Guides
Homeschool record-keeping, explained
Short, practical guides to the records homeschooling families actually need: what to keep and for how long, building a schedule that lasts past October, the notice of intent, a college-ready transcript, a state portfolio, and New York's home instruction plan. Written from primary sources and kept current for the 2026 school year.
What is a homeschool notice of intent?
The letter that tells your state you are homeschooling. Who needs one, when it is due, and what to put in it.
What goes on a homeschool transcript
What belongs on a transcript, how credits are assigned, and what admissions offices actually look for.
How to put together a homeschool portfolio
What goes in a portfolio, which states require one, and how an evaluator review works.
The New York IHIP, explained
New York's Individualized Home Instruction Plan: the deadlines, the quarterly reports, and what to include.
What is an umbrella school?
The private-school covering option: how umbrellas work, the states where they matter, and when to use one.
Homeschool filing deadlines by state
Every notice and filing deadline for 2026-27, organized by month and by state, so nothing sneaks up on you.
Spreadsheet or app for homeschool records?
Where a spreadsheet genuinely works, where it breaks down, and how to decide what your family needs.
How to build a homeschool schedule
What your state requires, sample rhythms by grade, and the block, loop, and four-day approaches families actually keep.
Homeschool record keeping, start to finish
Which records to keep, how long to keep them, and what changes depending on how regulated your state is.
How to choose a homeschool app
The four kinds of homeschool app, and the questions worth asking before you trust one with a year of records.
Paper planner or app for your homeschool?
How paper and an app compare for daily logging, compliance paperwork, and records you need years later.