[challowell]

Rachel has got to the point where the Preschool is really being challenged keeping her learning at school. She can type 32 words in list form on the computer, she can read several words, She has started reading beginner books. I know she is ready for Kindergarten. She turns 5 in September and in Ohio the cutoff age for Kindergarten is Aug. 1st. All the local schools told us no on early entrance but the Ohio Department of Education gave us papers for accelerated education. Ohio law does not allow me to officially home school untill 6 years old. I know I am stepping on the school district's toes but I am worried they will nit pick and will either still not accept her or take her in and fail her this year. I know the local school only does letters and numbers in Kindergarten so I Know she is well ahead of where they will be in school. Do you think I should push the issue in the local school district or try to do open enrollment in another school district? All the local Catholic schools already told me no on admission and they are the only private schools in the area.

[shari626]

I think we have all experienced this to some degree. I am now facing it with middle school. Your law says you can't officially homeschool until 6? What about unofficially? I never sent my kids to preschool so technically they were homeschooled. Here in little Delaware - I could legally homeschool for a few years then tell the school district what grade they should be in. My district does no test to check for your accuracy. You could homeschool for a year or two and put your kid in any grade you want. Or continue to homeschool forever

[Butter]

The law is not that you *can't* homeschool until age 6. It's that the district doesn't need you to *register* until age 6 because 6-16 are the compulsory education ages in Ohio. Additionally, they don't want proof of educational progress for an under-6 year old. Preschool is totally optional, so you can just pull her out and do whatever you want with her as long as you want. If you choose to keep on homeschooling you'll have to notify the district and be all official once she's 6. Some state laws don't *ever* have you notify the district that you are homeschooling.

[clouise]

I guess the issue is can you homeschool her for kindergarten this year, and then enroll her in first grade the following year? Or would they still make her start in kindergarten? You'd have to look up your state laws for that one. Here in Maryland (or at least our county) I believe they will test the kids for proper placement if they re-enter public schools.

[BensMom]

I agree with the PP's. I'm in TX, and I never have to register with the state. I "officially" started homeschooling at age 3.5, and that was 1st grade. I didn't have to report it to anyone at all. HOWEVER! I talked to the school about enrollment, possibly starting K at age 4 or HS'ing for a year and starting 1st at age 5, and they said no way. State law says they have to, but it's not monitored or enforced. They're under budgeted and under staffed to test every little smart preschooler who comes along, and then they'd have to deal with all the kids who are socially/emotional not ready.

You can either hold her back as much as possible and then place her with age peers in PS, or you can let her learn at her own pace at home for any number of years before reassessing your options.

If you really want to put up a strong fight, you should prepare yourself by reading these:

IRPA - A Nation Deceived - Get Report (free downloads for vol 1 & 2 ... one is an overview and two is extremely detailed)

IRPA - Iowa Acceleration Scale (a physical book that will have to be purchased or borrowed... your district might already have a copy since it's the world-wide standard for the decision making process, as explained in the downloads in the other link)

[challowell]

I guee the way it reads from what I saw is We can home school but we have to register with the local school district before her 6th birthday and we have to have a High school diploma and have to turn in what lessons and textbooks we use to the local school. If they do not approve of the cirriculum then we have to wait or get a school to take her early.

[Butter]

Nope. In Ohio you do *nothing* before age 6. They don't even want to know you are homeschooling. The complication is if they are already in school, however since preschool is totally not required, you can simply withdraw her and that is that. In VA, where compulsory age begins at 6 as well, I knew a couple people who kept their kids out just for kindergarten and enrolled them in first grade the next year. As for curriculum, NO Ohioans do NOT have to have it "approved." Nope. The law says the *brief* outline of what you are using is just for informational purposes. Actually, Ohio law sounds very much like VA law there. They can's approve or disapprove of it. They simply can know what you are using. And, let me tell you, those outlines can - and really should - be seriously vague. They can only determine if you are in compliance with the law which is to say that you have done your annual notification and promised to teach all the subjects, that you have a high school diploma, GED, some other qualification, or are "under the supervision" of someone with a bachelor's degree until kid's test scores show you are properly homeschooling. Then, annually after age 6, you give a standardized test, OR portfolio review, OR some other assessment that superintendent agrees to. Yeah, that's almost identical to VA's law (just VA only cares about language arts and math while OH has more subjects required). VERY easy!

[challowell]

Well I got to looking at courses and I called the Gifted office of the ODE and they asked if I tried the local school district. Well she told me to press the issue. This is the school Principal's exact words..." It will be several weeks before I get back to you because I need to look up the early enrollment policy and have to talk to the superintendant. But you should not call me back because IT IS REALLY TOO EARLY FOR YOU TO BE THINKING ABOUT KINDARGARTEN." I got ticked and called the school that is 5 miles from my house and they want us to come in for Kindergarten screening in April so they can enroll her. They have already called me twice to see how far advanced she is so the teachers can be ready to challange her. I'm starting to think I know where to send her.

[Hugo&Sergiosmom]

I am really glad you got a good response from the local school!!!

[challowell]

Well it is outside our school district. Our school is 3 blocks from my house but I won't mind driving her to school if we are going to be greeted with open arms.