New York is one of the more demanding states. New York asks for more than most. It is entirely manageable once it is written down in one place, which is what this page is for. Nothing here is harder than it looks; there is just more of it.

What you file, and by when

Yes, multi-stage and the most paperwork-intensive in the region. (1) Written notice of intent to the superintendent of the district of residence by July 1, or within 14 days of starting home instruction mid-year. (2) District mails the IHIP form within 10 business days. (3) Parent files a completed Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) by August 15 or within 4 weeks of receiving the form, whichever is later. IHIP must list the child's name, age, grade; for each required course either a list of syllabi/curriculum materials/textbooks or a plan of instruction; the dates the four quarterly reports will be filed; and the name of the person providing instruction. (4) Four quarterly reports per year on the IHIP-stated dates (commonly ~Nov 15, Jan 31, Apr 15, Jun 30), each showing hours of instruction completed, material covered per subject, and either a grade or a narrative of progress. (5) Annual assessment filed with the fourth quarterly report.

Days or hours

900 hours/year for grades 1-6; 990 hours/year for grades 7-12; substantially equivalent to 180 days. Cumulative hours are reported quarterly; a quarter falling below 80% of the required proportional hours must be explained.

Subjects you must cover

Grades 1-6: arithmetic, reading, spelling, writing, English, geography, U.S. history, science, health, music, visual arts, physical education, and NY history/state and local government. Grades 7-8: English (2 units over 7-8), history/geography, science, math, PE, health, art, music, practical arts, library skills. Grades 9-12: English (4 units), social studies (4 units incl. 1 American history, 1/2 participation in government, 1/2 economics), math (2 units), science (2 units), art or music (1 unit), health (1/2 unit), physical education, and 3 units of electives. Plus, at required intervals across all grades: patriotism and citizenship, substance abuse instruction, traffic safety, and fire and arson prevention.

Records you keep

Parents must maintain attendance records for each student and make them available to the district on request. Retain IHIPs, all four quarterly reports, the annual assessment, and district acknowledgment letters, these are the only proof the program was compliant.

Testing or evaluation

Annual assessment required with the fourth quarterly report. Grades 1-3: written narrative evaluation acceptable each year. Grades 4-8: a norm-referenced standardized test is required at least every other year, with an alternative written narrative evaluation permitted in the alternate years. Grades 9-12: a standardized test is required EVERY year. Passing is a composite above the 33rd percentile, or one year's growth. Falling below triggers a year of probation and a district-approved remediation plan; failure to remediate can end home-instruction approval.

Diplomas and transcripts

CRITICAL: New York does NOT issue a Regents or local diploma to home-instructed students, a diploma may be awarded only to a student enrolled in a registered secondary school. Districts are not required to award credit or issue a transcript for home instruction, and homeschooled students generally cannot receive Regents credit for home-taught coursework (they may sit for some Regents exams only if a district agrees to administer them; districts are not obliged to). Parents issue their own diploma and transcript. Alternatives some families use: a district-issued 'letter of substantial equivalency' (available on request from the superintendent, but it is not a diploma), a TASC/HSE credential, or 24 college credits. Plan the credential path in 9th grade, not 12th. No ESA/voucher for homeschoolers.

Where this comes from

Statute: 8 N.Y.C.R.R. § 100.10 (Commissioner's Regulations, home instruction); N.Y. Educ. Law § 3204 and § 3212

Source: https://www.nysed.gov/nonpublic-schools/home-instruction-questions-and-answers

Last reviewed: July 2026 · our confidence in this entry: high

Homeschool law changes, and a page like this goes stale without announcing it. Check the statute above against your own reading before a filing deadline. If we are out of date, we would rather hear it from you than have you find out at the district office.

Keeping the records is the other half of this. Our Records System has the editable transcript with the GPA already wired, 131 course descriptions, and this same statute-cited summary for all fifty states and DC. Thirty-nine dollars, one household, however many children you have.