Oklahoma Homeschool Laws & Requirements
The Oklahoma state department of education website mentions that homeschools are not regulated nor are parents required to register with state or local officials. There are no homeschool requirements that need to be met other than teaching at least 180 days per year to children between ages 5 and 18. That’s it! Easy, right?
So, homeschool parents can breathe a sigh of relief in the Sooner State and enjoy life as a relaxed and happy homeschool family.
- Oklahoma Homeschooling Laws
- Your Notice of Intent
- Homeschool Recordkeeping in Oklahoma
- Homeschool Graduation Requirements in Oklahoma
- Returning to Public School after Homeschooling
- Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in Oklahoma
This information should by no means be interpreted as legal advice. It is your responsibility to interpret and understand the laws that you will be homeschooling under.
Oklahoma Homeschooling Laws
These recommendations are not a homeschool requirement by law, but rather suggestions that would allow you prove you’re providing a quality education to your child.
- Send a notice of intent to homeschool to the principal of each child’s school alerting him or her to the fact that you will be homeschooling.
- Oklahoma homeschool laws strongly suggest you teach the following subjects: language arts, mathematics, science, social studies which includes civics and a study of the US constitution, health, safety, and physical education, and conservation.
- Log 180 days of homeschool for every child between the ages of 5 and 18.
- Maintain academic progress of the child.
By following these rules you’ll be able to prove you’ve provided instruction in good faith at an equivalent level to that provided by the state.
More information relating to the home education rules for Oklahoma can be found at A2ZHomeschooling.com.
Your Notice of Intent
A notice of intent is simply that—a letter notifying each of your child’s principals of your intent to homeschool. This letter need not be lengthy, but here are a few simple guidelines:
- Include your home address and telephone number
- Include each child’s name, age, and grade level
- And finally, close with an invitation to contact you should the principal have any questions or concerns.
It is recommended that you send this letter via certified mail which provides you with the security of a receipt. While it is recommended to send out the notice of intent, the law does not permit public school officials to visit or inspect homes.
Homeschool Recordkeeping in Oklahoma
Since the state of Oklahoma strongly recommends you to teach for 180 days per school year, you will need to log this in some manner. A good rule of thumb is to always keep diligent records for each homeschooled student—record number of days spent homeschooling, lesson plans, books read, field trips, etc.
Even though Oklahoma does not require that you create Homeschool Portfolios for your students, these can serve as a wonderful keepsake for you and your children. This will prove especially helpful whenever your child is getting ready to apply for college, enlisting in the military, or for social security benefits among other situations.
Homeschool Graduation Requirements in Oklahoma
Below is a comparison of the course credits required to graduate in Oklahoma for public school students and homeschooled students:
| Public/Private School | Homeschool | |
|---|---|---|
| Oklahoma diploma requirements | Students must complete a minimum of 23 credits of coursework in English, math, laboratory science, citizenship and history, fine arts or speech, and foreign language or computer technology. | Parents determine when their student has fulfilled graduation requirements and can issue their own homeschool diploma; students of private/online schools may receive diplomas from those institutions. |
| Oklahoma high school testing requirements | Students must take tests in English II and Algebra I as well as tests from two of the following subjects: English III, Algebra II, Biology I, Geometry, or US History. | Homeschool students are not subject to testing requirements for graduation. |
| Oklahoma high school transcripts | Transcripts are kept by the school. Students wishing to receive a copy of their high school transcript can contact their school district or high school. | Homeschool parents may create their own student transcripts, and may include any information they deem pertinent to colleges, military, and/or future workplace organizations. |
| Oklahoma high school course credits | Students must complete a minimum of 23 credits: 4 years of English, 3 years of laboratory science, 3 years of math, 3 years of history-related coursework, 1 unit of fine arts or speech, and 2 years of a foreign language or computer technology. | Parents determine when their student has fulfilled graduation requirements; for the purpose of creating transcripts, some homeschool parents do assign credits to individual courses. |
| GED eligibility | Students must be 18 years old or be 16 or 17 years old and have the permission of a school administrator and a parent/guardian—both must sign a release form. Students can sign up at www.GED.com. All testing centers require test takers to show proof of identity with a government-issued ID such as a driver’s license. | The same requirements for eligibility apply to homeschoolers as to public school students. |
Returning to Public School after Homeschooling
If you choose to stop homeschooling and decide that you’d like to send your child to public school, your child will need to take a standardized test administered by the school he or she will be attending.
Parents will need to provide proof that their child took the test and can obtain a copy of the test results and the actual test given. Copies will be kept at the school for a period of one year. Test results are used to show if the child has competantly completed coursework equal to that of students in the same grade level in public school.
Additional Resources Related to Homeschooling in Oklahoma
Have other questions about homeschooling in Oklahoma? You may find the following pages helpful.
- Homeschooling in Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Homeschooling Groups & Co-ops
- Oklahoma Homeschool Associations
- Homeschool Field Trips in Oklahoma
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