Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts, Inc.

AHEM's Sample Education Plan, Annotated

The first step to start officially homeschooling in Massachusetts is to submit an education plan to your local school superintendent. We suggest submitting your education plan a couple of weeks before school starts if you can, but you can remove a child from school at any time during the year.

AHEM offers a sample education plan. This plan represents the minimum that has been accepted as written by some school districts in Massachusetts. It is meant to be used as a template. Please edit it to reflect what you plan to do in your homeschool. For example: delete or add subjects, indicate specific materials you plan to use, specify your form of evaluation, etc.

Below we present our Sample Education Plan in a slightly new format. This template includes all the information from the Sample Ed Plan you may know and love but with some added notes and links to help you find more information, should your town ask for additional information. As always, if you have questions about the requests your town is making, you can reach out to AHEM at any time for one-on-one support.

Education Plan for CHILD'S NAME/AGE

This education plan is submitted in accordance with the Charles decision:

We will cover the following subjects:

[This sample list is taken from the subjects listed in the MA General Laws. You do not have to teach every subject every year. You should list only the subjects you plan to cover. For further explanation see Ask AHEM.]

  • orthography
  • reading
  • writing
  • the English language and grammar
  • geography
  • arithmetic
  • drawing
  • music
  • the history and constitution of the United States
  • the duties of citizenship
  • health education
  • physical education and good behavior
  • mathematics, science, and technology
  • history and social science
  • foreign languages
  • the arts

We intend to use the following resources:

[Use words like “intend” or “plan.” One of the benefits of homeschooling is flexibility; you don’t need to update your town if your plans change midyear. This sample list may be helpful for those who do not use a formal curriculum. If you have specific titles for any subject, you can include them. On requests for materials see Fact Check: Materials. ]

  • Internet
  • reference books and materials
  • library books, CDs, magazines, etc.
  • games
  • computer software and online services
  • calculating and measuring tools and utensils
  • arts & crafts supplies
  • writing supplies
  • musical instruments
  • science lab equipment
  • sports equipment
  • community resources (such as museums, stage performances, sports programs, private lessons, volunteer opportunities)
  • More ideas

OR [instead of listing specific materials, some state the following:]

We will be using a variety of materials and resources, a list of which will be made available to the TOWN school department upon request.

[Include a statement about days and hours. The language here is carefully chosen. Note that you are saying you will provide an equivalent education; homeschooling is much more efficient. Choose one of the following:]

We will meet or exceed

OR

We will provide the equivalent of

the 180 days, 900/990 hours of instruction required yearly in the public schools. [Whichever way you prefer to phrase it.]

[They can ask about your qualifications but many just say “we are competent and of good morals.” You do not need to be a certified teacher, nor are you required to have a college degree.]

We are of competent ability and good morals OR summarize your “academic credentials or other qualifications.”

[Pick one method of evaluation to list. Be sure to specify “annual.” See our evaluations FAQ. If you know your town will ask, you can leave out “upon request.”]

  • An annual progress report OR
  • annual dated work samples OR
  • annual standardized test results

will be submitted upon request.

Sincerely,

Your signature(s)

Your contact information [We recommend keeping communicatin in writing.]

This sample education plan represents the minimum that has been accepted as written by some school districts in Massachusetts. It is meant to be used as a template.

Please edit this plan to reflect what you plan to do in your homeschool.  For example: delete or add subjects, indicate specific materials you plan to use, specify your form of evaluation, etc. 

Please be aware that your town may respond by asking for more information. Sometimes these are legitimate requests and sometimes they will ask for more than the law requires. We recommend that all homeschoolers educate themselves on what is and isn't required in Massachusetts and we have provided lots of resources to help you do so. Please read through  Tips for Writing Your Education Plan  or further information on customizing and submitting your own plan according to the Charles and Brunelle decisions.

Privacy

If you wish to add wording regarding privacy of student records to your education plan, see Privacy and Your Education Plan for possible wording.

Forms

Even though forms are not required, some schools find that forms make their lives easier, and so they ask homeschoolers to use them. Sometimes, forms created by the school district contain extralegal requests. To deal with this, homeschoolers can simply cross out the extralegal requests, or just submit an education plan instead of the form.

In the past, AHEM has offered a form for our subscribers’ use, which is basically the AHEM sample education plan you see here in a different format. The demand for our form has become so great, that we decided to release it to the world.

AHEM Education Plan Form (pdf)