Washington, D.C. — Michael Farris, Esq., President of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) released the first comprehensive study on the “State of American Home Schooling” today at the National Homeschooling Leadership Summit in Washington, DC. The Summit is being attended by Home School Leaders from 45 states, representing 55 home school organizations. The study, Home Education: Across the United States, highlights the success of home schooling and also delves into pertinent home schooling issues such as: government regulation, achievement in test scores, socialization, parental certification, and many other aspects of home education. The study was conducted by Dr. Brian Ray, President, National Home Education Research Institute.
“Secretary of Education Robert Riley has announced that he will host a national forum this spring to bring ‘the nation’s best teachers’ together to address our country’s education challenges. If he is willing to break through institutional prejudice, Mr. Riley will include a number of home schooling parents in the forum and consider the success of home education as an example for public school educators. As documented in the study released today home school students score significantly higher on standardized tests than their public school counterparts — by a huge 37 percentile differential,” stated Michael Farris, President, Home School Legal Defense Association.
“The overall success of home schoolers as a group fails to reveal the truly phenomenal story. The story is this: Home schooling works for everybody. It works for the rich, the poor, the middle class, it works for racial minorities, as well as the white majority, it works for families with well educated parents and for those who are not so well educated,” added Farris.
“1.2 million children are being home schooled today and the number is rising rapidly. Grand solutions like Goals 2000 which are predicated on the notion that all children should learn the same thing are doomed to failure because one size never fits all in education. Good education is focused on each child and each child deserves a great education. Home schoolers prove that for success, the proper goal of education is teach each child,” concluded Farris.
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