Annual Testing for Homeschooled Students Not Impacted by ESSA Testing Waivers
March 24, 2020
The Trump administration’s waiving of federally required testing normally required under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) does not apply to homeschooling families, according to the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). While schools will not need to adhere to ESSA’s federal testing requirements in order to receive federal assistance from the program in light of the spread of COVID-19, “homeschool regulation is state-specific,” and, ”in most cases, only state legislatures have the authority to waive state educational requirements.” HSLDA is monitoring for state-specific actions by legislators and “recommends that homeschoolers continue to follow the law as it relates to assessing their child.”