Begin Your Easy Online Virginia Homeschool Evaluation

Virginia’s home instruction statute follows a yearly rhythm anchored by two dates — one before the school year and one after it. Before the school year begins, the parent files a Notice of Intent with the division superintendent by August 15, including a list of subjects to be studied and evidence that the parent meets one of the qualifying criteria. Then, after that school year ends, the parent submits evidence of academic progress by August 1 of the following summer for each child who was age six or older as of September 30 of that school year.

Virginia gives families a great deal of freedom in how they teach. There is no required day or hour count, no affidavit, and no mandated subject grid for the year-end evidence — you list your subjects on the Notice of Intent and teach them.

For the most current details, we recommend reviewing the Virginia Department of Education Home Instruction page and Code of Virginia § 22.1-254.1.

To provide home instruction, the parent must meet one of four criteria in the statute:

• Hold a high school diploma or higher (the most common option), or
• Be a teacher licensed to teach in any state, or
• Provide the child a program of study or curriculum through a correspondence or distance-learning program, or
• Provide evidence that you are able to give the child an adequate education.

For most families, the high school diploma option is the simplest, and you confirm it right on the Notice of Intent.

By August 1 after the school year ends, you satisfy the evidence-of-progress requirement in one of two main ways:

• A standardized test — a composite score at or above the fourth stanine (the 23rd percentile) on any nationally normed achievement test, or an equivalent ACT, SAT, or PSAT score.
• An evaluation letter — from a person licensed to teach in any state, or a person with a master’s degree or higher in an academic discipline, stating the child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress. A transcript or report card from a college or correspondence program also qualifies.

The Homeschool Evaluator provides the evaluation letter route.

Each child who was age six or older as of September 30 of that school year. Children five or younger on that date are not yet required to show evidence of progress.

Your evaluator reviews samples of your student’s work and progress from the school year and, on that basis, writes a letter stating whether the student is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress.

There is no minimum score to clear — unlike the standardized-test route, the evaluation letter looks at the whole year rather than a single number on a single day. The goal is to give a clear, honest picture of the learning that happened.

The Homeschool Evaluator was started by Jennifer Horrocks, a teacher, evaluator, and homeschooling mom. The process was built with those experiences in mind so families can complete year-end evaluations in a way that feels simple, supportive, and less stressful.

Because Virginia accepts an evaluation letter from a teacher licensed in any state, you are not limited to evaluators inside Virginia. Online evaluations let you work from home at your own pace, in a familiar place, with clear guidance along the way.