IS CERTAIN CURRICULUM, COURSEWORK AND TESTING REQUIRED?
A good piece of advice for new homeschoolers is to resist the temptation to rush out and buy lots of curriculum materials; to take time and check lots of stuff out, talk to lots of people, etc. Just as it is important to let the kids take it easy at the beginning, the parent might find it good to do so, too. There are guidelines laid out in the California Education Code for covering specific areas of coursework. However, it is not always necessary to cover the same topics conventionally covered by each grade level for each subject area. If you are in the market for curriculum, you may be able to attend a homeschool conference where can you shop for supplies. Local bookstores and teacher stores are also great sources for supplies. Many private school ISPs may require standardized testing, but it is not a state requirement. Many homeschoolers feel it is unnecessary to test as a way of determining what the student has learned because we enjoy the benefit of daily one-on-one interaction. I
There is no specific curriculum, coursework or testing required of private schools by California law, but if you enroll in a private school satellite program, that program may have requirements. Families choosing to create their own home based private school may choose their own curriculum and decide if they want to participate in standardized testing. Families choosing to participate in a public school independent study program must follow requirements set by the school district and CA law.
