study materials available in the library or at:
www.gedpracticequestions.com
www.acenet.edu
www.gedwriting.com

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