But the growing trend to homeschool means that school districts will continue to lose necessary funding for maintaining facilities and staff. Many families don't follow any structured guidance for teaching state standards. In fact, homeschooling parents often tell us they worry most about not teaching everything they should be, leaving gaps in their children's education and in their readiness to succeed in real-world expectations, like college entrance exams.
Depending on a state's laws, school districts can partner with WW IDEA to offer a distance education program or to establish a "stand-alone" charter school to enroll the homeschooling families into the district.
BENEFITS:
Increased student enrollment provides a boost in school district funding.
Certified Teachers can participate in the alternative education program, helping to keep good teachers employed within the district.
Standardized test scores often improve for homeschooled students, raising the school district's average testing scores overall.
Invigorating, innovative training for teachers in proven methods that increase student achievement and make standards-guided education meaningful.
Individual Learning Plans (ILPs) for all homeschooled students, which create learning environments most beneficial to each student's needs.
For distance education programs, little or no additional funding is needed for facility maintenance or consumable supplies. For charter schools, only a small staff is needed to run administrative services.
Students meet all state requirements for following education standards, showing progress through assessment, meeting attendance goals, etc.