According to Rhode Island Statute § 16-19-1, “Every child who has completed, or will have completed, six (6) years of life on or before September 1 of any school year, or is enrolled in kindergarten, and has not completed eighteen (18) years of life, shall regularly attend some public day school during all the days and hours that the public schools are in session in the city or town in which the child resides.” One exception to this is when a child is attending “a course of at-home instruction approved by the school committee of the town where the child resides.”

Note that the Rhode Island Department of Education [RIDE] “does not directly supervise home instruction. In Rhode Island, approval of home instruction occurs at the local school district level. If you are thinking of home-schooling your child, please call your local school superintendent’s office for information.”

What do I need to be eligible to be a homeschool parent?

In Rhode Island, there are no minimum qualifications for you to homeschool your child. You need only be able to provide “thorough and efficient” instruction (RIDE).

Do I need to notify the school district of my intent to homeschool my child?

Yes! Prior to beginning home instruction, “you need to present your proposed home instruction program to your local school committee for approval. Your plan will need to show that you will teach the required subjects. There should be agreement between you and your local school committee regarding how your child’s academic progress will be evaluated” (RIDE).

If your local school committee denies approval of your home instruction plan, you may appeal the decision to the Commissioner of Elementary and Secondary Education, Angélica Infante-Green, 255 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903.

What educational options are available to my homeschooler?

In order to fulfill the homeschooling requirements of Rhode Island, “you may copy the public school curriculum or use correspondence courses, or you may design your own curriculum. R.I. Basic Education Program Regulations may also be helpful to you, as they include a framework for a comprehensive curriculum that is used in the public schools. The BEP may be found at 200-RICR-20-10-1 and the section on curriculum is §1.2.1” (RIDE). You can also check with your local school department, public library, and other printed and online resources.

According to the Rhode Island Department of Education, “local school districts must loan certain textbooks, including e-books, in English/language arts, history/social studies, science, math, and modern foreign languages, as well as texts for some other subject areas. The textbooks available for loan under the “textbook loan program” are on a list published annually by the Commissioner of Education. You are responsible for the purchase of other instructional materials needed for your child’s home instruction program.”

You must have approval from your local school committee if you intend to use an online program for virtual instruction in your home instruction plan (RIDE).