Glossary

Accredited/ Accreditation

A set of standards set by an accrediting body (often made up of representatives from the institutions the standards are applied to).  Accreditation is often used as a selling point for curriculum and programs offered to homeschoolers and private and public schools.  It is also occasionally wielded by institutions and groups against homeschoolers (public schools demanding that a homeschooler have “accredited” credits to accept them for credit toward graduation (this is not legal in WA), or colleges or sports associations asking for “accredited” transcripts or diplomas).

Alternative Learning Experience (ALE)

A public school program that does not meet on the traditional M-F 8-4 schedule. These programs include those in the juvenile justice system, programs for at-risk youth, programs for teen parents, Parent Partnership Programs, and others.  It is possible to attend a ALE on a part time basis and retain your HBI (homeschooling) status.  Because you can be a full time student in these programs but only “attend school” a day or two per week, it is important to know what FTE your school is reporting you as to know if you are homeschooling and attending part time, or if you are enrolled as a full time public school student and are not homeschooling.

Ancillary Services

Anything offered in a public school that is not a “course” or “class.”  This includes, “any cocurricular service or activity, any health care service or activity, and any other services or activities, except “courses,” for or in which preschool through twelfth grade students are enrolled by a public school. The term shall include, but not be limited to, counseling, psychological services, testing, remedial instruction, speech and hearing therapy, health care services, tutorial services such as home or hospital instruction for the physically disabled, and sports activities.”   Homeschooler access to part time attendance and ancillary services is guaranteed by law in your local school, and is available on a space-available basis at a “choice” school.

“An eligible part-time public school student who qualifies as a resident of a public school district pursuant to the definition of a “resident student” set forth in chapter 392-137 WAC, as now or hereafter amended, shall be entitled to attend the schools of the district within his or her attendance area tuition free on a part-time basis. Eligible part-time public school students who meet the admission policies of a public charter school shall be entitled to attend the school tuition free on a part-time basis.

An eligible part-time public school student shall be entitled to take any course, receive any ancillary service, and take or receive any combination of courses and ancillary services which is made available by a public school to full-time students. Eligible nonresident part-time public school students may be enrolled at the discretion of a public school district pursuant to the terms and procedures established for nonresident student attendance in chapter 392-137 WAC, as now or hereafter amended.” [WAC 392-134-010]

The school’s funding is conditioned on their compliance with this law: “Each public school district and charter school shall certify compliance with this chapter as a condition to the reimbursement of costs pursuant to RCW 28A.150.250, 28A.150.260 and 28A.150.350, as now or hereafter amended. State and federal funds shall be withheld in whole or part or recovered in whole or part through reduction in future entitlements of a district or charter school as necessary to enforce the provisions and intent of this chapter.” [WAC 392-134-030]

Classical Homeschooling

A homeschool methodology that follows the Trivum (the “three-fold road”) through the stages of Grammar, Dialectic, and Rhetoric, using the subjects of grammar, logic, and rhetoric to “give children valuable tools of learning which enables them to grasp, understand, and act on any other subject, area of study, or problem encountered in college and in adult life.”

Compulsory Attendance

The age at which, by law, a student must attend school.  In WA, this is from 8-18.  When a child in WA turns 8, you must send h** to school, or begin homeschooling.  Until then, you don’t have to qualify. You don’t have to declare. You don’t have to cover the 11 subjects, and you don’t have to test or assess. You don’t have to send him to school and you don’t have to homeschool until *he’s 8. *he’s as free as *he was when *he was born. (It’s totally fine to do anything you want, including formal instruction between now and then, but there is no legal requirement to do so, even if your only plan was to send *he to school).

Declaration of Intent (DOFL)

The annual document you send to the school district relieving them of their duty to provide your child with an education and providing you with protection from a charge of truancy.

The Declaration of Intent is a document submitted on the child’s 8th birthday or when you begin homeschooling a child over the age of 8, and every 15 September thereafter.  Under absolutely no circumstance does a child under 7 need to be included on a Declaration of Intent, even if the child was previously in school, or even if the child is attending school on a part time basis.

The Declaration of Intent needs to include the child[ren]’s name[s], and age[s], your name and address, and a check if you have hired a teacher to provide oversight as your method of qualifying to homeschool.  No additional information is required, and we recommend not offering additional information, especially “grade level” which can lock your student in to a one-grade-per-year advancement and prevent h** from accessing programs that are not for h** “grade” at a later time, including Running Start.

Deschooling

The process by which a student formally enrolled in school and their parent steps away from and out of the “schooly” mindset, and find their bearings in their new homeschool relationship.  As a general rule of thumb, this process takes about a month per year the student was in school, not including summer vacation.  It often does resemble summer vacation.  The goal is, in part, to step away from the mindset that the student awaits input from the teacher, away from the mindset that learning is this thing that only happens in school, and away from the false dichotomy of “school” and “home.”  You goal, in part, is to bore your student into wanting to re-engage in h** education, and to allow h** to find h** passions and interests.  Deschooling is often the most painful, difficult part of homeschooling for the parent, but those who do it find the rest of their homeschooling goes so much better.

Eleven (11) Subjects

The eleven subjects homeschoolers are required to cover over the course of their homeschooling.  These include:

1. Reading
2. Writing
3. Spelling
4. Language
5. Math
6. Science
7. Social studies
8. History
9. Health
10. Occupational education
11. Art and Music appreciation

Full Time Equivalency (FTE)

A unit of measurement used by the public schools to count student and teacher (and other school employee hours). In general, 1.0 FTE is full time (though there are a few cases where one might exceed 1.0 FTE), and anything less than 1.0 FTE is part time.

H**

Shorthand for him or her.

Home-Based Instruction (HBI)

The legal name for homeschooling in Washington State.

Homeschooling

As defined narrowly in Washington State law, homeschooling is “provided by a parent, educating his or her child only” with the parent bearing all the responsibility (including financial) and retaining all the freedom.

Mastery or Teaching to Mastery

A teaching paradigm that removes time from the equation and focuses on completion being synonymous with mastering the material.  Someone “teaching to mastery” will make sure the student has mastered the material before moving on to the next subject.

One-Thousand (1,000) Hours

There is no number of days to homeschool requirement. There is a 1,000 hour requirement for 8-18yos.

Parent Partnership Program (PPP)

A public school program designed originally to bring the homeschool community back into the public school system. These programs are often erroneously referred to as “homeschooling” or “home-based instruction.”  These programs are public-school-at-home, and are not homeschooling, as defined in WA law.   It is possible to attend a PPP on a part time basis and retain your HBI (homeschooling) status.  Because you can be a full time student in these programs but only “attend school” a day or two per week, it is important to know what FTE your school is reporting you as to know if you are homeschooling and attending part time, or if you are enrolled as a full time public school student and are not homeschooling.

Part Time Attendance

Part time attendance at your local public school is a right guaranteed to homeschoolers under WA law.  Part time is anything less than full time, and is measured in a unit called an FTE.  Full time in 1.0 FTE or more.

Homeschooler access to part time attendance and ancillary services is guaranteed by law in your local school, and is available on a space-available basis at a “choice” school.

Religious Curriculum

Curriculum whose basis is in a particular religion or doctrine.  In general, a religious curriculum will weave the religious instruction in with each subject (including math and science).

Running Start

A state funding program for highschool juniors and seniors to access the community colleges (and some of the 4 year schools) for up to 6 quarters.  Eligibility is based on grade, not age.  The youngest person we know to attend RS was 10.  [I’ve personally helped a few 12yos through the process. ~Jen GS]  In general, the process for signing up begins in the spring of the sophomore (10th grade) year.  We suggest approaching the college first, and taking the placement tests, as RS does not pay for pre-curriculum coursework.  Then you’ll go to your local highschool and enroll (in a grossly oversimplified explanation of this, the state pays the school, the school takes 7%, and then the school pays the college).  In some districts, the district office will take the RS application.  The school counselor will then give you the Running Start Eligibility Verification Form, which you will take to the college to register for classes.  You’ll repeat the last two steps for up to 6 consecutive quarters, minus the summer.

Secular Curriculum

Curriculum whose basis is not in a particular religion or doctrine.

Socialization

The trite, knee-jerk reaction that you will have every time you mention that you homeschool.  Most people don’t generally mean socialization (the process of internalizing the norms and ideologies of society. Socialization encompasses both learning and teaching and is thus “the means by which social and cultural continuity are attained”) but rather “socializing.”  They’re asking, “If all the other children in the world are in school, aren’t your children lonely, or bored, or weird, or all three?”

Unschooling

Originally coined by John Holt in his books on school reform and his popular magazine Growing Without Schooling, unschooling homeschool methodology that is learner-led. Currenly, Pat Farenga, who took over GWS after Holt’s death, defines it as “giving the child as much freedom as the parent can comfortably bear.”  Within the unschooling community, there is a continuum of unschoolers from “radical unschoolers” who apply the methodology across  all aspects of their lives, to “learner led” or “interest-driven” unschoolers, whose unschooling focus is on their academics.

Virtual Academy (VA)

An online public school. These public schools take place entirely in the home with the parent acting as an unpaid public school employee.