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West Virginia Homeschool Requirements: What You Actually Need to Do
West Virginia’s homeschool requirements are refreshingly straightforward—no curriculum approval, no mandated hours, no classroom inspections. But there are specific things you must do to stay compliant. This post breaks down exactly what’s required, what’s optional, and what most families actually do in practice.
Key Takeaways
- File a one-time Notice of Intent with your county superintendent (or State Board School Choice Portal)
- Teach five required subjects: reading, language arts, math, science, social studies
- Assess your child annually; submit grades 3/5/8/11 results by June 30
- Keep assessment copies for three years
- Parent must have HS diploma or GED
- No mandated instructional hours or days
- No curriculum approval required
- No home visits (unless court-ordered)
Requirement 1: File a Notice of Intent (One-Time)
What it is:
A one-page document filed with your county superintendent notifying them that your child will receive home instruction under WV Code § 18-8-1(c)(2).
What to include:
– Child’s full name
– Child’s date of birth and current grade level
– Your home address
– Your assurance that you will provide annual instruction in the five required subjects
– Your assurance that you will conduct annual assessment
– Evidence of your high school diploma or GED
How to file:
– As of 2025: Submit through the State Board of Education electronic School Choice Portal (hopescholarshipwv.gov is one entry point; check wvde.us for direct portal access)
– Or: Contact your county superintendent’s office for county-level filing options (some counties may still accept local submissions during transition)
Timing:
– File on or before the date homeschooling begins
– If withdrawing from public school mid-year, file immediately
Cost: Free
Filing fee: None
Do you file every year? No—it’s a one-time notice (though some families include updated grade level for new school years; check your county’s guidance).
Requirement 2: Teach the Five Required Subjects
These five core subjects must be part of your curriculum:
- Reading — Decoding, comprehension, fluency, vocabulary
- Language Arts — Writing, grammar, spelling, literature, communication
- Mathematics — Grade-appropriate math from elementary through high school
- Science — Physical, life, and earth sciences
- Social Studies — History, geography, civics, economics, cultures
What’s optional:
– Follows West Virginia’s official Content Standards & Objectives (available but not required)
– Specific curriculum choice (use Abeka, homeschool co-op classes, online programs, classical education, unschooling, etc.)
– Traditional textbooks (unit studies, hands-on, project-based, or mixed approaches all work)
– Specific grade-level progression (self-paced instruction is allowed)
What’s required:
– Intentional instruction in all five subjects
– Age/grade-appropriate content
– Evidence that your child is learning (assessment results)
Requirement 3: Annual Assessment
This is the main compliance checkpoint. Each year, you must assess your child and maintain results.
Assessment requirement:
– All homeschool students of compulsory age (6-17) must be assessed annually
– Choose one assessment method each year (can switch methods year-to-year)
What to do:
– Administer or arrange an assessment in the five required subjects
– Keep the results (test scores, portfolio, narrative, transcript, etc.)
– For grades 3, 5, 8, and 11: Submit results to State Board by June 30
– For all grades: Keep copies for three years
Assessment options you can choose:
-
Nationally normed standardized test (most common)
– Iowa Assessments, Stanford Achievement Test, Terra Nova, CAT, Woodcock-Johnson
– Must be published/normed within the past 10 years
– Must be administered by a qualified person (can be parent for most tests)
– Provides national percentile scores -
Portfolio review by certified teacher
– Create a portfolio of your child’s work from the year (assignments, projects, assessments, writing samples)
– Have a certified teacher (public school teacher, private tutor, or co-op instructor) review and write a narrative about academic progress
– Simple, flexible, captures holistic learning -
Public school standardized tests
– Take your child to public school for state assessment administration
– Public school administers; results are submitted -
College entrance exams
– SAT or ACT scores count as assessment
– Good for high school students planning college -
Other approved options
– Check with your county or state for other approved methods
Cost: $0-$300/year depending on method (standardized test typically $50-150; portfolio review $100-300; public school testing free).
Timeline: Assess by end of school year; submit grades 3/5/8/11 results by June 30.
Requirement 4: Keep Records for Three Years
What to keep:
– All assessment results (test scores, portfolio narratives, public school test results, exam scores)
– Evidence of parent’s HS diploma/GED
– Curriculum materials (optional but recommended)
– Work samples showing instruction in five required subjects (optional but helpful)
How long: Maintain for three years from date of assessment
Where: Keep at home; don’t need to submit to state (except grades 3/5/8/11 assessment results by June 30)
Inspection: School officials cannot conduct home visits unless the superintendent goes to court to establish probable cause
Requirement 5: Parent Must Have HS Diploma or GED
Requirement applies to:
– Notice of Intent (NOI) option ONLY
– School Board Approval option may have different requirements (varies by county)
What counts:
– High school diploma from accredited US secondary school
– GED (General Educational Development credential)
– Homeschool diploma from your own home education (if you were homeschooled)
– Equivalent credential (some counties accept this; ask your superintendent)
Evidence:
– Provide copy with your Notice of Intent
– Keep copy with your three-year records
Does it need to be from West Virginia? No—diploma from any state or country with equivalent credential is acceptable.
Do co-op instructors need certification? No—only the parent/legal guardian filing the NOI needs the HS diploma/GED. Co-op teachers, tutors, and other instructors don’t need any credential.
What’s NOT Required
These things many people worry about but are not required in West Virginia:
- Instructional hours — No minimum days or hours per day/week
- Curriculum approval — No state review of your materials
- Teaching degree — Parent doesn’t need any education credential
- Specific schedule — No required school calendar
- Classroom setup — No home office or dedicated school space required
- Regular inspections — No home visits from school officials
- Transcript approval — Parents create transcripts (protected by law)
- Grade alignment — Can move at own pace, grade flexibly
- Testing before age 3 — Grades under 3 don’t require formal assessment
- Parent reporting — Accountability is through annual assessment, not parent reporting
Common Questions
Can I homeschool part-time? Yes—if you file NOI for homeschool, you can use co-ops, online classes, and tutors to supplement. Hope Scholarship provides funds for these options.
Can I switch assessment methods? Yes—you can use a standardized test one year, portfolio review the next, ACT the following year. Different methods for different grades is fine.
What if my child is behind? West Virginia’s approach allows self-paced learning. No grade-level progression is legally mandated. You determine pace based on your child’s readiness.
Do I report grades to the state? No—only assessment results for grades 3, 5, 8, and 11. Other grades have no state reporting requirement.
Can I use an online curriculum and still call it homeschooling? Yes—time4learning, Abeka Academy, BJU Press Online, and other self-paced programs count as homeschool (file NOI). Public virtual schools are different (file as public school).
The Practical Bottom Line
File your NOI, teach the five required subjects using curriculum of your choice, assess annually, and keep records. That’s it. West Virginia trusts your judgment while maintaining accountability through assessment data. The system gives you maximum flexibility with minimal bureaucracy—one of the reasons West Virginia homeschooling is so straightforward.
Most families spend less than 30 minutes filing the NOI and another 2-4 hours arranging annual assessment. The legal compliance burden is light, leaving you focused on the actual work of teaching.