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HOME PAGE FOREIGN EXCHANGE STUDENT PROGRAM |
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I find the laws for establishing a home education program?
What if my child is 16 years or older, can he/she be enrolled in home education?
Besides the law, where can I find information on home education?
My student wants to play interscholastic athletics. What do I need to do?
Where do I get materials to teach my child?
Can my student take courses online as part of the home education program?
I understand that my child must be evaluated annually. Does your office do that?
My home education student can take the FCAT for his or her annual evaluation?
What do I do to withdraw my student from home education? Is there a form?
Where can I find additional information?
Will I receive a confirmation letter stating that my child is enrolled in home education?
Where can I find the laws for establishing a home education program? Florida law requires that students 6-16 attend school whether they are in a public, private, charter, home education program, etc. The District does not accept enrollment of home education students prior to age 6 and does not maintain records of students beyond age 16 except under special circumstances (See below.) The law specifically related to home education can be found online at http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&Search_String=&URL=Ch1002/SEC41.HTM&Title=-%3E2006-%3ECh1002-%3ESection%2041#1002.41
Compulsory education requires students to be in attendance in an education setting. Am I following the law by home educating my child? Yes. Home education is a school choice option as defined in Florida law. Be sure to provide your student some type of identification so that he or she can be identified as a home education student, if necessary, during regular public or private school hours.
Compulsory education requires that students between the ages of 6 and 16 attend school as stated above. Is my student automatically withdrawn at age 16? No. There are special circumstances under which a student will remain an active home education student even beyond age 16. If the parent wishes to enroll the student in dual enrollment courses at BC, qualify for Bright Futures scholarships, continue ESE services, meet governmental requirements, e.g. social security, or participate in interscholastic FHSAA-sanctioned athletics, this student’s home education enrollment will not be terminated.
What if my child is 16 years or older, can he/she be enrolled in home education? If the parent wishes to enroll the student in dual enrollment courses at BC, qualify for Bright Futures scholarships, continue ESE services, meet governmental requirements, e.g. social security, or participate in interscholastic FHSAA-sanctioned athletics, enrollment will be accepted up to the 19th birthday but only for these reasons.
Besides the law, where can I find information on home education? http://www.learningis4everyone.org and www.fpea.com are excellent resources for home education families. http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/home_education on the Florida Department of Education website also provides information on home education and school choice. Together, the Florida Parent Educators Association and the Florida Department of Education provide a wealth of information for parents interested in and parents who are currently providing a home education program for their students.
The law states that I must write a letter to the Superintendent of Schools to indicate that I am enrolling my student in home education. Is there a form? Yes. Forms are available on the Home Education Website or write a letter to the Superintendent of Schools, c/o District Guidance, 7th floor, 600 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. The law requires that you provide the district with your student’s name, address, and date of birth. P.O. boxes are not acceptable addresses and letters will be returned if a residential address is not provided. These documents should be sent CERTIFIED MAIL/RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED. The District does not send a letter of confirmation; your return receipt is for your records.
My student wants to play interscholastic athletics. What do I need to do? The Florida High School Athletics Association requires home education parents to request verification of enrollment per the District Guidance Department. This form, VERIFICATION OF STUDENT REGISTRATION WITH PUBLIC SCHOOL DSITRICT HOME EDUCATION OFFICE, may be downloaded from the FHSAA website at www.fhsaa.org, Home Education Website or may be obtained by calling FHSAA at 352-372-9551 or writing to FHSAA at 1801 NW 80th Blvd., Gainesville, FL 32606-9176. Complete the top section of the form and mail it into District Guidance, Attention: Home Education, 600 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. These forms will be returned via U.S. mail within 48 hours. Mail the EL7 form together with the verification to the address listed on bottom of the form.
My student had poor attendance when I enrolled him/her into a home education program and I received a notice that I was to attend a portfolio review. What is that? A portfolio review is a committee of 2 parents who have home educated their own children for at least 2 years and a District Guidance Office coordinator. It is up to this committee to verify that you are providing a home education program for your student through the presentation of a portfolio, per Florida statute.
Where do I get materials to teach my child? The district does not supply materials. ALL COSTS associated with educating your child in home education are the responsibility of the parent or guardian. The District does not supply materials. Information on the Sunshine State Standards and what a student should be able to demonstrate are available at www.fldoe.org. Also available on this website is a list of regionally accredited correspondence programs that provide curriculum for home education students; there may be a cost involved. If your child is an ESE student, talk with the boundaried school’s ESE specialist to make arrangements for continuous services.
Can my student take courses online as part of the home education program? There are several options for students to take virtual education courses. If a student is enrolled full time in Broward Virtual school, she or he is not a home education student. However, if the student is enrolled part-time in Broward Virtual school or full-time in any other virtual school – including Florida Virtual, then your child must remain active in our home education records. For more information on online education, go to www.flvs.net, www.bved.net, or www.floridaschoolchoice.org. Verification of home education enrollment is sent directly from the school district to Broward Virtual and to Florida Virtual.
My boundaried high school offers some electives that my home education student would like to enroll in. Can my student take courses on the school campuses? If an interscholastic activity requires that a student participate in a class, the school district is required to enroll the home education student in that class. Other than for this purpose, part-time enrollment is not allowed in the Broward County Public Schools, as allowed by Florida statute, either for public school students or for home education students (SB Policy 5.1).
I understand that my child must be evaluated annually. Does your office do that? No. The responsibility for educating through home education programs and evaluating progress is the sole responsibility of the parent. Florida Statute 1002.41 outlines 5 different methods of evaluation, including measurement tools such as standardized tests which may include FCAT (Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test), SAT and ACT, PSAT, ITBS (Iowa Test for Basic Skills) and the like. A Florida certified teacher also may verify progress as a method of evaluation. You may use this form for teacher evaluation. TRANSCRIPTS ARE NOT A MEASUREMENT TOOL AND WILL NOT SATISFY THIS REQUIREMENT OF THE LAW. Evaluations are due on or before the anniversary date of the student’s enrollment in home education.
My home education student can take the FCAT for his or her annual evaluation? Yes. If the parent of a home education student elects the FCAT as the method of evaluation, he or she must notify the home education office before the end of January. Schools cannot accommodate students who have not pre-registered. Moreover, if a parent selects the FCAT as the method of evaluation, that is the official assessment of the program and no other evaluation will be accepted.
What if my child does not make sufficient progress as evidenced by the evaluation results on the. FCAT. a Florida certified teacher’s portfolio assessment, etc.? The District will review all evaluations per Florida Statute 1002.41 to ensure that your student is making progress “commensurate with her or his ability.” Should the evaluation result indicate that your child is not making progress, your program will be placed on a one-year probation to enable you to remediate your child’s deficient skills. After the one-year probation period has ended, the annual evaluation must indicate demonstrated progress or the home education program will be terminated. You will not be allowed to re-enroll your child in home education for 180 days and must enroll her or him in another educational program, e.g. private school, public school, charter school within three days.
My student had poor attendance and/or withdrew from school before graduating from high school into a home education program. I received a letter from the state that she or he has been denied driving privileges. What now? Once the District can verify that your student has been enrolled in a home education program for 30 days, a guidance coordinator will sign the necessary form for you to submit to the state in order to have your child’s driving privileges reinstated. Verification of a home education program may be required, such as a review of your student’s portfolio.
What do I do to withdraw my student from home education? Is there a form? There is a form and there is no time limit on home education. If at any time a parent decides that the program is not in the best interests of his or her child, he or she may terminate the home education program. To terminate the home education program, complete the Notice of Termination form or write a letter to the Superintendent of Schools, c/o District Guidance, 12th floor, 600 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 with your student’s name, address, and date of birth stating that you are terminating your home education program and indicate the option you have chosen to continue your child’s education. Upon receipt of this letter, this office will withdraw your student from home education and records will indicate re-enrollment in a Broward County school, a move out-of-state, or enrollment in a private school.
I know that dual enrollment is an option for my student if they meet the criteria established by BC and the School Board. What’s the process? Obtain an APPLICATION and RECOMMENDATION for DUAL ENROLLMENT ADMISSION for HOME SCHOOL STUDENTS form from Broward Community College (BC). Fill out the top section of the form and mail it to the Superintendent of Schools, 12th Floor Guidance, 600 SE 3rd Avenue, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301. If your student’s evaluation shows sufficient progress, per Florida statute, a coordinator will sign the form and it will be mailed to you within 2 business days.The Robert Byrd Scholarship competition is now available to home education students. How does my student compete for this award?To be nominated for the Byrd, a student must be a resident of Florida and a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen, complete a Student Florida Financial Aid Application and be in their final year high school. Nominations are based upon a cumulative, unweighted GPA multiplied by test scores. The GPA is as of the 7th semester. The applicant with the highest product will be the District’s nominee. In the case of a tie, a letter of recommendation and a list of the applicant’s extracurricular activities will determine the nominee. For more information, contact the Office of Financial Assistance at 1-888-827-2004. Where can I find additional information? For additional information visit the Florida Department of Education School Choice website at http://www.floridaschoolchoice.org/information/home_education/
Websites from the Florida Department of Education School Choice will provide you with additional information. Visit www.fpea.com or http://www.learningis4everyone.org.
Will I receive a confirmation letter stating that my child is enrolled in home education? No. Parents must write a letter to the Superintendent of Schools to indicate their intent to establish a home education program. This document should be sent via CERTIFIED MAIL/RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED. The RETURN RECEIPT is the only confirmation that parents will receive acknowledging the Superintendent's acceptance of the home education establishment letter. Personalized establishment verification letters will not be written.
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