Record Keeping Recommendations For Homeschooling Families
In our last post, of HCN’s three-part Homeschool Record Keeping series, I shared my 5 Reasons for Keeping Homeschool Records. Today, in part 2, I discuss the seven types of records you should keep in your homeschool.
Documentation, Documentation, Documentation
In my last post in the Homeschool Record Keeping series, I shared that keeping good records is an old hat for me. In mental health we have a common saying, if it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen.
Old habits aside, there are numerous other benefits to keeping homeschool records such as accountability, memory keeping, and to track personal progress and growth.
What to Keep
While Texas has no formal record-keeping requirements, there are stated guidelines homeschooling families must abide by, such as
Teach the required subjects. Math, reading, spelling and grammar, and a course in good citizenship are required courses per state law. While science and history are not required by state law, colleges will require them; thus high school transcripts at a minimum for these subjects are recommended.
Use a written curriculum. To ensure students are receiving legitimate and genuine educational services in the home, the state of Texas requires the use of a written curriculum (online curriculums fall under this umbrella).
The HSLDA provides additional recommendations for documenting your family’s homeschool process:
Although Texas homeschool statute does not require recordkeeping, we recommend you keep the following important records for your homeschool:
HSLDA – Making homeschooling possible
- Attendance Record – We are hybrid homeschoolers. Our university-model school keeps attendance records for the days our soon attends class on campus. For our home-learning days, I keep this simple by printing out a yearly calendar, creating a key, and marking dates accordingly.
- Correspondence With School Officials – Our son was never enrolled in public school so we did not have to withdrawn him. However, I did document the phone call with the school system when I informed them we would be homeschooling rather than enrolling in the local elementary school. I also kept the correspondence letter the school sent me.
- Curricula Lists – Texas requires the use of a written curriculum. You can type the list if you prefer. In our pre-hyrbid homeschool years, I handwrote mine. Now, I simply include a copy of the assigned curricula.
- Field Trips/Outside Classes – The world is our classroom! One of our favorite activities as a homeschool family is you guessed it, field trips! We feel incredibly fortunate to live in an area with a plethora of opportunities and experiences where we can learn. I document these excursions in my daily planner, on our academic calendar, and in the handwritten form below. I also include brochures or educational handouts from these visit.We also outsource our son’s education in many areas, including P.E., sports, enrichment, music, and art to name a few. Co-op experiences, camps, and Outschool classes fall in this category as well. If available, I include course syllabi, work samples, and certificates of completion.
- Reading Logs – We are voracious readers in our house. I keep an ongoing list of the books we read throughout the year and update it as we go. For a free modifiable and printable copy of the reading log you see below, please visit It’s Only Homeschooling’s Freebies page.
- Test Results/Scores – I include report cards from our son’s brick-and-mortar school but this can include a summary (report card style) of assessments throughout the year from each subject or the assessments themselves (which is what have done in the past). I also include reports from standardized assessments. We use NWEA Growth Map Testing biannually (fall and spring) through Homeschool Boss for our assessment needs.
- Work Samples – In the earlier years, I especially focused on handwriting as this was an area he struggled the most with. Now, I keep writing samples and bits of projects.
Any other documents showing that your child is receiving an appropriate education in compliance with the law
You should maintain these records for at least two years.
You should also keep your student’s high school records and proof of compliance with the home education laws during the high school years (including any type of home education notice that you file with state or local officials) on file forever.The Importance of Recordkeeping in Texas (hslda.org)
HSLDA – Making homeschooling possible
Coming Up
Now that you know the why (Part 1) and the what (Part 2) for homeschool record keeping, be sure to check in with us for Part 3 of this series to learn the how. In Part 3, I share my prcess for putting all of the information together, my weeding out process, and storage and organization tips.
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Blessings,
Kimberly Bennett, LPC
Founder/CEO It’s Only Homeschooling
Founder/CEO The Homeschool Counseling Network
This website is not a professional counseling website and nothing here should be construed as professional counseling advice. Although Kimberly Bennett, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor, she is not your counselor, and no counselor-client relationship is established unless she has signed an agreement with you. All information provided through this website is for informational and educational purposes only.
