South Carolina Homeschooling Laws
Homeschooling in South Carolina
The requirements to homeschool in South Carolina are as follows: the parent must have a high school diploma or an equivalent of a diploma such as a GED and provide instruction for a minimum of 180 days per academic year. There are three ways one can legally homeschool in South Carolina.
- Establishing a homeschool under the statute of homeschooling
- One must seek approval from the board of trustees in the local district.
- Provide instruction for the mandatory subjects and for the required amount of time.
- Submit a progress report of the child every half a year.
- Have the child tested every year.
- Keep the child’s records.
- Provide the child with library facilities available in your district.
Homeschooling under the Association of Independent Home Schools in South Carolina (SCAIHS)
One has to enroll in the association (SCAIHS) and follow the policies and guidelines for homeschools required by the association. https://schomeschooling.com provides more information on this option.
Homeschooling under the association of homeschools also referred to as third option group
- This requires one to join a homeschool association whose membership is more than 50 member families.
- One must comply with the requirements of the association.
For all the ways to legally homeschool, these requirements must be fulfilled by every homeschooling family:
- The bulk of the education instruction must be handled by the parent or guardian.
- Provide instruction for a minimum of 180 days in a school year.
- The individual in charge of providing instruction must have a high school diploma or a GED.
- The mandatory subjects that must be taught include science, math, history, reading for grades 1 through 6or literature for grades 7 through 12, writing for students in grades 1 to 6 or composition for students in grades 7 to 12.
This page provides information on homeschooling laws in South Carolina including:
- Requirements to Homeschool in South Carolina
- Establishing a Homeschool under the Statute on Homeschooling
- Homeschooling under the Association of Independent Home Schools in South Carolina
- Homeschooling under the Accountability Association of South Carolina
- Requirements for Graduation in South Carolina
- Switching from Homeschool to Public School
*This information is by no means intended as legal advice; its purpose is merely informational. It is each parent’s responsibility to get informed and understand the applicable homeschooling laws which regulate homeschooling in his or her state.
Requirements and Laws on Homeschooling in South Carolina
Children in South Carolina who are between 5 and 17 years of age are subjected to compulsory education. They may attend a public school, private school or one of the options of homeschooling.
- Establishing a Homeschool under the Statute of Homeschooling
By choosing this method of homeschooling, parents agree to let the local school in their district certify the curriculum to be used in the homeschool as well as the assessment methods intended to be used. Additional requirements for this method include:
- Children in grade 1 must take a test that determines if the child is ready for grade 1 instruction.
- Maintaining a homeschool record of the child’s progress including the subjects taught, written work samples, activities covered during the year and an assessment record of the student.
- Students must take and pass the annual tests failure to which they are subjected to additional instruction.
- Homeschooling under the Association of Independent Home Schools of South Carolina (SCAIHS)
The South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools is faith based and it oversees accountability of and maintains the homeschoolers’ records. For one to join the association, there is a membership fee of about $350 - $450 for every child, application fee and other fees that must be paid.
Students from grade 3 through grade 8 are subjected to annual tests. Parents are required to maintain records on attendance and keep progress reports for every child. The association provides records for every student as well as high school transcripts and upon graduation, a diploma. The association also covers students with special needs.
- Homeschooling under the Accountability Association of South Carolina
This is the most popular legal option to homeschool in South Carolina. The curriculum and method of teaching are chosen by the parent. Records must however be maintained and all the homeschooling laws observed. Students homeschooling under this option are not subjected to compulsory testing. The page on Accountability Groups on Homeschooling provides more information regarding this option.
Recordkeeping for Homeschoolers in South Carolina
Parents who homeschool in South Carolina may be required by law to keep portfolios depending on the homeschool option they choose. They may also choose to maintain the records which come in handy later while making transcripts, helping in evaluating the child’s progress and as a treasured keepsake of the moments spent together learning. The student may take part in this by choosing the projects and samples of written work they like to be included in the portfolio. The page on Homeschool Portfolios provides more information on making portfolios.
Requirements for Graduation in South Carolina
- Homeschooling under option 1 requires parents to determine when the student will graduate, create the transcripts for the student and award a diploma after graduating from high school. The tests and the curriculum used in this option are approved by the local school.
- Option 2 is regulated by the association of independent homeschools which provides guidelines to be observed by homeschoolers graduating from high school. These suggestions should align with the student’s post high school interests. There are several university or after school career or professional tracks which assist students to obtain a diploma from the association after completing high school studies.
- Homeschoolers using option 3 have their parents or guardians decide when they will graduate. Parents also create the transcripts and award a diploma upon completion. Most families rely on the requirements for graduation for public school students while others may choose to align their requirements with the student’s interests that they wish to pursue after high school. For example, following the requirements for a specific course in a university or college the student may be interested in.
The chart below shows the comparison between graduation requirements in public school and homeschool in South Carolina.
| Public/Private School | Homeschool | |
|---|---|---|
|
Diploma requirements in South Carolina |
To receive a diploma in South Carolina, a minimum of 24 units of cred must be completed. The courses include, among others, Math, Social Studies, Science, Language Arts, Physical education, Arts and 7 Electives. |
Parents in South Carolina have the liberty to determine when their student will graduate. They then proceed to award the high school diploma under their own terms. |
| Testing requirements in South Carolina | Complete a study and pass an examination on the provision and principles of the United States Constitution and American institutions and ideals. |
There is no law in South Carolina that compels or forces homeschoolers to undertake a test as a requirement in order to graduate high school. |
|
South Carolina high school transcripts |
Students can choose to contact their school or use E-transcript system to submit a duplicate of the student’s transcript to the college they wish to join. Unless prices are offset, there is a reasonable charge. |
Parents in South Carolina can create the homeschoolers’ transcripts which may include information they considered relevant to institutions the homeschoolers may intend to apply to. This may include schools, colleges, workplace organizations, or the military. |
|
High school course credits in South Carolina |
A student must earn a total of 24 units of credit distributed as follows:
|
Many parents in South Carolina choose to specify or assign academic credits to the courses taken during the homeschooling period as this may aid during the transcript creation process. |
|
Eligibility for GED in South Carolina |
You must be 19 years old to test in South Carolina. In South Carolina, you can be 16*, 17 or 18 and take the GED® test if you have a South Carolina Verification of School Withdrawal form completed by the principal or attendance supervisor of the last school you attended. |
Homeschoolers in South Carolina are eligible if the meet the same criteria as public school students. |
Homeschool High School Transcript Template
Track your homeschooler’s credits, courses, and accomplishments with this free homeschool high school transcript template.
Download the transcript template
Switching from Homeschooling to Public School in South Carolina
Enrolling a student to a public school may vary from financial issues in the family to granting the student’s wish to enroll in a public school for specific reasons such as desire to participate in extracurricular activities available in a local school or to fulfill college requirements. Some colleges may require accredited diplomas to enroll new students.
In South Carolina, the procedure and policies to enroll students in a public school vary from district to district. Some schools assess the student’s homeschool grades to determine placement. It is the duty of the parent to inquire from the specific school on the requirements to enroll their child and the method used to assess the homeschool instruction and what homeschool credits will be transferred. Whether the student will be enrolled and what grades will be accepted is upon the local district to determine.
Lernsys Homeschooling makes it easy to keep a summary of the curriculum used including grades, topics covered, quiz and test scores, teacher credentials, etc.
Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in South Carolina
Have other questions about homeschooling in South Carolina? You may find the following pages helpful.
