How to Homeschool in West Virginia

This information is not legal advice and should not be used as such. You should verify all requirements with the government agency in your area before you begin homeschooling. You may find contact information in the links below.
  • In West Virginia, homeschooling is known as "home instruction".
  • Compulsory attendance is required for children ages 6 through 17.

From the United States Department of Education

West Virginia has a compulsory attendance statute, WV Code 18-8-1(a). Beginning with the 2011–12 high school freshman cohort class of students, the maximum age of compulsory school attendance is 17. WV Code 18-8-1(c) contains two subdivisions that allow an exemption to compulsory attendance for "home instruction." Note: A homeschooled student is not considered a private school student in West Virginia.

If the homeschool provider chooses to file a notice of intent to homeschool as noted in WV Code §18-8-1(c)(2), the person or persons providing home instruction must file a notice of intent to provide home instruction that contains the name, address, and grade level of the child to be instructed. The notice of intent shall be given at least two weeks prior to withdrawing the child from a public school. WV Code §18-8-1 (a); (c)(2)(A).

The person or persons providing the instruction must submit satisfactory evidence of a high school diploma or its equivalent. The person providing home instruction must outline a plan of instruction for the ensuing school year. WV Code §18-8-1 (c)(2)(B) and (C).

If the homeschool provider seeks county board approval as noted in WV Code §18-8-1(c)(1), home instruction must be in the home of the child to be instructed or in another approved location and must be for a time equal to the school term of the county.

The superintendent or a designee shall offer such assistance, including textbooks, other teaching materials and available resources, as may assist the person or persons providing home instruction subject to their availability. Any child receiving home instruction may, upon approval of the county board of education, exercise the option to attend any class offered by the county board of education as the person or persons providing home instruction may deem appropriate subject to normal registration and attendance requirements. WV Code §18-8-1 (c)(3).

A homeschooled student prohibited from participating in interscholastic athletics does not violate equal protection under art. III, §10 of the West Virginia Constitution.

"...Any child receiving home instruction may upon approval of the county board exercise the option to attend any class offered by the county board as the person or persons providing home instruction may consider appropriate subject to normal registration and attendance requirements." WV Code §18-8-1 (c)(2)(E)(3).

Contact Information

West Virginia Department of Education
Building 6, Room 362
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, WV 25305-0330
Phone: 304-558-2118
Fax: 304-558-0048
Website: http://wvde.state.wv.us/


Source: United States Department of Education - West Virginia State Regulations

From the West Virginia Department of Education

West Virginia Code §18-8-1 outlines the exemptions to public school attendance for students of the compulsory attendance ages of 6-17.

Intent to Home School Notification

The parent of a child receiving home instruction shall present to the county superintendent or county board a notice of intent to provide home instruction that includes the name, address, and age of any child of compulsory school age to be instructed and assurance that the child shall receive instruction in reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies and that the child shall be assessed annually.

The person providing home instruction shall notify the county superintendent upon termination of home instruction for a child who is of compulsory attendance age.

Upon establishing residence in a new county, the person providing home instruction shall notify the previous county superintendent and submit a new notice of intent to the superintendent of the new county of residence: Provided, That if a child is enrolled in a public school, notice of intent to provide home instruction shall be given on or before the date home instruction is to begin.

Teacher Requirement

The person or persons providing home instruction shall submit satisfactory evidence of a high school diploma or equivalent, or a post-secondary degree or certificate from a regionally accredited institution or from an institution of higher education that has been authorized to confer a post-secondary degree or certificate in West Virginia by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education or by the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission.

Assessment/Evaluation

Annually, the person or persons providing home instruction shall obtain an academic assessment of the child for the previous school year in one of the following ways:
(i) The child receiving home instruction takes a nationally normed standardized achievement test published or normed not more than 10 years from the date of administration and administered under the conditions as set forth by the published instructions of the selected test and by a person qualified in accordance with the test’s published guidelines in the subjects of reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies. The child is considered to have made acceptable progress when the mean of the child’s test results in the required subject areas for any single year is within or above the fourth stanine or, if below the fourth stanine, shows improvement from the previous year’s results;
(ii) The child participates in the testing program currently in use in the state’s public schools. The test shall be administered to the child at a public school in the county of residence. Determination of acceptable progress shall be based on current guidelines of the state testing program;
(iii) A portfolio of samples of the child’s work is reviewed by a certified teacher who determines whether the child’s academic progress for the year is in accordance with the child’s abilities. The teacher shall provide a written narrative about the child’s progress in the areas of reading, language, mathematics, science and social studies and shall note any areas which, in the professional opinion of the reviewer, show need for improvement or remediation. If the narrative indicates that the child’s academic progress for the year is in accordance with the child’s abilities, the child is considered to have made acceptable progress; or
(iv) The child completes an alternative academic assessment of proficiency that is mutually agreed upon by the parent or legal guardian and the county superintendent.

Assessment Submission

The parent or legal guardian shall submit to the county superintendent the results of the academic assessment of the child at grade levels three, five, eight and 11, as applicable, by June 30 of the year in which the assessment was administered.

Record Keeping

A parent or legal guardian shall maintain copies of each student’s Academic Assessment for three years. When the annual assessment fails to show acceptable progress, the person or persons providing home instruction shall initiate a remedial program to foster acceptable progress.

The county board upon request shall notify the parents or legal guardian of the child, in writing, of the services available to assist in the assessment of the child’s eligibility for special education services. Identification of a disability does not preclude the continuation of home schooling.

In the event that the child does not achieve acceptable progress for a second consecutive year, the person or persons providing instruction shall submit to the county superintendent additional evidence that appropriate instruction is being provided.

Text Books

The county superintendent or a designee shall offer such assistance, including textbooks, other teaching materials and available resources, all subject to availability, as may assist the person or persons providing home instruction.

Dual Enrollment Public School

Any child receiving home instruction may upon approval of the county board exercise the option to attend any class offered by the county board as the person or persons providing home instruction may consider appropriate subject to normal registration and attendance requirements.

West Virginia Home Schooling Links


Source: West Virginia Department of Education

Updated 29 December 2021

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