Washington State Homeschool Laws: Declaration, Testing, and Qualified Instruction

Washington State has specific homeschool requirements that go beyond simple notification. The qualified instruction rule and annual assessment requirement mean families need to understand the law before starting. The Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO) is the primary resource for in-state guidance — but here's what the law itself actually says.

Washington Homeschool Law Overview

Homeschooling in Washington is governed by RCW 28A.225.010, which provides an exemption from compulsory attendance requirements for home-based instruction. To qualify for this exemption, instruction must meet specific requirements around qualification and content.

Washington's compulsory attendance age runs from 8 through 17 (when a student turns 18, or earlier if they graduate).

Annual Declaration Requirement

Parents must file an annual Declaration of Intent with the local school district superintendent by September 15 of each school year (or within two weeks of beginning to homeschool mid-year). The declaration includes:

• Names and ages of the children
• Location of instruction
• A statement that the parent meets the qualification requirements

The declaration goes to the local district, not a state agency. Washington does not maintain a central homeschool registry.

The Qualified Instruction Requirement

Washington's most distinctive requirement is around who can provide instruction. A parent can homeschool if they meet one of the following conditions:

1. Hold a current Washington state teaching certificate
2. Have 45 college credit hours or a bachelor's degree
3. Have been assessed by the local district superintendent as competent to provide instruction
4. Use a school district-approved curriculum

If none of these apply, the parent must use a curriculum approved by the superintendent of their local school district, or work under the supervision of a person who holds a teaching certificate.

In practice, most college-educated parents satisfy option 2 (45 credit hours or a bachelor's degree). This qualification is self-certified — the parent does not submit transcripts to the district, but should be prepared to provide evidence if challenged.

Required Subjects

Washington requires home-based instruction to cover the following 11 subjects:

• Occupational education
• Science
• Mathematics
• Language arts (reading, writing, speaking, listening)
• Social studies
• History
• Health
• Physical education
• Art and music appreciation
• Washington State history (at appropriate grade levels)

This list is longer than most states. The requirement covers all these areas but does not specify how much time to spend on each or what curriculum to use.

Annual Assessment

Washington requires that homeschooled students receive an annual assessment in one of these forms:

1. Standardized achievement test administered by a qualified person (not the parent)
2. Assessment by a certified teacher who evaluates a portfolio of the student's work
3. Review by a parent who holds a teaching certificate (if the parent is the instructor)

For most families, this means arranging either annual standardized testing (Iowa Test, Stanford, etc.) or a portfolio review with a local certified teacher. Assessment results are kept by the parent and do not go to the district unless the district specifically requests them (which is rare).

The Washington Homeschool Organization (WHO)

The Washington Homeschool Organization is the main statewide support and advocacy group for Washington homeschoolers. WHO provides: - Guidance on state law compliance - An annual conference (typically held in the Puyallup area) - Connection to local homeschool co-ops and support groups - Resources for navigating the testing requirement

There are also numerous county and regional organizations throughout the state, as well as faith-based networks.

High School and College Preparation in Washington

Washington's public universities — University of Washington, Washington State University, and the other institutions in the Higher Education Coordinating Board system — accept homeschool graduates with parent-issued transcripts. Western Washington University, Pacific Lutheran, Seattle Pacific, and Gonzaga all have experience working with homeschool applications.

For the University of Washington, homeschool applicants should expect competitive review with emphasis on GPA, ACT/SAT scores, and the course rigor evident from the transcript.

Washington does not have a state merit scholarship equivalent to Georgia's HOPE or Florida's Bright Futures. Need-based state aid comes through the Washington College Grant (formerly State Need Grant), which is available to Washington residents based on FAFSA eligibility. Homeschool graduates qualify on the same basis as public school graduates.

Starting to Homeschool in Washington

New homeschool families in Washington often reach out to WHO or local co-ops first — finding a co-op with a certified teacher who can handle the annual assessment requirement is a practical first step. Many local co-ops in the Seattle metro, Spokane, and Tri-Cities areas have established testing arrangements.

For high school students looking toward college applications, the work of building a competitive admissions file — transcripts, school profiles, Common App documentation — starts at the same point it does for any homeschooler: grade 9. The US University Admissions Framework walks Washington homeschool families through that process step by step.

Running Start: Washington's Dual Enrollment Program

Washington's Running Start program is one of the most generous dual enrollment opportunities in the country. High school juniors and seniors (and in some cases sophomores) can take college courses at Washington community and technical colleges tuition-free. The program is explicitly open to homeschoolers.

Under Running Start: - Tuition is free; the student pays only fees and books - Credits transfer to Washington state universities (UW, WSU, etc.) - Full-time Running Start students can earn an associate degree alongside their high school completion - The resulting college transcript serves as strong external validation for any college application

For homeschoolers in Washington, Running Start addresses the assessment requirement simultaneously: a community college instructor evaluates the student's work, providing the certified-teacher involvement the law requires while also building a college-level academic record.

College Admissions from Washington State

The University of Washington (UW Seattle, UW Bothell, UW Tacoma), Washington State University, Western Washington University, Eastern Washington University, and Central Washington University all have admissions processes that accommodate homeschool applicants. Most require the standard package: professional transcript, test scores, and application essays.

The highly selective Reed College (Portland, OR, near the Washington border), Whitman College, Gonzaga, and Seattle Pacific are private institutions that recruit Washington students and have reviewed homeschool applications. Reed in particular is known for valuing self-directed learners — a natural fit for many homeschool graduates.