Support for Home School Parents

Welcome!

The Home School Office is dedicated to protecting, assisting, and connecting you. To that end, this page is designed specifically for you—the home school parent—to support your homeschooling journey, wherever it may lead. The destination is up to you.

Protecting You

The Notice of Intent (NOI) to Home School is the annual registration form legally required to home school in Arkansas. Because state law requires a minor to be enrolled in school, the NOI serves as legal protection for you and your student(s). The NOI does not enroll your student in a homeschool course or GED program.

The information from NOI can be used to provide an official verification letter from our office to confirm the academic years and grade levels provided by the parent or legal guardian. We often receive requests for a letter from parents, college, and employers. Please note: if the parent/guardian has not filed a Notice of Intent as required by law, our office will be unable to provide information to verify compliance with that requirement.

As a parent or guardian, you may request a verification letter from the Home School Office by emailing ade.homeschool@ade.arkansas.gov. Please provide the following information: parent/guardian name, student first and last name (maiden, if the student has married), along with the date of birth, last known public school district, and last school year an NOI may have been filed.

The NOI is not used for: Soliciting you, tracking you or your activity as homeschoolers, contacting you unless there’s an issue to resolve that requires your assistance, or any purpose other than what’s stated by law.

Assisting You

Our office is available to assist you with:

Completing the online or paper Notice of Intent form
Providing information to obtain a driver's license or GED
Explaining the waiting period of 5 school days for students leaving public school to home school (if the NOI is filed after August 15 of the current school year)
Giving information on how to re-enter the public school as a home school student
Informing parents/guardians on how to enroll their homeschool student into academic courses and extracurricular activities through public schools.

For answers to frequently asked questions, please click here.

Connecting You

Our office provides the following resources for your voluntary use:

Arkansas Academic Standards for kindergarten through 12th grade
A list of online and book-based home school curriculum providers
Information on testing opportunities for 10th and 11th grade home school students
PBS Learning Media – free online educational resources
A fact sheet on homeschooling in Arkansas
The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education’s up-to-date rules on homeschooling
DESE Learning Targets for grade levels K-8
Information on scholarships awarded by the Arkansas Division of Higher Education
Student Success Plan (SSP) Guidance for Homeschool Students
- Please contact the Arkansas Division of Higher Education (ADHE) for more information on the Arkansas Concurrent Challenge Scholarship, which requires a Student Success Plan (SSP) as part of the eligibility requirements
Trauma Resource Initiative for (Home) Schools [TRIS] - A traumatic event is never expected; if your home school student would benefit from specialized support, the TRIS team is here to help.

For additional information, please reference the resources and documents under Related Files and Related Links on this page or contact the Home School Office. The office is open during regular business hours, Monday through Friday.

Related Links Disclaimer: The Division of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) does not endorse the educational information offered by the organizations listed under the Related Links on this page. The links are provided to assist you with information regarding the home schooling of your child(ren). The DESE is not responsible for the content of any educational material received through these organizations. Please contact these organizations for additional information.

For more information, please contact:

Adrienne Bridges, Home School Office
Arkansas Department of Education
Division of Elementary and Secondary Education
Office of School Choice & Parent Empowerment
Four Capitol Mall, Mail Slot 6
Little Rock, AR 72201
Phone: 501-683-3162
Email: ADE.HomeSchool@ade.arkansas.gov