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HAWAII
Compulsory Attendance Ages: “have arrived at the age of at least 6 years and
... not ... at the age of 18 years by January 1 of any school year....” Hawaii
Revised Statutes § 302A-1132.
Required Days of Instruction: None.
Required Subjects: Curriculum must “be structured and based on educational
objectives as well as the needs of the child, be cumulative and sequential,
provide a range of up-to-date knowledge and needed skills, and take into account
the interests, needs, and abilities of the child.” Elementary: “may include”
language arts, math, social studies, science, art, music, health, and physical
education. Secondary: “may include” social studies, English, mathematics,
science, health, physical education, and guidance. Hawaii Admin. Rules, §
8-12-15.
Home School Statute: Hawaii Rev. Stat. § 302A-1132(a)(5)
Home schools have two options:
Option 1. A child is exempt “if notification of intent to home school has
been submitted to the principal of the public school which the child would
otherwise be required to attend in accordance with Department rules promulgated
to achieve this result.” § 302A-1132(a)(5). According to Hawaii Admin. Rules, §
8-12-1, et seq.
a. Parents must provide a notice of intent to home educate “before initiating
home schooling.” The notice of intent may be submitted on a department developed
form or in a letter containing the following items: name, address, telephone
number, birth date, and grade level of the child and the parent’s signature.
Hawaii Admin. Rules, § 8-12-13.
b. “Enrollment in a private school’s home study program shall not be construed
as equivalent to attendance at a private school.” Rules, § 8-12-8(b).
c. “A parent teaching the parent’s child at home shall be deemed a qualified
instructor.” Rules, § 8-12-19.
d. Parents must keep “a record of the planned curriculum” which must include the
commencement date and ending date of the program, number of hours per week of
instruction, subjects to be covered, method used to determine mastery of
materials and subjects in the curriculum, and a list of textbooks or other
instructional materials. This list shall be in standard bibliographical format.
Generally, the author, title, publisher and date of publication should be
indicated. Rules, § 8-12-15.
e. “The parent shall notify the principal if home schooling is terminated. A
child shall be re-enrolled in the local public school or licensed private school
unless a new alternative educational program is presented within five school
days after the termination of home schooling.” Rules, § 8-12-16.
Educational neglect charges cannot be based on the refusal of parents to comply
with any requests by public school officials that exceed the requirements of
this chapter. Rules, § 8-12-17.
Option 2. A child is exempt from compulsory attendance when “enrolled in an
appropriate alternative educational program as approved by the superintendent.”
§ 302A-1132(a)(5).
Teacher Qualifications: None for parents under Option 1 above, but instructors
under Option 2 must have a bachelor’s degree.
Standardized Tests: At the end of each school year an “annual report of child’s
progress” must be submitted to local principal. This report may comprise one of
the following:
1. a score on “a nationally-normed standardized achievement test which
demonstrates grade level achievement appropriate to a child’s age;”
2. “progress on a nationally-normed standardized test that is equivalent to one
grade level per calendar year;”
3. a written evaluation by a teacher certified in Hawaii; or
4. a written evaluation by the parent (grades, tests, assignments or results of
statewide testing program may be submitted) which demonstrates progress. Rules,
§ 8-12-18.
In grades 3, 5, 8 and 10, children must take a criterion or norm-referenced
standardized achievement test of the parent’s choice in lieu of the annual
progress report.
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