Home school stats called into question
By Jennifer Radcliffe - Houston ChronicleWeb Posted: 05/25/2010 12:00 CDT
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More than 22,000 Texas secondary students who stopped showing up for class in 2008 were excluded from the state's dropout statistics because administrators said they were being home-schooled, according to Texas Education Agency figures.
But that's where the scrutiny of this growing population seems to end, leaving some experts convinced schools are disguising thousands of middle and high school dropouts in this category.
While home schooling's popularity has increased, TEA figures seem to indicate the rate of growth in Texas' high school population is off the charts: It has nearly tripled in the past decade, including a 24 percent jump in a single year.
“That's just ridiculous,” said Brian D. Ray, founder of the National Home Education Research Institute. “It doesn't sound very believable.”
Texas' lax documentation and hands-off practices make it impossible to know how many of these students actually are being taught at home. It also opens the door to abuse of the designation, which could help school districts avoid the sanctions that come with high dropout rates, experts said.
In some states, parents are required to file sworn affidavits when they withdraw their children. Many states also require families to submit curricula, attendance records or test scores when they opt for home school.
But that's where the scrutiny of this growing population seems to end, leaving some experts convinced schools are disguising thousands of middle and high school dropouts in this category.
While home schooling's popularity has increased, TEA figures seem to indicate the rate of growth in Texas' high school population is off the charts: It has nearly tripled in the past decade, including a 24 percent jump in a single year.
“That's just ridiculous,” said Brian D. Ray, founder of the National Home Education Research Institute. “It doesn't sound very believable.”
Texas' lax documentation and hands-off practices make it impossible to know how many of these students actually are being taught at home. It also opens the door to abuse of the designation, which could help school districts avoid the sanctions that come with high dropout rates, experts said.
In some states, parents are required to file sworn affidavits when they withdraw their children. Many states also require families to submit curricula, attendance records or test scores when they opt for home school.
