Source: http://www.schools.pima.gov/schools/home-school-information/homeschool-support
Timestamp: 2018-01-20 19:11:23
Document Index: 190098948

Matched Legal Cases: ['§15', '§15', '§ 15', '§15', '§15', '§15', '§15', '§15', '§15', '§15', '§15']

Homeschool Support - Pima County Schools - Tucson, AZ
Homeschool Information »
This information was compiled by homeschool educators to help new and existing parents comply with Arizona laws for homeschooling. Please read through carefully and let the Pima County Superintendent’s Office know if you need any help.
Affidavit of Intent are accepted for children six (6) to sixteen (16) years of age. Arizona Revised Statute (A.R.S.) §15-802 (A) says, "Every child between the ages of six (6) and sixteen (16) shall attend a school and shall be provided instruction in at least the subjects of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies, and science. The person who has custody of the child shall choose a public, private, charter, or homeschool to provide instruction." Parents who do not wish their children to attend school until the age of eight (8) must file an Affidavit of Intent with the county school superintendent stating that they do not desire to have the child attend school as required in A.R.S. §15-802 (B) (3).
Please return the completed, signed and notarized Affidavit of Intent and the required proof of the student's age and identity to the Pima County School Superintendent's Office. A DATE-STAMPED COPY OF THE Affidavit of Intent WILL BE RETURNED TO YOU. The Pima County School Superintendent's stamp on the copy of the Affidavit of Intent is your proof that the affidavit for your child was filed with this office. If you submit original documents, such as your child's original birth certificate or baptismal certificate with the affidavit, we will return it to you with the date-stamped copy of the affidavit. Report any change of address, phone number, or school attendance to this office on the change of information form.
The laws that govern homeschooling are found in A.R.S. § 15-745, A.R.S. §15-763, A.R.S. §15-802, A.R.S. §15-802.01, and A.R.S. §15-828.
"Homeschool"; means a nonpublic school conducted primarily by the parent, guardian, or other person who has custody of the child or instruction provided in the child's home.
An Affidavit of Intent stating that the child is attending homeschool must be filed with the county school superintendent. The Affidavit of Intent shall include the child's legal name, date of birth, and the names, telephone numbers, and addresses of the persons who currently have legal custody of the child. Affidavits need only be filed once, within thirty days of the beginning of home instruction. The county school superintendent must be notified within thirty days of the termination of instruction of homeschool. If homeschool instruction is resumed, another Affidavit of Intent must be filed within thirty days of the resumption. The affidavit may be obtained from the Pima County School Superintendent's Office, downloaded from this website, or requested from the Superintendent's Office of the county in which you reside if you live outside Pima County.
The child must be instructed in at least the subjects of reading, grammar, mathematics, social studies and science. Here is a link to the Arizona College and Career Ready Standards as provided by the Arizona Department of Education. These standards exemplify the knowledge and skills students need to be successful in our economy. http://www.azed.gov/ccr/standards/
Each homeschool educator creates or chooses a program suited to the child. The homeschooled educator is responsible for providing their own curricula. If needed, check in with the homeschool group networks in the area. Homeschool Resources
A Diploma is awarded by the homeschool educator.
Homeschooled students are not required to participate in the state's testing program. A.R.S. §15-745 states:
Nothing in this article shall be construed to require the testing of children who are instructed in a homeschool program while they are receiving homeschool instruction.
The State Board of Education allows homeschooled students to take the AzMERIT test, at no charge but does not require them to do so. Check with the homeschooled groups (link again to the homeschool groups in the area) in the area for testing options besides AzMERIT.
ARS 15-802.01 states:
A. Notwithstanding any other law, a child who resides within the attendance area of a public school and who is homeschooled shall be allowed to try out for interscholastic activities on behalf of the public school in the same manner as a pupil who is enrolled in that public school. Registration, age eligibility requirements, fees, insurance, transportation, physical condition, qualifications, responsibilities, event schedules, standards of behavior and performance policies for homeschooled students shall be consistent with those policies established for students enrolled in that public school. The individual providing the primary instruction of a child who is homeschooled shall submit written verification that provides:
Verification of Filing Homeschool Affidavit
Once the required Affidavit of Intent and proof of age and identity are received in this office, a date-stamped copy of the affidavit will be sent to you. The date stamp on the copy is proof that your child has been enrolled in homeschooling and that the affidavit has been filed with the Pima County School Superintendent's Office. You will want to keep this affidavit, even after your child enters the public school system, so you'll have a record of your child's education. If you need another copy of the Affidavit of Intent you will need to request a duplicate affidavit by mail. Only the parent(s) or guardian(s) named on the affidavit may receive a copy of the affidavit. If a non-custodial parent or parent whose name does not appear on the affidavit is requesting a copy of the affidavit, then the person must prove that he/she is the parent/legal guardian of the child. (A copy of the child's birth certificate or divorce papers showing that the person has a right to the child's educational information is required.) The parent/guardian who filled out the affidavit will be notified that another person has made a request for a copy of the affidavit and will have the right to refuse a copy to the other person if the parent can show legal proof that the other person's rights have been legally severed.
A.R.S. §15-763 requires districts and charter schools which receive federal money for special education services for homeschooled or parentally placed private schooled students to provide special education services to both groups in the same manner. Call your school district to find out specifically what services your child might be entitled to and how they might be provided.
Eighth grade promotion certificates and high school diplomas are not issued by the Pima County Superintendents Office for students instructed in homeschooling. Please see legislation around diplomas in ARS 15-701.01. This state, any political subdivision or agency of this state and any other governmental entity shall recognize and treat all diplomas and transcripts associated with schooling options as described in section 15-802 in the same manner. School districts may evaluate the transcripts of transfer students for the assignment of credit pursuant to section 15-701.01.
Please notify the Pima County School Superintendent's Office within thirty (30) days if you enroll your child in a public, private, or charter school. The child's homeschool file will then be inactivated. Another Affidavit of Intent must be filed if the child resumes homeschooling. Report any changes in addresses or phone numbers to this office on the change of information form.
A child who enrolls in a kindergarten program or grades one through twelve after receiving instruction in a homeschool program shall be tested pursuant to this article in order to determine the appropriate grade level for the educational placement of the child.
Be aware that your child may need to take individual tests in each subject area to gain district acceptance and/or credit, even if the homeschool child is receiving correspondence school instruction from an accredited program. The county school office should be notified within thirty days of entering a school system so that the homeschool affidavit may be inactivated.
Entering Post-Secondary
University of Arizona Requirements for Admitance, click here
Arizona State University Requirements for Admitance, click here
Northern Arizona University Requirements for Admitance, click here
Unless otherwise exempted in A.R.S. §15-802 or A.R.S. §15-803, a parent of a child between six (6) and sixteen (16) years of age or person who has custody of a child, who does not provide instruction in a homeschool and who fails to enroll or fails to ensure that the child attends a public, private, or charter school pursuant to these sections is guilty of a class 3 misdemeanor. A parent who fails to comply with the duty to file an Affidavit of Intent to provide instruction in a homeschool is guilty of a petty offense.
2017 AzMERIT Interactive Dashboard
Check out the Center for Student Achievement’s school-by-school dashboard of AzMerit results.