In This Chapter
Are you already homeschooling?
Fear, doubt, and other internal stumbling blocks
Life as your teen’s primary role model
Legal issues—nothing you can’t handle
Putting together curriculum
Using an independent-study program
Record keeping
Beginner’s checklist
Simple starting points
Resources
AS THEIR CHILDREN reach adolescence, experienced homeschooling parents begin again. They join newcomers, asking questions about methods, legal issues, and record keeping. Fortunately, both new and veteran homeschooling families have more experience than they think. Read on to learn about addressing fears and doubts, role modeling, legal issues, curriculum planning, and independent-study programs.
HOME EDUCATION SOUNDS like a big responsibility. And it is. Fortunately, you know more about it than you think. In some respects, every good parent provides educational opportunities for their children. Think about it. If your child attends school now, do you:
Help with homework?
Take trips to zoos, museums, and national parks?
Read with your teenager?
Watch science or history documentaries as a family?
Provide educational computer games?
Encourage your teens to use your computer word processor?
Visit the library and check out books?
Provide music or dance or art lessons?
Discuss current events?
Teach your teenager to cook? To budget or maintain a car?
Encourage sports participation?
If you answered yes to any of the above, experienced home educators say that you are already homeschooling your teenager to some extent. Lauren, an unschooling mother of four in Ithaca, New York, tells us, “Everything is school.” And she is right. Those zoo and museum visits are science. Music lessons are fine arts. Budgeting is math.
By the time their schooled children reach adolescence, many parents complain about homework marathons—two to four hours each evening. Home education looks easy by comparison. Homeschooling families spend the same two to four hours on formal academics and finish before noon. In addition, if you currently help with homework, you already have experience. You know you can work one on one with your teen.
OF OUR 104 survey respondents, 100 doubted their ability to successfully homeschool. Claudia, mother of four boys ages nine to eighteen, covers the gamut: “Would I know enough? Would I be able to find out? Would I ruin them socially? Would I ruin them emotionally? Would they hate me for having made them different?”
Just about everyone fears new ventures, especially journeys off the beaten track. “It is a huge responsibility to take on the education of your child,” writes Kate in Downey, California. “And, as a parent, you want the very best for them. It is natural to fuss over your ability to homeschool, just as you worry about your ability to parent adequately. I still have moments of gripping panic when things are out of harmony in our home. Other homeschool moms and my husband are my sounding boards. Developing patience to let things work out on their own has also been a tremendous asset.”
Lydia, mother of a fourteen-year-old and an eleven-year-old, says, “Doubts…. Big time!! I was scared to death. I didn’t know where to turn. How in the world could I teach my children when I barely made it through high school myself? I found the president of the homeschool association here in Montana. She gave me the encouragement I needed to get started. Without her help and guidance, I wouldn’t have made the choice. I am learning how to ‘do it’ every day. No regrets.”
First, experienced parents can provide outstanding advice and support. Second, problems often solve themselves, in their own time. Third—and best of all—you can learn on the job.
Kate and Lydia have discovered several secrets of successful home educators. First, experienced parents can provide outstanding advice and support. Second, problems often solve themselves, in their own time. Third—and best of all—you can learn on the job.
Many of our respondents cite the cold hard fact that while homeschooling may be frightening, the alternative—school—is even more frightening. Amy, homeschooling since 1984, writes, “I was terrified by the awesome responsibility of actually educating a child. I overcame my fears by considering the alternative—school—which was even scarier.”
Jane in Tennessee, homeschooling a fourteen-year-old son since 1996, agrees: “I was afraid if we didn’t do this right, our son would suffer long-term consequences. Then my husband reminded me that I could improve on school with one hand tied behind my back, that no other people knew our son the way we did or cared more about his success, and that we had more formal education than most school teachers.”
Viewing school realistically is the first step for many in gaining the confidence to teach. Several of our respondents, credentialed teachers who now homeschool their children, give the best testimony.
Gina, mother of three who has been homeschooling since 1998, writes, “I am a former teacher. At home, I can tailor education to my children individually. Also, in a home-based setting, our children learn unhindered by group constraints.” Trisha in Camden, New York, says, “I was a teacher. We homeschool now because I did not want to see my children lose their thirst for learning.”
Carrie cites other school negatives that fuel her confidence to homeschool: “I have a degree in education, in both mental retardation and elementary education and in adolescent education, and I taught in public school for five years.… With homeschooling, we have far less pressure to teach ‘key skills.’ Public school administrations put far too much emphasis on validation. That pressure interferes with learning. In a classroom, you are limited to activities that take into consideration behavior and ‘control factor.’ ”
In addition to general doubts all home educators experience, parents of teens face another hurdle. Teaching a first-grader to read or a fourth-grader his math facts seems easy compared to covering chemistry and trigonometry and French at the high school level. How do families handle subjects never taken or at best dimly recalled?
Annette in Arkansas reports, “When I first started teaching Jack, I feared that I would not be able to handle high school material. Math, particularly, was not my strong suit. However, after looking over the curriculum, I saw that it would be easy to stay one step ahead. I actually enjoyed learning with him!”
“I was only going to homeschool for a short time,” writes Deanna, who has been homeschooling more than five years. “Certainly, I was not smart enough to teach high school. Over the years, reading and experience have taught me that I am capable even though I do not know algebra and chemistry! Every year we have prayed about our decision and have never been led to do anything else.”
ADDRESSING DIFFICULT SUBJECTS
Ask friends, neighbors, and relatives for help.
Buy a self-instructional course, intended for use without an expert teacher. These come in book or computer form.
Enroll in an independent-study course or program.
Trade expertise with other homeschooling parents.
Take a class with the local junior college or adult-education program.
Find expertise through community youth groups like 4-H or Scouts.
Volunteer with a local group. Consider community productions to learn drama, political campaigns for social studies, hospitals for science, and television and radio stations for language arts.
Take private lessons or hire a tutor. Local colleges will often make tutor referrals from among their undergraduates who will work for a reasonable fee.
Many parents enjoy the challenge of learning right along with their teenagers. However, you need not review advanced algebra or biology to homeschool successfully. Instead you and your teens can network to locate helpful resources in your community and, indeed, in the larger world. See “Addressing Difficult Subjects” for a list of suggestions for tackling difficult high school subjects.
AS A NEW homeschooling parent, you will add quantity time to quality time. Increased hours together each day makes you your child’s primary role model. Approximately half of our survey respondents worry about this aspect of homeschooling. Most, like Marla, are philosophical about the implications. She writes, “I don’t like when my children see my worst side, but I like that they see that adults are not perfect. I am glad they know adults have challenges as well.”
Karleen, who homeschools two children, says, “I find being a role model a little intimidating, especially when my teen gives me the ‘you are screwing up’ look. I regularly remind them that I am a work in progress, just like them.”
Ron tells us, “I think parents should be the primary role model for their children. I also think that parents should show their children that they are human. By that I mean that we make mistakes, say things we shouldn’t say, and so forth. It is how we handle these mistakes that provides the real learning for the child.”
Teenagers know immediately when parents err. Several of our respondents see this as an opportunity for personal growth. Joan, mother of five, writes, “I want each of my children to be the kind of person I see myself as. I have instilled my values deeply enough in my children so that if I slip, they point it out to me. I like this atmosphere of setting the pattern for my children to follow. It makes us parents better people.”
LEGALITIES OF HOMESCHOOLING in the United States vary markedly from state to state, and sometimes from district to district within a state. The more heavy-handed state statutes mandate attendance and immunization records, curriculum plans, reports, and standardized test results. On the other end of the spectrum, some states exercise no oversight. They require no reporting, record keeping, or testing.
In addition, in many states you may choose between homeschooling within the confines of a homeschooling law or outside it. For example, in Colorado you can legally homeschool by (1) filing cursory paperwork required by the state homeschooling statute or (2) enrolling your teen in a private homeschooling umbrella school.
As a parent, you are responsible for learning the legalities of homeschooling in your state.
As a parent, you are responsible for learning the legalities of homeschooling in your state. Many families investigating home education contact their school district or state department of education for legal information. That is not the wise choice. Too often, personnel at these government agencies either do not know the law or cannot interpret it.
For a complete picture of your state legal situation and climate, contact the organizations listed at the end of this chapter as well as your statewide home education support groups. Most can explain your options on the telephone and refer you to applicable printed matter. Always read laws and regulations for yourself. Ask questions of other homeschoolers until you fully understand your rights and responsibilities.
Twenty percent of our survey respondents are members of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), a national organization that offers legal advice and support to member homeschooling families. The remaining 80 percent see no need to join HSLDA.
HOW WE DID IT
Our neighbors never knew it was possible to educate a child outside of the school system. So three times in two years, they reported us to the state Department of Child Protective Services. Each time we were investigated, the claim was deemed “unfounded.” During the third “investigation,” the social worker said, “Look … you know who’s reporting you. I cannot tell you, but I can tell you to tell a mutual friend that if they (the neighbors) do not cease and desist, you will sue them for harassment and defamation of character.” We did just that, and never had another problem.
—TRUDY IN COLORADO
Only a handful of our survey respondents say they have had legal hassles related to home education. Those who encountered problems (usually with their local school districts) responded either by calling HSLDA or by citing the terms of the law to those who questioned them.
Trina in Pennsylvania, who has educated her children at home since 1990, writes, “[When we began homeschooling,] we met with the superintendent and tried to show him why we were in the right. Finally we had to have HSLDA send a threatening letter to him informing him that we were in compliance with our homeschooling law.”
Joan, who started homeschooling in 1997 in Oklahoma, relates her experience: “The public school system tried to convince me I was not qualified and threatened to turn my children in as truant. I simply sent them a letter of good faith outlining the homeschooling laws in the state and ignored them. They went away.”
Donna in Canada, like Joan, found strength in her knowledge of applicable laws, saying, “My local school board tried to harass me about taking Ted out of school. I panicked. Then I phoned my sister [a more experienced homeschooling mom] and had her help me draft a letter to the school board. We set out exactly what our rights were according to the Education Act. Knowing the law and being confident of your rights are of paramount importance.”
ABOUT 80 PERCENT of our survey respondents use a mixture of materials to teach high school subjects. They put together their own curriculum using books, computer programs, videos, texts, and community resources. Unschoolers—that subset of homeschoolers who educate by responding to their children’s interests—determine the curriculum after the fact. The remaining 20 percent rely heavily on independent-study programs, which are discussed in the next section.
Chapters 5 through 7 will cover specific approaches to language arts, math, science, and social studies—the four major subject areas for high school. Chapter 8 describes how homeschoolers handle extras like foreign language and physical education. Think of that information in the larger scope of an entire homeschool program.
As an overview, college requirements dictate most high school programs. Mid-range competitive colleges—like many state colleges—will require that applicants demonstrate educational equivalents to the following:
Four years of language arts (English)
Three years of math (usually through geometry or algebra II)
Two to three years of science
Three to four years of social studies (history and geography)
Two years of foreign language
Two years of electives (music and drama, for example)
Requirements of very selective colleges will exceed these. For example, they may require four years of science and three years of foreign language.
If you intend to put together your own program and you are concerned about college admissions, begin with the four basic subject areas: language arts, math, social studies, and science. Read about approaches to these subjects in the chapters that follow, and enjoy researching your teenager’s learning itinerary.
SOME FAMILIES CHOOSE independent-study programs (ISPs) to help them “cover all the bases,” as well as for keeping records, assisting with transcripts, and granting a diploma. Others enroll their teenagers in ISPs because they prefer the ISP requirements to those of state homeschooling statutes.
If you intend to put together your own program and you are concerned about college admissions, begin with the four basic subject areas: language arts, math, social studies, and science.
Homeschoolers cite other reasons to consider independent-study programs. Some teenagers prefer working with adults other than their parents for academics. They like the independent assessment and validation ISPs provide. With most programs providing high school–level courses, the student communicates directly with the school and instructors. The parents’ responsibilities include signing checks and perhaps providing motivation to complete the assigned work.
ISPs are also the principal suppliers of online high school courses. Some adolescents who abhor textbooks find themselves enthusiastically studying geometry or American history—when it’s online.
The most popular independent-study programs with our survey respondents include Clonlara, American School, and A Beka. See the end-of-chapter Resources for a longer list.
TRAVELERS SPEND ANYWHERE between five minutes to five hours each month keeping records. Families keep records to:
Comply with state statutes
Meet requirements of independent-study programs
Motivate parents and students
Document work completed for high-school reentry or college admissions
Annette explains why she keeps records: “I kept grades and samples of his work. I knew he would most likely reenter public school and wanted to have the information for them if they required it.”
Karen in Belfair, Washington, says record keeping acts as a reality check. “Keeping records reminds me that we have done more than I remember. It keeps me from overloading my teens and helps me see how we have grown in our homeschooling.”
Ron began keeping records for the same reason but eventually found it too time-consuming. He writes, “At one point I tried to keep a journal ‘just in case,’ and also to show myself the learning that had taken place that day. I was brought up in the old school way. I found it helpful to review the day as reassurance that learning was occurring. I dropped it because it took far too much time that I didn’t have.”
Although record keeping varies according to the needs and preferences of each family, you may find that you need more detailed records for teen homeschoolers than for early- and middle-years children.
Why? Unless your child is enrolled in an independent-study program, you will eventually use the your records to create transcripts or portfolios for college admissions and job applications.
Although record keeping varies according to the needs and preferences of each family, you may find that you need more detailed records for teen homeschoolers than for early- and middle-years children.
Carrie, who has been homeschooling since 1989, details her record keeping: “I keep a Day-timer book in which we record all activities outside of home. At the end of the year, I transfer this to a listing of hours spent on various activities. Most of the time, I write curriculum notes in a spiral notebook, keeping lists of books, references, ideas, addresses, and so on. We make schedules of activities that last one or two weeks. These serve as daily check sheets of requirements, deadlines, and so on. Our teens keep the check sheets in folders with their books. On completion, each check sheet goes into their portfolio folder.”
One simple record-keeping, credit-assignment method involves listing all academic and nonacademic activities on a calendar. Most teens do the daily listing themselves, taking about five minutes each morning to detail the previous day. Each line is coded with a time and subject-area designation (IL=Independent-Living Skills, SS=Social Studies, FA=Fine Arts, LA=Language Arts, M=Math, S=Science). Here is a typical listing:
Made breakfast (½ hr) IL
Watched and discussed news (½ hr) SS
Practiced piano (½ hr) FA
Read Wuthering Heights (1 hr) LA
Walked dog (½ hr) PE
Wrote report for 4-H newsletter (1 hr) LA
Saxon Algebra 1 lesson (1 hr) M
TV science documentary (1 hr) S
4-H meeting (2 hrs) SS and LA
At the end of each month, the parent or teen totals each subject area. Eventually (for the transcript) they assign one credit for 120 to 180 hours of work. In regular schools, one credit equals one year of high school work in a single subject.
IN CHAPTER 1, we described where our survey respondents fall on the homeschool continuum. Some of the continuum descriptions probably fit you. Others undoubtedly sound foreign. Now it is time to decide how you see yourself in each of these categories. Remember that prepared travelers begin with maps. Here, we turn the eight continuum categories into a kind of map, a beginner’s checklist. Completing this checklist prepares your family for a successful journey.
RECORD-KEEPING METHODS
Lesson plan books (available at teacher supply stores)
Attendance pages (on calendar)
Diaries and journals (narratives of daily work completed)
Calendars (listing tasks each day)
Files with portfolio material: photos, programs, awards, letters of recommendation
Files of work samples and test results
Reading lists
Why are you homeschooling? You will be asked this question many times. Jot down some quick answers now and brainstorm other responses with your family.
Other useful questions to help you explore your family’s motivation include:
What will home education offer your teenager?
What does homeschooling offer your family?
What will your days be like?
How do people learn best?
Discuss these questions with your teenagers, and keep the resulting comments handy for future reference.
Homeschoolers spend anywhere from almost nothing up to $2,000 per child each year. On the low end, families spend less than $100 annually. Medium costs run $250 to $750 per year. High costs top $1,000 or more.
How much can you allocate each month? Plan to spend what you can afford and no more. Families from all economic levels successfully homeschool. They prove that cost does not necessarily correlate with quality. You can have a good program for $50 per year, just as you can have a good program for $1,000 per year. In addition, keep in mind the following three points:
First, you can find free or very inexpensive resources for any subject. Generally, locating low-cost materials for home education resembles finding anything for less money. It takes time and ingenuity. Are you willing to devote extra time to shop smart? Can you research, talk to other home educators, and generate creative, money-saving solutions to educational challenges?
Second, homeschooled teens have hours more each day than traditionally schooled students for outside activities. Pursuits like 4-H, softball, karate lessons, church camps, music competitions, co-op field trips, and community college classes can seriously impact your budget. How many of these activities will you count as school?
Third, teenagers can earn money for many of their expenses. Even with minimum-wage jobs, many homeschoolers finance their own lessons, projects, and travel. What are your expectations about your teenager’s financial contributions to his education?
MONEY SEVER
We use the library catalog together with the World Book Encyclopedia Typical Course of Study. We borrow most of our material from the library.
—MOLLY IN OLMSTEAD FALLS, OHIO
As we saw in chapter 1, some home educators run structured programs. They enroll their children in independent-study programs or carefully plan individualized curriculum around scope and sequence information. Others relax and allow their teenagers to follow their interests. Some families pursue a middle road, planning some subjects, practicing unschooling for others.
Be realistic about your personality and your teenager’s goals and priorities. Together with your teenager, discuss the following questions. “Which approach feels most comfortable?” “How will we structure our days?” “What subjects are most important?”
How will you determine how much your teenager is learning? Popular assessment tools include discussion, written work reviews, grades, and standardized tests. Many home educators use a combination of all four.
In addition, state laws and independent-study programs may dictate certain assessments, like quarterly reports and yearly standardized tests. Make a list of specific requirements that apply to your situation before you begin.
Anita, who lives in Illinois, which has no state requirements for assessment, emphasizes the importance of communication to determine how much her children are learning. “We use grades, standardized tests, and discussion to assess, but rely on discussion the most. Standardized tests are fine if you want to show schools something, but are useless otherwise.”
In addition, families with teens may need to generate grades for transcript, college applications, special summer educational programs, internships, or even just automobile insurance. For these purposes, you may assign letter grades based on percentages or based on more subjective measures. We simply gave our children A’s for any task or subject that they mastered. How you assign grades does not matter. Simply be consistent and honest about your approach.
Ask yourself if you will be comfortable relying on discussion for assessment, or will you need occasional or frequent test scores?
Arguments rage about the effectiveness of television and computers as educational tools. Certainly Benjamin Franklin, C. S. Lewis, and Margaret Mead—famous homeschoolers all—received outstanding educations without access to electronic devices. Hundreds of thousands of families homeschool successfully without them.
That said, technology plays a major role in many homeschools, which we will expand upon in chapter 11. Do you want to bring the world into your home with science and history videos? Should your teenagers research on the Web? Will you use educational computer games, or televised and online high school and college courses?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, think now about how technology will fit into your homeschool. Will your teenagers have unlimited access to these easily abused conveniences? What kinds of limits will you place on their use? How will you allocate time among competing siblings? Discuss these issues and iron out problems ahead of time.
Where will your teenagers work? And where will you store educational supplies? What changes should you make to ensure a rich home-learning environment?
While some homeschooling families create a separate classroom in the family room or basement, homeschooled teenagers often prefer the kitchen table. Before you make drastic changes to your floor plan, discuss with your children where they would feel most comfortable.
A separate desk in a quiet room may help alleviate distractions from other family activities. On the other hand, if your teenager’s education consists largely of hands-on activities throughout your home and in the community, he may never use a desk.
In either case, you will probably need to allocate some shelf space for records and books. We use a large closet for project supplies, texts, paper, and pencils, and so on. Having everything in one place simplifies life and keeps us from buying items we already have. Involve your teenager in deciding how and where to organize.
All two-parent homes have one characteristic. Mom has some talents, and Dad has others. Mom may feel comfortable addressing writing and history. Dad’s strength may be science and computers. In an ideal world, each parent would assist and teach in his or her strong areas.
But the world is not ideal. One parent, usually the father, spends most of his time earning a living. For this reason, parents need to realistically assess how much time each can contribute to homeschooling. While some fathers cover science and French in evenings and on weekends, others understandably find themselves too exhausted to commit to teaching.
Have a frank discussion with your spouse. Who will determine your homeschool approach? Who will select materials? Who will make assignments and check work? Who will keep records? If you decide to divide the subjects, who gets what? How will each parent fit the commitment into his or her schedule?
What about those subjects in which neither parent has expertise? Probably all families homeschooling teenagers seek outside assistance more often than families with younger children. List areas in which you think you will need help. Examples might be advanced math, laboratory science, or foreign language. Next, talk with other homeschooling families in your community, and learn how they meet these needs.
Never forget that you have a world of experts at your fingertips. Begin with this book, and proceed to your community and the Internet. Networking for resources and expertise teaches your teenagers creative problem-solving.
Make a list of the ways in which you are already homeschooling. Can these activities become part of your learning journey?
List your fears and doubts. Discuss them with other homeschooling families online or in local support groups.
Study all laws pertaining to home education in your state. Make a list of questions and discuss them with local and state homeschooling leaders.
Decide what record-keeping system makes sense for your situation. Create files to keep copies of awards, programs, photos, and work samples.
Pride, Mary. Schoolproof: How to Help Your Family Beat the System and Learn to Love Learning the Natural Easy Way. Crossway Books, 1988.
Reed, Donn and Jean. Homeschool Source Book. Brook Farm Books, 1999.
Waring, Diana and Cathy Duffy. Beyond Survival: A Guide to Abundant-Life Homeschooling. Emerald Books, 1996.
Biblical Impressions Homeschool Support Bulletin Board, http://www.biblical.com/html/homeschool.html
High School Homeschooling Board, http://www.vegsource.com/wwwboard/hischool/wwwboard.html
Home Education Magazine’s Networking and Discussion Boards, http://www.home-ed-magazine.com/wlcm_brds.html
Homeschoolers’ Curriculum Swap Forums, http://www.theswap.com/dcforum/dcboard.cgi
Independent-Study High School Message Board, http://www.paradise-web.com/plus/plus.mirage?who=jlg
Kaleidoscapes, http://www.kaleidoscapes.com
SonLight Curriculum Forums, http://www.sonlight-curriculum.com/www.board/index.html
Home Education Magazine Homeschooling Information and Resource Pages, http://www.home-ed-magazine.com
Home School Legal Defense Association, P.O. Box 3000, Purcellville, VA 20134, 540-338-5600, http://www.hslda.org
National Home Education Network, P.O. Box 41067, Long Beach, CA 90853, http://www.nhen.org
Bauer, Susan Wise and Jesse Wise. The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home. W. W. Norton, 1999.
Duffy, Cathy. The Christian Home Educators’ Curriculum Manual, Volume 2. Grove Publishing, 1997.
Pride, Mary. The Big Book of Home Learning, 4th Edition, Volume 3: Junior High Through College. Alpha Omega Publications, 1999.
Shelton, Barbara Edtl. Senior High: A Home-Designed Form-U-La.
High School Subject Reviews,
http://www.learningshortcuts.com/new1ReviewsC.html
Home School Organizer, 334-634-1849, http://www.homeschoolorganizer.com/HSOWelcome.htm
HomeSchool Easy Records, 888-328-7587, http://home.earthlink.net/~vdugar/index.html
HomeSchool Organize! 703-791-2794, http://members.aol.com/hfsoftware/hspress.html
Homeschool Record Keeper, 908-638-8667, http://fp97.inet-images.com/salem/
Bob Jones University Academy of Home Education, 864-242-5100, ext. 2047, http://www.bju.edu/ministries/acad_home_ed/index.html
American School, 708-418-2800 or 800-531-9268, http://www.iit.edu/~american/
Brigham Young University Independent Study High School; 801-378-2868, http://www.coned.byu.edu/is/
Cambridge Academy, 800-252-3777, http://www.home-school.com/Mall/Cambridge/CambridgeAcad.html
Christian Liberty Academy Satellite Schools (CLASS), 800-348-0899, http://www.homeschools.org
Clonlara Home-Based Education Program and Clonlara CompuHigh, 313-769-4515, http://www.clonlara.org
Hewitt Homeschooling Resources, 800-348-1750, http://www.homeeducation.org
ICS Newport/Pacific High School, 800-238-9525 ext. 7496, http://www.icslearn.com/ICS/courses.htm
Keystone National High School, 800-255-4937, http://www.keystonehighschool.com
Laurel Springs High School, 800-377-5890, http://www.laurelsprings.com
NorthStar Academy, 888-464-6280, http://www.northstaracademy.org
Oak Meadow School, 802-387-2021, http://www.oakmeadow.com
School of Tomorrow, 800-925-7777, http://www.schooloftomorrow.com
Seton Home Study School, 540-636-9990, http://www.setonhome.org/new.htm
Summit Christian Academy, 800-362-9180, 972-602-8050, http://scahomeschool.com
Texas Tech University Division of Continuing Education; 800-692-6877, ext. 320, http://www.dce.ttu.edu/
University of Nebraska, Lincoln Independent Study High School, 402-472-4321, http://www.unl.edu/conted/disted/ishs.html
Westbridge Academy, 773-743-3312, http://www.flash.net/~wx3o/westbridge/
