Illinois Homeschool High School Graduation Requirements

It's that time of year when people are either thinking ahead for the next school year or start to question if they have done everything they need to do to meet Graduation Requirements.

Over and over again I see nervous parents start looking for requirements, standards, and it never fails someone pulls up the requirements on ISBE site and thinks it applies to them.

Illinois laws, believe it or not, when it comes to homeschooling are very relaxed and low-key. It can be summed up this way.

YOU SET THE STANDARDS AND YOU DETERMINE WHAT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS ARE

That's right YOU! As the administrator of your homeschool you determine how many years/semesters of math, English, social studies, physical education, science, fine arts, etc are needed. You determine what courses within those subjects are needed. You decided.

The ISBE site has its flaws, such as misleading people into thinking they should register their homeschool with the state, does correctly state how YOU determine graduation requirements. 

You are the administrator of your homeschool, so you will have to (decide graduation requirements). ISBE does not provide guidance or recommendations for instructing and evaluating students in homeschool programs.

It then goes on to say: 

You should be aware that you do have the freedom to decide grade level progression and graduation requirements, but employers, the military, vocational and trade schools, and colleges and universities may have course requirements. We encourage you to design your homeschool curriculum to meet the requirements of the employer, school, or organization that you will be applying to after graduation.

What the ISBE site goes on to say is what most homeschoolers will say! Look at your child's post-high school plans and plan your high school years with that in mind! Set your graduation requirements so they will get into the college or trade school they are looking at. Set your graduation requirements to meet military requirements. And if your child is not thinking of college or trade school at the very minimum do what the local community college expects so that later down the road they are set up for success.

With all of that said remember it boils down to: 

If you are providing materials that are skillset and age-appropriate you are doing enough! Even in the high school years.

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Image Source: Jason Dent