Home School Instruction

  • A parent or guardian may choose to offer Home School Instruction to their child rather than attending school in a traditional setting. While this is a personal choice for each family, the Rochester City School District would like to ensure that families can make an informed choice about this option. Please consult the Home School Manual (at the bottom of the page) for more information on how Home School Instruction works in the RCSD and New York State.

    Interested families may find additional information and answers about Home School Instruction in NYSED's Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) section. Detailed information about key dates and necessary documentation required by law for Home School Instruction in New York is available in the New York State Education Department's (NYSED) Commissioner's Regulations, 8 NYCRR 100.10.

    If you would like additional information on Home School Instruction in the City of Rochester, please contact us at HomeSchool@RCSDk12.org or call 585-262-8492.

    Address
    Rochester City School District
    Home School Instruction 
    131 W. Broad Street
    Rochester, NY 14614

  • Note: Parents/guardians new to home schooling in the Rochester City School District, or whose children have never attended an RCSD public school, are required to provide proof of age (birth certificate or other satisfactory documentation) and proof of residence (rent/lease contract, mortgage statement, current phone bill, current utility bill, or pay stub with address).

What is the process to apply for Home School Instruction?

  • If you decide to begin Home School Instruction for your child, the parent/guardian is required to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI). A template can be found below for your convenience. Once a Letter of Intent has been received by the Rochester City School District, an information packet will be sent to your child's home address. 
     
    This packet will include:
    • A template for An Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). See 100.10 (d) (4) for guidance.
      • Please be sure to include the name of individual(s) providing instruction if it's different than the parent/guardian.
    • A template for Quarterly Reports that will need to be submitted four times each school year.
    • A sample Attendance Record for tracking days of instruction. 
    • Commissioner Of Education, Part 100.10, which outlines how Home School Instruction is administered in New York State.

Letter of Intent Sample Download

  • Letter of Intent to Home School

Important procedures, dates, and deadlines for Home School Instruction

    • Letter of Intent must be submitted each school year.
      • Current Home School participant: Submit a Letter of Intent between July 1 and August 15.
      • New to Home School in the RCSD: A Letter of Intent may be submitted any time of the year.
        • The parent/guardian must provide the District with an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). The IHIP must be completed by the parent/guardian for each subject the parent/guardian is required to teach at the child's grade level as described in Part 100.10. The IHIP is due 30 days after the Letter of Intent is submitted.
        • The parent/guardian provides the District with four Quarterly Reports due on 11/16, 1/30, 4/16, and 6/25.
        • The parent/guardian must provide the District with four Quarterly Reports due by 11/8, 1/31, 4/21, and 6/30.
        • The parent/guardian must provide the District with four Quarterly Reports due by 11/8, 1/31, 4/21, and 6/30.
        • An Annual Assessment is due by 6/30 each school year.
      • Kindergarten – 3rd Grade have the option of submitting a narrative assessment each year or taking a national assessment such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the California Achievement Test, the Stanford Achievement Test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the Metropolitan Achievement Test, a State Education Department Test, or any other test approved by the State Education Department (most can be found on the Internet - families are responsible for the cost of assessment).
      • 4th - 8th Grade have the option of submitting a narrative assessment or taking a national assessment such as the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the California Achievement Test, the Stanford Achievement Test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the Metropolitan Achievement Test (most can be found on the Internet - families are responsible for the cost of assessment), or taking a NYS assessment (can be taken at one of our schools with advanced notice).  A narrative assessment can only be submitted every other year.
      • 9th-12th Grade must take one of the approved annual assessments and submit the results each year:
          • NYS Regents exams (Please contact the Director of Testing for NYS testing schedule and further instructions)
          • Commercially published norm-referenced achievement tests: the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, the California Achievement Test, the Stanford Achievement Test, the Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, the Metropolitan Achievement Test, or a State Education Department test (most can be found on the Internet - families are responsible for the cost of assessment).
          • Narrative Assessments are not accepted for students in 9th-12th Grades
    • A request for IEP services to continue through homeschooling must be submitted by June 1.

Documents and Resources