North Dakota Homeschool Laws: Requirements, Testing, and Withdrawal

North Dakota sits in the moderate-regulation tier for homeschooling. It requires annual notification, has some of the more specific teaching qualification requirements in the country (though options exist for parents without college degrees), and mandates annual standardized testing in certain grades. The law has changed in recent years to make compliance more accessible, but there are enough specific requirements that families need to understand the full picture before starting.

Legal Basis for Homeschooling in North Dakota

Homeschooling is authorized under North Dakota Century Code (NDCC) §15.1-23. The statute allows parents to educate their children at home as an alternative to public school attendance, provided specific notification, instruction, and assessment requirements are met.

Who Must Comply

Compulsory school attendance in North Dakota applies to children ages 7 through 16. A child who turns 7 must be either attending an accredited school or enrolled in a legal home school program. Compulsory attendance ends when the child turns 16 or completes high school requirements.

Children under 7 are not subject to compulsory attendance laws, though parents may begin home instruction at any age.

Annual Notification Requirement

North Dakota requires parents to notify the local superintendent of schools each year before beginning instruction. The notification deadline is typically September 1 for families starting at the beginning of the school year, or within 14 days of beginning home instruction for mid-year starts.

The notification must include:

• The name, address, and birth date of each child being homeschooled
• The name and qualifications of the instructor
• A statement of the subjects that will be taught

Notification must be renewed annually. This is not a one-time filing — you submit a new notification at the start of each school year.

The notification does not require superintendent approval. The district cannot deny a parent's right to homeschool based on the notification content, as long as the legal requirements are met.

Teaching Qualifications: A Key North Dakota Requirement

This is the aspect of North Dakota law that catches families off guard. The state has specific requirements regarding who can legally teach a home school student:

Under NDCC §15.1-23-06, the home school instructor must be one of the following:

1. A parent or guardian with a high school diploma or GED who is also enrolled in an accredited teacher education program
2. A parent or guardian who is a licensed teacher
3. A parent or guardian with a high school diploma or GED who is supervised by a licensed teacher with a minimum of three contact hours per week
4. A parent or guardian with a high school diploma or GED whose child is enrolled in an accredited correspondence course

In practice, the most common path for parents without teaching credentials is option 4 — enrolling the child in an accredited correspondence or online program. Many North Dakota homeschoolers use accredited programs from providers like Calvert Education, Bridgeway Academy, Seton Home Study, or similar programs that provide accreditation and a structured curriculum. When the child is enrolled in an accredited program, the parent's lack of a teaching credential is no longer an issue.

If you have a high school diploma and want to use your own curriculum rather than an accredited program, the supervision option (option 3) is available — but finding a licensed teacher willing to provide three weekly contact hours is an added logistical burden.

Required Subjects

North Dakota requires home school instruction to cover the same subjects taught in public schools at the equivalent grade level. For elementary grades, this includes:

• Reading
• Writing and composition
• English grammar
• Arithmetic
• Geography
• History of the United States
• Civil government

For secondary grades, the subject requirements expand to include science, mathematics through algebra and geometry, and additional history and civics content.

Standardized Testing Requirement

Unlike most other states, North Dakota requires annual standardized testing for home school students. Under NDCC §15.1-23-10, home school students must be tested annually in:

• Reading
• Language arts
• Mathematics
• Social studies
• Science

The test must be a nationally normed standardized test administered by the parent. Parents may choose from a list of approved tests, which includes the Iowa Assessment (Iowa Test of Basic Skills), the Stanford Achievement Test, and others. Test scores are sent by the testing service directly to the local school district superintendent.

The test results do not need to show proficiency at any particular percentile — there is no minimum score that a student must reach to remain eligible to homeschool. The testing requirement is about measurement, not gate-keeping. However, if test scores consistently show significant deficiencies, the superintendent may require the parent to demonstrate that adequate instruction is being provided.

Testing typically occurs in the spring of each school year. Parents arrange testing through an approved testing service — several services allow mail-in or online testing without requiring an external proctor.

Record-Keeping

North Dakota does not require submission of portfolios or academic records to the school district outside of the test score forwarding through the testing service. However, you should maintain:

• A record of subjects taught and instructional activities
• Student work samples showing progress over the year
• Any standardized test reports

These records protect you if questions arise about the adequacy of your home school program.

Withdrawing Your Child from a North Dakota Public School

If your child is currently enrolled in a North Dakota public school, you must formally withdraw before beginning home instruction. The withdrawal and notification happen together:

1. Send a withdrawal letter to the school principal or superintendent stating the child's name, grade, effective withdrawal date, and requesting FERPA records transfer (academic records, health records, test scores)

2. Send the home school notification to the local superintendent with the required information (child's name and birth date, instructor name and qualifications, subjects to be taught)

3. Deliver by certified mail with return receipt, or hand-deliver with a dated, signed confirmation copy

4. Select an approved standardized test and schedule testing for the spring — this can be arranged through the testing service you choose at any point after starting

For mid-year withdrawals, the notification should be sent within 14 days of beginning home instruction. Do not allow your child to miss public school days before the notification is submitted.

What North Dakota Districts Cannot Require

North Dakota law sets out specific requirements, and districts cannot add to them unilaterally. Districts cannot:

• Require curriculum approval before acknowledging your notification
• Deny your right to homeschool based on the notification filing
• Require home visits or in-person meetings as a condition of homeschooling
• Require a portfolio submission beyond the annual standardized test forwarding

If a district attempts to impose additional requirements, North Dakota's homeschool advocacy organization — North Dakota Home School Association (NDHSA) — can assist with understanding your legal rights under NDCC §15.1-23.

High School Homeschooling and Graduation

North Dakota home school graduates do not receive a state diploma. Parents issue their own diploma. This is legally valid for most employment and military enlistment purposes.

For college admission, North Dakota colleges and universities have varying requirements for homeschool applicants. North Dakota State University and the University of North Dakota both accept homeschool applicants and typically require ACT or SAT scores and a parent-generated transcript. Dual enrollment at community colleges is available to high school-age homeschool students and does not require a traditional high school diploma.

North Dakota Homeschool Law: Summary

The combination of the teaching qualification requirement and mandatory annual testing makes North Dakota somewhat more demanding than low-regulation states like Missouri or Texas. The most common practical solution for families without teaching credentials is enrolling the child in an accredited correspondence or online program, which resolves the qualification issue and often provides built-in testing support.

If you are coming from a state like Missouri where no notification is required at all, North Dakota's annual notification and testing requirements represent a meaningful change in what you need to do each year to stay legally compliant.

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