HOME-SCHOOLING: AN EXAMINATION OF PARENTAL CHOICE AGAINST SOCIETAL NORMS
Thesis (Education (Curriculum and Instruction)) -- California State University, Sacramento, 2009.
The Ins and Outs of Homeschooling
This research investigates two major aspects of homeschooling. Factors determining parental motivations to homeschool and the determinants of the student achievement of home-educated children are identified. Original survey data from an organized group of homeschoolers is analyzed. Regression models are employed to predict parents’ motivations and their students’ standardized test achievement. Four sets of homeschooling motivations are identified. Academic and pedagogical concerns are most important, and it appears that the religious base of the movement is subsiding. Several major demographic variables have no impact upon parental motivations, indicating that this is a diverse group. Parents’ educational attainment and political identification are consistent predictors of their students’ achievement. Race and class—the two major divides in public education—are not significant determinants of standardized test achievement, suggesting that homeschooling is efficacious. It is concluded that homeschoolers are a heterogeneous population with varying and overlapping motivations.
Homeschooling In Indiana : A Closer Look
Does Indiana Need a New Round of Education Deregulation? Homeschooling is quickly becoming a significant educational phenomenon. According to the Indiana Department of Education, the number of Indiana homeschooled children has increased by 400 percent over the past eight years, with a current enrollment total of 22,403. Furthermore, this number likely understates the true number of Indiana homeschooled students, and reflects a constant refrain in research on homeschooling: very little comprehensive data exist on homeschooling demographics, practices, and outcomes. This Education Policy Brief will describe the current homeschooling landscape and its legal status in Indiana, as well as explore the issues underlying ongoing debate about whether homeschooling merits additional state regulation or oversight.