ADMINISTRATIVE

The 1999 General Assembly amended the compulsory attendance law and 
the home instruction law (22.1-254 et. seq.) to include the exemption 
provisions previously found in  22.1-256 and 22.1-257 and to establish 
new alternatives for students who are 16 years of age who are enrolled 
in public schools.  The amendments that affect home instruction are as 
follows:

1. Beginning July 1, 2000, parents electing to provide home 
instruction must provide annual notice to the local 
superintendent no later than August 15.  The provisions for 
parents who move into the school division or begin home 
instruction after the school year has begun remains 
unchanged (22.1-254.1 B).

2. Effective immediately, the requirement of three consecutive 
years of home instruction has been eliminated from the 
provision that allows students who are taught at home under 
22.1-254.1 and are at least sixteen years old to earn a high 
school equivalency certificate (22.1-254.2).

Outside the provisions of the home instruction law, the Standards of 
Quality, in 22.1-253.13:1, and the Appropriations Act have expanded 
the list of courses that qualify for partial ADM if private school and 
home-instructed students enroll on a part-time basis.  The list of 
courses now includes health or physical education in addition to 
English, math, science, history, social science, vocational education, 
fine arts, or foreign language.  The ADM calculation continues to be 
0.25 per course up to a maximum of .50.

We are preparing an updated list of correspondence schools for home 
instruction and hope to have it available soon.  We do not anticipate 
any changes to the list of those schools that were approved for 1998-
99.

Questions regarding home instruction should be directed to Charles W. 
Finley, director of accreditation, at 804-786-9421 or by e-mail to 
cfinley@pen.k12.va.us.


PDS/cwf