Understanding Missouri Homeschool Regulations

From the HSDL website:

Compulsory Attendance Ages: Between the ages of 7 and 17 years, or, at the parent’s option, until the student completes 16 “statutory credits” (explained below) toward high school graduation. Missouri Annotated Statutes § 167.031. A student who has reached his 16th birthday is exempt from certain requirements (see below). § 167.031.2(3). If a five- or six-year-old is enrolled in public school, he becomes subject to compulsory attendance immediately until the parents request in writing that he be dropped from the school’s rolls. Mo. Ann. Stat. § 167.031.1(3).

Required Days of Instruction: 1,000 hours of instruction. At least 600 of these hours must be in the five core subjects below. At least 400 of the 600 must occur at “the regular home school location.” Mo. Ann. Stat. § 167.031.2(2)(b). These requirements must be met within the school term (12 months or less) the parents establish. Not required for a student who has reached his sixteenth birthday.

Required Subjects: Reading, math, social studies, language arts, and science. Mo. Ann. Stat.
§ 167.031.2(2)(b). These subject areas (including academic courses related to them) are not individually required, but must collectively constitute at least 600 hours of the child’s instruction. Not required for a student who has reached his sixteenth birthday.

The homeschool regulations in Missouri are straight-forward and fairly easy to understand and stay compliant with; the record-keeping is the area some homeschoolers find confusing, so let's take a look at those:

Home schools must maintain (but do not need to submit) the following records:
a. A plan book, diary, or other record indicating subjects taught and activities engaged in (an appropriate daily log could satisfy this requirement);
b. And “a portfolio of samples of child’s academic work” or “other written credible evidence, etc.”;
c. And “a record of evaluations of the child’s academic progress”;
d. Or “other written, credible evidence equivalent to subparagraphs a) b) and c)” Mo. Ann. Stat.
§ 167.031.2(2)(a).

Parents have the option to follow: a, b, and c, or they can choose to follow only d) which permits more flexibility.

I think the confusion comes from the either-or, either A, B and C, or D; in choosing D, what defines "written, credible evidence" that is "equivalent" to A, B snd C? Truth be told, there isn't a definition to work with, leaving it subject to interpretation if you find yourself under scrutiny at some point while homeschooling your children.

It's the lack of definition in D that led me to follow A, B and C for my record keeping. While there is still room for interpretation in those three, I think it's easier to be compliant with the regulations when you're following the first options, rather than the last.

So, how do I do it?

I'm a planner by nature, so each spring I spend time laying out our educational goals for the coming school year, the curriculum we'll use and a rough outline of what we should be able to accomplish each month within each subject. That's the "big picture" part of the plan, the details come next.

Within each subject I then go chapter by chapter, outlining the flow of the year - I do this without dates, it's a "next-step" plan, where when we complete something, we move to the next thing. I have a separate document for each subject since I do not know in advance how quickly or slowly we'll progress through the work.

Neither of these are part of my formal record keeping. They are my guide to what needs to be done, but do not meet the regulations for record-keeping per the statutes.

My record-keeping is simple:
1. A weekly calendar book - two page a week layout; in which I record what we do each day and the time spent; this fulfills my A while also providing a place to keep track of hours throughout the year in one place.

2. A 3" three-ring binder, divided by subject; in which I place work completed that can be hole-punched, or pictures of things done that can't; this fulfills my B.

3. Within each section of the binder, I'll also place quizzes, tests or other things we do that highlight progress throughout the year; this fulfills my C. Each month I also write out my evaluation of how things are going, where improvement was seen and where improvement is needed. At the end of the year, though not required, I do an end of the year standardized test also.