Even though South Carolina does not highly regulate homeschooling, there are some South Carolina homeschool requirements you must satisfy when you homeschool under Option 1 (Section 56-65-40):

• Begin homeschooling by age 5 (or age 6, with proper documentation).
• Obtain approval of the home instruction program through the district board of trustees 
• “Agree in writing to hold the district, the district board of trustees and the district’s employees harmless for any educational deficiencies of the student sustained as a result of home instruction”
• Provide instruction for at least one hundred eighty days and at least four and one-half hours per day, excluding lunch and recesses
• Teach at least these required subjects: “reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies and in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature”
• Provide access to library facilities
• Maintain required records (see below) and be able to present records for inspection “upon reasonable notice by a representative of the school district”
• Arrange for participation in the annual statewide testing program and the state-approved Basic Skills Assessment Program
• Stay current with homeschooling laws and requirements

Under Options 2 and 3, the association standards must ensure that “the instructional year is at least one hundred eighty days; and the curriculum includes, but is not limited to, the basic instructional areas of reading, writing, mathematics, science, and social studies, and in grades seven through twelve, composition and literature” (Section 59-65-45 and Section 59-65-47).

Additional requirements under Option 3 require that the association standards ensure the maintenance of educational records by the parent-teacher, including:

• “a plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and activities in which the student and parent-teacher engage;
• a portfolio of samples of the student’s academic work; and
• a semiannual progress report including attendance records and individualized documentation of the student’s academic progress in each of the basic instructional areas specified” (Section 59-65-47).

Do I need to administer testing to my homeschooler?

Yes, students homeschooling under Option 1 “must participate in the annual statewide testing program and the Basic Skills Assessment Program approved by the State Board of Education for their appropriate grade level. The tests must be administered by a certified school district employee either with public school students or by special arrangement at the student’s place of instruction, at the parent’s option. The parent is responsible for paying the test administrator if the test is administered at the student’s home” (Section 56-65-40).

Also, under Option 1, “within the first fifteen instructional days of the public school year, students participating in home instruction and eligible for enrollment in the first grade of the public schools must be tested to determine their readiness for the first grade using the readiness instrument approved by the State Board of Education for public school students. If a student is determined to be “not ready” or is determined to lack the necessary emotional maturity, the parent must be advised by appropriate school district personnel whether a kindergarten or a first grade curriculum should be used for the child” (Section 56-65-40).

What happens to my child’s annual testing results?

The following applies to families homeschooling under Option 1: “Should a student in a homeschooling program score below the test requirements of the promotion standard prescribed for public school students by the State Board of Education for one year, the district board of trustees shall decide whether or not the student shall receive appropriate instructional placement in the public school, special services as a handicapped student, or homeschooling with an instructional support system at parental expense. […] If a parent is denied permission to begin or continue homeschooling by a district board of trustees, the decision of the district board of trustees may be appealed, within ten days, to the State Board of Education. Any appeal from the decision of the State Board of Education must be taken, within thirty days, to the family court” (Section 56-65-40).

What records do I need to keep when I homeschool my child?

Parents homeschooling under Option 1 are responsible for certain recordkeeping. According to (Section 56-65-40), “as evidence that a student is receiving regular instruction, the parent shall present a system for maintaining and maintain the following records for inspection upon reasonable notice by a representative of the school district:

• a plan book, diary, or other written record indicating subjects taught and activities in which the student and parent engage;
• a portfolio of samples of the student’s academic work; and
• a record of evaluations of the student’s academic progress. A semiannual progress report including attendance records and individualized assessments of the student’s academic progress in each of the basic instructional areas […] must be submitted to the school district.”

In addition to the required recordkeeping, we also recommend you do some personal recordkeeping to provide verification of education in the event you would need to show some form of educational proof to the state or other legal entities or to prepare for re-entry into public school or postsecondary pathways. This includes the following:

• Attendance, required
• Immunization records
• Lists of texts and workbooks used
• Student schoolwork samples and/or portfolios, required
• Test and evaluation results
• Correspondence with school officials

You may also be able to find more information on South Carolina homeschool requirements through your local school district.