Homeschooling in Iowa

Form A and filing deadlines

Form A is not a universal Iowa homeschool form. IPI families do not routinely file it, and CPI Option 2 families using the no-reporting exemption do not file it. CPI Option 1 and particular CPI Option 2 reporting arrangements use the form.

The ordinary deadline for applicable Form A pathways is September 1. Iowa Department of Education guidance directs applicable families who move or withdraw a child from an accredited school after the ordinary deadline to submit Form A as fully as possible within fourteen calendar days and complete it within thirty days.

Certain first-time CPI filers may also need to provide immunization documentation and, for an elementary-age child, evidence of blood-lead testing. Review Iowa Code § 299.4 and the current state instructions to determine applicability to your chosen route.

Follow the requirements of the pathway you select. The Iowa Department of Education warns that failure to comply with applicable CPI or IPI requirements can lead to truancy prosecution. Form A violations are relevant only when Form A is required for the family’s chosen route.

Instruction, progress, and testing

Iowa Department of Education guidance applies at least 148 instructional days during the school year, with at least 37 days in each school quarter, to CPI. If your child begins CPI after attending an accredited school, those prior attendance days count toward the 148-day total.

Iowa does not prescribe a required subject list for CPI. Iowa defines adequate progress for CPI students who are subject to evaluation, while evaluation and reporting duties depend on the CPI option selected. Families using CPI Option 2’s no-reporting exemption do not submit curriculum or annual-progress documentation to the district or Department.

IPI has no minimum day or hour requirement, but it must include mathematics, reading and language arts, science, and social studies. An IPI family provides the limited statutory report only if the superintendent of the district where the instruction is provided or the Department director requests it in writing.

Iowa Department of Education guidance does not impose routine annual testing on CPI Option 1 students, CPI Option 2 no-reporting students, or IPI students. Optional programs and elected reporting arrangements can carry additional conditions.

Iowa diplomas and completion records

Under Iowa Code § 299A.13, a student who completes secondary education under CPI or IPI is deemed to have completed a high-school education and is not required to obtain a high-school-equivalency diploma or alternative credential.

The responsible parent, guardian, legal custodian, or instructor may issue a diploma, final transcript, or other written documentation showing academic achievement and completion. Under Iowa law, qualifying documents must be accepted in the same manner as comparable documents issued by a school district or accredited nonpublic school.

Iowa Code § 299A.14 separately authorizes a parent, guardian, or legal custodian to execute documents required by law to verify a compulsory-age CPI or IPI student’s placement, full-time or part-time status, grades, and other required educational information.

Your home base: SchoolhouseTeachers.com

Iowa gives families meaningful choices, and each route requires dependable planning. SchoolhouseTeachers.com gives your family curriculum and organizational tools in one HOME BASE.

One online family membership gives every child unlimited access to hundreds of online, self-paced courses from preschool through twelfth grade, all from a Biblical worldview, with graduation and college-preparation resources.

You will also find Virtual School Boxes, self-grading iST courses, World Book Online, and thousands of family-friendly videos.

The Homeschool Records & Compliance Center gives you tools to plan the year, document progress, and organize the records that support your chosen Iowa pathway:

• Education Plan Builder for mapping each child’s subjects and courses
• Custom Schedule Builder for organizing instructional days and school quarters
• Gradebook and report cards for tracking academic progress
• Portfolio Builder for collecting work samples
• High-school planning resources for organizing courses, credits, and completion records
• Applecore recordkeeping for grades, attendance, courses, and credits
• Certificates of Completion for documenting finished courses

One family membership. Every child in your HOME. No fee per child. No fee per course. No limits.