How to Start Homeschooling in New York

Required hours

900 hrs/year, 990 in grades 7-12

School days

180 days/year

Required subjects

9 subjects

Notice

Required each year

Testing / evaluation

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

Recordkeeping

Required

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

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand New York's homeschool law

   New York has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must provide at least 900 hours of instruction per year, and you'll file notice with your local school district.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   To withdraw your child from public school in New York, send a written withdrawal letter to the principal or registrar, then file a notice of intent with your local school district so the transition is on record before instruction begins. Rather than hand-writing the withdrawal letter, Homeschool Fox produces a pre-formatted PDF ready to send to the district.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, New York requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district. The notice is filed again each school year.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   New York requires instruction in math, science, english, social studies, health, music, visual arts, physical education, and library skills (grades 7-8). Beyond these requirements, you have flexibility to add subjects that interest your family.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   New York requires a minimum of 900 hours of instruction per school year. This must be spread over at least 180 school days.

6. 6

   Plan for assessment and records

   New York requires an annual assessment with the fourth-quarter report. Options are a commercially published standardized test (composite at or above the 33rd percentile or a year of growth) or, in grades 1–3 and every other year in 4–8, a written narrative by a certified teacher, peer-review panel, or superintendent-approved evaluator who interviews the child and reviews a portfolio.

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 New York-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free New York printables

Three ready-to-use PDFs for New York homeschoolers. No account needed.

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

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

New York requires 900 hours/year. Enter how far you've come and we'll show you the daily pace to finish on time.

What Homeschool Fox tracks for New York

The records New York asks you to keep, plus the rest of your year, in one place. No spreadsheets, no lost notebooks.

• Hours toward your 900-hour goal
• Required subjects
• Days attended
• The records New York asks you to keep
• Parent's choice (testing, portfolio, or evaluation)
• Daily activity logs
• Printable PDF reports
• Progress tracking

More New York guides

• New York Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in New York Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in New York What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• How to Withdraw From School in New York The steps, the letter, and timing to avoid truancy issues.
• Moving to New York What to file when you arrive and whether your records transfer.
• Public School Sports in New York Whether homeschoolers can play, what it takes, and who to ask.
• Homeschool Hours Required in New York The number, what counts toward it, and the pace to hit it.
• Required Subjects in New York The list, how much time each needs, and proving you taught them.
• New York Letter of Intent Who to file with, when it's due, and a free generator.
• New York Quarterly Reports What goes in it, when it's due, and who reviews it.
• Homeschool Testing in New York What the state asks for, when, and low-score rules.
• Homeschool Field Trips in New York City Places to go, how long a visit takes, and what it counts toward.