Iowa Homeschooling
More and more parents in Iowa are joining the millions of homeschooling families in the United States who have chosen to provide a home education for their children. Here you'll find everything you need to successfully home educate your children at home, including information on homeschooling methods, support groups, local and state events, online resources, and much, much more.
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Iowa Inclusive Homeschoolers
This is a friendly, casual email loop for all who homeschool, or are interested in homeschooling, in the state of Iowa.
281—31.2 Reports as to competent private instruction.
31.2(1) Reporting. The parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian of a child of compulsory attendance age who does not enroll the child in a public school or Iowa accredited nonpublic school shall complete a report in duplicate on forms created by the department of education and provided by the resident public school district, indicating the parent, guardian, or custodian’s intent to provide or arrange for competent private instruction for the child for each school year. The report shall be...
Iowa State Board of Education
The Iowa State Board of Education (State Board) works with the Iowa Department of Education (Department) to provide oversight, supervision, and support for the state education system that includes all public elementary and secondary schools, nonpublic schools that receive state accreditation, area education agencies (AEAs), community colleges, and teacher preparation programs.
Privacy Form for Non-Enrolled Student
These option forms are recommended to protect your family's privacy.
They inform school officials that you want protections afforded by federal and state laws.
The form for non-enrolled students notifies school officials of that information about your child --
including directory information -- is confidential information protected by Iowa Code.
Failure to have one of these forms on file with the district and the AEA (where your CPI forms are filed)
can leave your child's information ope...
Licensing & State Laws in Iowa
Iowa’s multi-stage licensing process allows teens to gradually gain exposure to complex driving situations, easing them into driving over an extended period of time. The instruction permit and intermediate stages are key steps.
299.4 Reports as to private instruction.
The parent, guardian, or legal custodian of a child who is of compulsory attendance age, who places the child under competent private instruction under either section 299A.2 or 299A.3, not in an accredited school or a home school assistance program operated by a public or accredited nonpublic school, shall furnish a report in duplicate on forms provided by the public school district, to the district by the earliest starting date specified in section 279.10, subsection 1. The secretary shall reta...
Private Instruction (Home Schooling)
Private Instruction is instruction using a plan and a course of study in a setting other than a public or organized accredited nonpublic school. It includes competent private instruction (CPI) by a licensed practitioner or a nonlicensed person, independent private instruction (IPI), home school assistance programs (HSAP), and non-accredited nonpublic schools.
Iowa School Directory
This school directory for the state of Iowa includes public school districts and nonpublic schools.
Privacy Form for Dual-Enrolled or HSAP-Enrolled Student
These option forms are recommended to protect your family's privacy.
They inform school officials that you want protections afforded by federal and state laws.
The form for dual-enrolled or HSAP-enrolled Students notifies school officials
that you are claiming federally mandated privacy protections,
and that you do not want any information concerning your enrolled child --
including directory information -- to be released to anyone without your prior consent.
Establish Your Goals
Take the time to think and pray about what you want to accomplish as you begin to homeschool your children. What type of goals should you set? What are the goal-writing basics? Setting goals now will help you as you select curriculum and chart your homeschooling success.
Homeschooling in Iowa: Know the Law and Rules
Homeschooling laws vary widely from state to state. The Iowa law and rules may seem quite complicated at first, but NICHE has created
a number of resources and forms to help home educators find their way through the maze of regulations. Here, you will find a brief overview of the legal requirements and options in Iowa.
Plan of Instruction Form-Unlined
This "Plan of Instruction" form has been designed by HSLDA and NICHE. Plan of Instruction forms -- lined or unlined -- may be used to comply with the requirement on the Competent Private Instruction Form (Form A) for an attached outline of course of study.
Please keep in mind that the Iowa law & rules are silent as to what subjects must be included on the Plan of Instruction. NICHE "Plan of Instruction" forms have been used and submitted by home educators all across Iowa, and have been accepted...
Iowans Dedicated to Educational Alternatives (IDEA)
"IDEA" is a non-profit, non-sectarian organization dedicated to providing information, support and encouragement to pursue life-long learning outside the school environment. This group recognizes that Learning is an internal process that thrives when people are free to explore life on their own terms, this philosophy is often called unschooling. Realizing that families come for support from various backgrounds and levels of homeschooloing, IDEA has no official political or religious orientation ...
Blank Park Zoo Home School Programs
The Blank Park Zoo in Des Moines offers a number of home school programs, including Home School Safari, Zookeeper for a Day, and Home School Day. You can also schedule your own home school class.
Storybook Hill Children's Zoo
Storybook Hill Children’s Zoo was established in 1976, in partnership with the Optimists Clubs of Dubuque, as an effort to increase the knowledge and understanding of common animals among the people of Dubuque. The zoo is a replica of an American farm from the 1940’s, and contains a wide variety of animals that a person visiting this time period might see on an actual farm.
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Featured Resources
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Secret of Childhood
Maria Montessori describes the child with warmth and the exactness of a scientist. She also discusses the array of materials and techniques needed to release his learning potential.
Homeschooling 101: A Guide to Getting Started
Homeschooling 101 gives you the steps to help you get started on your homeschool journey. This guide lays out how to get started, choose and gather curriculum, scheduling, organizing your home, and finding the joy in homeschooling. This book is perfe...
More Charlotte Mason Education: A Home Schooling How-To Manual
After providing an important work in explaining the Charlotte Mason method for homeschoolers, Catherine Levison goes deeper into the use of this method in the home with her subsequent work. This book expands the information from the first book and of...
First Language Lessons for the Well-Trained Mind
Includes scripted lessons and lovely illustrations to offer encouragement and understanding to children in grammar, copywork, narration, picture study, and other classical technique. These lessons will help develop the student's language ability and ...
Unclutter Your Home: 7 Simple Steps, 700 Tips & Ideas (Simplicity Series)
Hundreds of practical ideas for sorting, evaluating, and getting rid of all those material items that get in the way of a simplified lifestyle.
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Quote of the Day
Education is the leading of human souls to what is best, and making what is best out of them.
John Ruskin