Factors That Influence Today's Homeschool Participation

Session Submission Type: Panel

Abstract

The current homeschool population is estimated at around 6% of the total K-12 US population. When compared to around 7% in charter schools and 9-10% in private schools, the importance of the population becomes evident. Similarly, these are single-point-in-time estimates that do not capture American families who have ever homeschooled a child. Yet, despite the size and recent growth of this population, current information on homeschool sector participation and motivation is limited. Further, the recent decline in available federal data that captures information on this population limits new knowledge about this group. Additionally, as education savings accounts (ESAs) and other public funding programs expand across the country, little is known about how this funding will impact the homeschool community. In some states, homeschoolers are eligible for funding, in others they are not, and in still others they receive a discounted rate. In some states, homeschool advocates campaigned against these funding programs on behalf of homeschoolers in their states. In others, they welcomed these new programs. 

This panel will consider factors that may influence today's homeschooling patterns, from current participation trends, to potential motivation and contributing factors such as increases in public funding for which homeschooling families may be eligible. Similarly, these new programs may offer flexibility for families who choose homeschool adjacent models such as hybrid schools, microschools, and other innovative emerging options. Experts and practitioners discuss current trends, the state of public funding available to homeschooling families, some of the issues around that funding, and the innovative trends currently emerging in this space.

Policy Area

• Education

Chair

• Angela Watson, Johns Hopkins University

Discussant

• David Hunt, Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy

Organizer

• Angela Watson, Johns Hopkins University

Individual Presentations

• Are Public Education Resources Available to Homeschoolers? - Presenting Author: Christy Batts, North Carolina State University

• ‘Trojan Horse’ or ‘Freedom to Choose’? Political Tensions and Tradeoffs in Homeschooling and Education Savings Accounts - Presenting Author: Trevor William Baisden, Teachers College, Columbia University

• What are Hybrid Schools, Who Participates, and Why? Annual Hybrid Schools Census - Presenting Author: Matthew H Lee, University of Arkansas

• Taking the Pulse on Homeschooling: US Household Census Pulse Homeschooling Results for 2023-24 - Presenting Author: Alanna Bjorklund-Young, Johns Hopkins University