“A superintendent’s letter of substantial equivalency is not a certificate of graduation or a diploma. It attests to the instruction that a student received and not to any level of achievement or mastery of standards or content. The letter merely identifies that the student has met the compulsory education requirement for the state. It is a letter that, at the very least, is a statement that the requirements outlined in Part 100.10 related to the Individual Home Instruction Plan were adhered to. A letter of substantial equivalency written by a District Superintendent for ending the compulsory education requirement for a home school student does not meet the requirement for a high school diploma or recognized equivalent of a graduation certificate.” 

After reviewing the information below, contact us if you have any questions.

It is a good idea to update your child’s transcript annually to ensure that your child is on track for satisfying all high school home instruction requirements, especially if you will be requesting a Letter of Completion upon your child’s completion of your home instruction program. 

Please plan to complete a full review of your child’s transcript during the final year of home instruction. The transcript should reflect the content of your IHIPs and Quarterly Reports for grades 9-12. The completed transcript review should be monitored by the family and we encourage families to verify their records with our service for the districts listed on the Homeschool Monitoring homepage. An audit of your child’s homeschool coursework will be conducted during his/her senior year and you will be notified if any additional documentation is needed. After all documentation has been accounted for, including the final fourth quarter report and annual assessment, a letter recommending issuance of a Letter of Completion will be sent to the superintendent of your child’s district of residency. This process can take some time so please plan accordingly.

• Keep copies of all IHIPs, Quarterly Reports and Year-End Assessments.
  
  
• Continue reporting. You are required to submit home instruction reports through the date your child reaches maximum compulsory school attendance age (June 30th following your child’s 16th birthday). Discontinuation after your child reaches maximum compulsory school attendance age may prevent you from obtaining a Letter of Completion later on because you will not have meet annual reporting requirements.
  
  
• Public school students earning their high school diploma in New York State are required to complete 3 units of Math, 3 Units of Science, 1 unit of Foreign Language, and 3 ½ units of electives to graduate. These requirements do not apply to home schooled students but if your child is planning on post-secondary education, it is highly recommended that your child complete these additional units.
  
  
  

Home schooled youth become eligible to sit for the GED exam after June 30th following their 16th birthday if their home school program was in compliance with regulatory requirements. Students who have passed certain NYS Regents exams may use them in place of corresponding GED subtests. Please review NYS High School Equivalency and visit ged.com for additional information.