Homeschooling in Maryland: 4 Things Parents Should Know

One of the things that Maryland can take pride in is its tradition of offering a good homeschooling environment. Thousands of parents across the state opt for home instruction over regular public education, and the state offers four options to suit your family's preference. Regardless of what you prefer, there's an option that suits you.

While the system may look complicated at first, it's actually one of Maryland's strengths. This guide covers the four homeschooling options and the basic requirements every Maryland parent should know before getting started.

Options for Homeschooling in Maryland

Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, there are four ways to homeschool under Maryland law. 

Option 1: The Portfolio Option

This option is the most independent route. Parents are fully responsible for planning and delivering instruction while keeping a portfolio of teaching materials, showing that the student is regularly and thoroughly educated in all required subjects. 

The portfolio should include instructional materials, reading materials, and examples of the child's writings, worksheets, workbooks, creative materials, and tests. The local superintendent may request to review the portfolio up to three times during the school year, at a mutually convenient time and place. Any problems found in the portfolio must be resolved within 30 days.

Families seeking the utmost control over their children's education tend to choose this option. It's worth reading about how other states handle oversight, such as Homeschooling Massachusetts: What Parents Need to Know to Get Started, where requirements differ significantly.

Option 2: The Church Umbrella Option

Parents who want faith-based oversight can homeschool under a bona fide church organization's educational program. The church umbrella supervises home instruction through pre-enrollment conferences, textbook and lesson plan review, and periodic parent conferences. Most umbrella programs charge a fee. Generally, the more services provided, the higher the cost. Every year, parents must verify continued involvement in the program and notify the umbrella of any changes in homeschool status.

Option 3: The Church-Exempt School Umbrella Option

The option is quite similar to the church umbrella program, except that it is run by a church-exempt school. A church-exempt school is a school that is run by a church that doesn't need to meet state approval requirements. Supervision requirements are identical to those of the church umbrella option, including pre-enrollment conferences, lesson plan review, and periodic parent conferences. 

Before choosing this route, it's worth confirming how diplomas issued under umbrella programs are recognized by the colleges, employers, or programs your child may apply to later.

Option 4: The State-Approved School Umbrella Option

In this case, a state-approved nonpublic school appoints a teacher from a school to help the parents of homeschooled children prepare progress reports, grade papers, and grade tests. This is the best option for families who want professional oversight built into their home instruction, as it offers the most external assistance and structure.

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Basic Requirements for Homeschool Families in Maryland

Notice of Consent

Every homeschooling family must submit a Notice of Consent to the local superintendent before beginning homeschooling. This form should be submitted at least 15 days before you start and must be renewed annually before the start of each new school year.

If there's any change, such as stopping homeschooling mid-year, switching from one option to another, or relocating, you must notify your local superintendent right away.

Required Subjects

The following subjects must be taught regularly and thoroughly in any homeschool program in Maryland:

• Mathematics
• English
• Social studies
• Science
• Art
• Music
• Health
• Physical education

Instruction must occur regularly and be of sufficient duration to ensure program implementation. There are no specific numbers of days or hours required. The standard is simply that instruction is regular and thorough.

Standardized Testing

Maryland doesn't require homeschoolers to be tested through standardized tests. However, testing is a helpful way to track your child's progress. Homeschooled children interested in taking Maryland State tests may do so at their local public school at no cost. Check out our blog on how to teach kids healthy study habits.

Curriculum

Neither the local school system nor the Maryland State Department of Education will provide a required curriculum. It's up to you, as a parent, to choose the instructional materials. All you need to do is ensure that all the required subjects are taught.

How to File Your Notice of Consent and Get Started

Step 1: Choose Your Homeschooling Option

Decide which homeschooling option suits your family best before starting any paperwork. If you have selected a church umbrella program or a church-exempt school umbrella program, you'll need to identify and join your umbrella program before submitting your Notice of Consent, as you must name the organization on the form. 

Step 2: File Your Notice of Consent

Your Notice of Consent form should be submitted to your local superintendent or homeschool liaison. Maryland regulations require that you complete and submit the Notice of Consent form at least 15 days before you begin your home instruction program. Forms are available through the Maryland State Department of Education's website and from your local home instruction coordinator.

Step 3: Withdraw Your Child From Public School

After filing your Notice of Consent, you may proceed to remove your child from their local school system. Make sure to keep a copy of all correspondence with school officials for your records.

Step 4: Select Your Curriculum and Begin

With your notice filed and your child removed from the local school system, you're now set to begin. Pick out instructional materials that cover all eight mandatory subjects and begin homeschooling your kids. If you're enrolled in the portfolio program, make sure to start compiling your portfolio on the first day. Record keeping from the very beginning ensures much easier semester reviews.

Step 5: Verify Annually and Report Changes

Each year before the start of the new school year, you're required to let your local superintendent or the umbrella program know about your plans to continue homeschooling your child. Any changes in your homeschool status must also be reported promptly.

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Building Your Homeschooling Curriculum

One of the advantages of educating your kids at home in Maryland is the freedom to choose your curriculum. The local school system or the state will not provide instructional materials or prescribe a required curriculum.

Parents get to decide what to use, and they usually appreciate the freedom in making such decisions. As a parent, you may develop your own curriculum, enroll your kid in college classes either full-time or part-time, use a structured online school, or combine multiple approaches until you find something that works.

When you're homeschooling kids of different age groups, for instance, a kindergartner and a teenager, getting the best homeschool resources that fit all age levels without having to go through the trouble of creating an entirely different curriculum for each child is often a priority. That's one area where our Homeschool Hub genuinely earns its place in a Maryland homeschool setup.

Tuttle Twins Homeschool Hub

Maryland's curriculum freedom can sometimes be intimidating because of its blank-slate nature. Our Homeschool Hub fills up that blank slate with educational materials that focus on the kind of foundational thinking that most standard curricula leave out entirely.

Our children's series is the perfect starting point for young homeschoolers because these are illustrated and entertaining stories that hide very sophisticated ideas inside them. Reading books such as The Tuttle Twins and the Messed Up Market and The Tuttle Twins and the Road to Surfdom develops your children's critical thinking skills and encourages dinner-table discussions.

Other resources available on the Tuttle Twins website include:

Bundles Based on Your Child's Age

We organize our curriculum bundles around three age brackets:

• Toddlers (ages 6 and below)
• Kids (ages 7–12)
• Teens (ages 13 and up)

With these bundles, you don't need to sort through materials that aren't appropriate for your child's age bracket.

Tuttle Twins Academy for High Schoolers

The Tuttle Twins Academy offers more than 300 engaging lessons by 30 expert teachers. The Academy is designed for students ages 12–18 and offers lessons across economics, civics, history, and critical thinking, taught at a level that respects teenagers as capable thinkers. It's one of the few online options specifically designed to teach the ideas most adults were never taught, presented in a format that holds a teenager's attention.

ESA Fund Information

In many states, families can direct their own education dollars toward Tuttle Twins resources through ESA programs like ClassWallet and Odyssey. While Maryland families cannot use ESA funds for Tuttle Twins products at the moment, you can visit our ESA page to learn about the reimbursement process in eligible states.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Do I Need Permission to Start Homeschooling in Maryland?

Not exactly, but you do need to file a Notice of Consent with your local superintendent at least 15 days before beginning your home instruction program. This is necessary for all four homeschooling options in Maryland. This form must be renewed each year before the start of the next school year, and the superintendent should be notified of any changes to your homeschool status.

What Are the Required Subjects for Homeschool Students in Maryland?

In Maryland, the mandatory subjects that home instruction programs must cover are:

• Math
• English
• Social studies
• Science
• Art
• Music
• Health
• Physical education

The choice of instructional materials is up to you as long as all mandatory subjects are covered.

Does Maryland Require Homeschool Students to Take Standardized Tests?

No. There's no requirement from the state of Maryland for homeschooled students to take standardized tests. However, homeschooled students who want to participate in Maryland state testing can do so at their local public school. If you’re new to homeschooling, check out our blog, “What is Homeschooling? ”.

Conclusion

The homeschooling system in Maryland is quite organized, but once you know which route to take, it becomes manageable. All you have to do is pick an option, file your Notice of Consent, teach the mandated subjects, and keep good records.