Homeschool Record Keeping in Iowa

Required days

148 days/year

Required subjects

5 subjects

Notice

Required

Testing / evaluation

Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)

Recordkeeping

Recommended

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

What to keep in Iowa

Good records are your best protection if anyone ever questions your homeschool. In Iowa, keep an organized set: a running log of what you teach and when, samples of your child's work, and any assessment or filing documents the state asks for. Depending on the rules you'll keep some at home and file others, so keep everything organized and dated.

Attendance and hours

Iowa doesn't specify a minimum number of hours, but requires at least 148 days of instruction per year.

Portfolio and work samples

Iowa doesn't prescribe a specific portfolio format. Families using CPI with an evaluator keep work samples that the evaluator reviews; IPI families aren't required to submit records.

Assessment and evaluation records

Under Independent Private Instruction (IPI), Iowa requires no assessment at all. Under Competent Private Instruction (CPI), families who want dual enrollment, extracurriculars, or special-education services must submit an annual assessment — either a standardized test or a portfolio review by a licensed evaluator.

How to organize your records

Keep one folder per child per school year: a running activity log, a stack of work samples, any test or evaluation results, and copies of anything you filed. Homeschool Fox does this automatically, logging hours by subject from your phone, tagging core versus non-core, and generating the Iowa reports and year-end summaries you may need.

Free Iowa printables

Two ready-to-use PDFs for Iowa homeschoolers. No account needed.

Templates, not legal advice. Confirm the current rule with your state or district.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for Iowa

Everything Iowa expects you to keep, in one place — no spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Days toward your 148-day goal
• Required subjects & core hours
• Daily activity logs
• Attendance records
• Notes & portfolio records
• Printable PDF reports
• High school transcripts
• State-specific progress tracking

More Iowa guides

• Iowa Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• How to Start Homeschooling in Iowa A step-by-step guide from withdrawal to your first logged day.
• Homeschooling High School in Iowa Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• ESA & School Choice in Iowa Funding amounts, who qualifies, and the trade-offs.