Alaska offers tremendous freedom for home education which is why many in the state choose to homeschool independently.
Parents in Alaska are free to homeschool without notifying the state, and without being regulated by the state.
They are also free to school on their own schedule, select their own curriculum, use faith-based materials, set their own graduation requirements, and customize to both disabled and gifted students.
According to North Start Independent Homeschoolers:
Independent homeschooling parents assume full responsibility for their children’s education. This includes not only financial responsibility, but total responsibility to create an educational journey specifically tailored to their child. This can be done through choosing or creating the child’s curriculum; deciding to take standardized tests or not; being accountable to themselves, first, and the community for the full education of their children; scheduling school hours and vacations; creating distinct, individualized transcripts and course descriptions; the flexibility to set academics aside for a time to serve those around them; and the list goes on.
Parents not only have the final say over their child’s education, they must actively pursue this freedom. Perhaps the best part is being able to design and present your child with a unique, distinct diploma that appropriately reflects his/her extremely exclusive education.
Independent homeschoolers receive no state funds and there is no state oversight regarding curriculum choices. It is up to the parent/guardian to select the curriculum they wish to use. There is no registration or sign up procedure required and the state of Alaska does not have a set curriculum to be followed for homeschool education. All costs associated with homeschooling are the responsibility of the parent/legal guardian.
No record-keeping is mandated, and you do not have to submit work samples or progress reports to any state agency or individual.
Alaska law does not specify homeschool graduation requirements. Public school graduation requirements are not applied to independent homeschoolers. The requirement to take the SAT in order to graduate does not apply to independent homeschool students.
As the administrator and teacher of your homeschool, you are solely responsible to plan your students’ courses, assign grades or assess their work, and write their transcripts. The transcript and diploma you write certifying your students’ completion of your requirements are legally binding and acceptable as proof of graduation.
Since Alaska law includes homeschooling as a legal means of providing a high school education, your documents are just as legal and official as any other legal public school in the state.
Obtaining a GED is neither necessary nor recommended. For some post-high school tracks, such as military enlistment, having a GED can actually be a detriment. Your high school student is a bonafide high school graduate when they have met your requirements, and to have them get a GED is stating that homeschool was not sufficient or complete. You will need to check with individual colleges your student may be interested in to find further entrance requirements, such as SAT or ACT test scores.
There are several groups in Alaska to support independent homeschooling:
Alaska Private Home Educators Association (APHEA)
North Star Independent Homeschoolers
Kenai Peninsula Independent Homeschoolers
