How to Start Homeschooling in District of Columbia

Required hours

No state minimum

Required subjects

8 subjects

Notice

Required

Testing / evaluation

Portfolio review

Portfolio

Required

Jump to the full District of Columbia requirements for plain-English detail on each of these.

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand District of Columbia's homeschool law

   District of Columbia has light but formal homeschool requirements with no mandated hour or day minimums, and you'll file notice with the state Department of Education.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   District of Columbia handles the transition from public school at the state level: send a withdrawal letter to the child's current school, then file a notice of intent directly with the state Department of Education. Homeschool Fox generates a compliant withdrawal letter from your family's details in a few clicks.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, District of Columbia requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify the state Department of Education.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   District of Columbia requires instruction in the following subjects: language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, and physical education. Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   District of Columbia does not mandate a specific number of instructional hours. Families have flexibility in determining their own schedule and pace of learning.

6. 6

   Plan for assessment and records

   DC doesn't require standardized testing. OSSE instead relies on a portfolio review — the office may ask to review a child's portfolio up to twice a year at a mutually agreed time to confirm thorough, regular instruction. Under 5-A DCMR 5205, families keep a portfolio of the student's educational materials showing regular activity across the required subjects for at least one year. OSSE doesn't collect the portfolio — it reviews it on request, no more than twice per school year, with at least 30 days' written notice (5-A DCMR 5206.1).

7. 7

   Track your hours and keep records

   Log activities as they happen so hours, attendance, and subject coverage build up automatically. Homeschool Fox lets you log from your phone or by voice and generates a District of Columbia-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

District of Columbia doesn't mandate a minimum. Use 900 hours/year as a general guide to stay on pace.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for District of Columbia

Everything District of Columbia expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Required hours or days
• Required subjects & core hours
• Daily activity logs
• Attendance records
• Notes & portfolio records
• Printable PDF reports
• High school transcripts
• State-specific progress tracking

More District of Columbia guides

• District of Columbia Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in District of Columbia Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in District of Columbia What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.