How to Start Homeschooling in Tennessee

Required hours

720 hrs/year

School days

180 days/year

Required subjects

Your choice

Notice

Required

Testing / evaluation

Standardized testing

Recordkeeping

Recommended

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

Step by step

1. 1

   Understand Tennessee's homeschool law

   Tennessee has moderate homeschool requirements. Families must provide at least 4 hours per day over 180 school days, and you'll file notice with your local school district.

2. 2

   Withdraw from public school (if enrolled)

   The Tennessee withdrawal process is a two-step handoff: a letter to the current public school closing out the enrollment, followed by a notice of intent filed with the local school district. Homeschool Fox generates a compliant withdrawal letter from your family's details in a few clicks.

3. 3

   File your notice of intent

   Yes, Tennessee requires you to file notice of your intent to homeschool. You must notify your local school district.

4. 4

   Plan your subjects

   Tennessee does not mandate specific subjects. Families have complete flexibility in designing their curriculum and choosing what to teach.

5. 5

   Set your hours or days target

   Tennessee requires at least 4 hours of instruction per day over 180 school days, which works out to roughly 720 hours per year.

6. 6

   Plan for assessment and records

   Under Tennessee's independent home-school option, students take a standardized test at the end of grades 5, 7, and 9; results go to parents, the director of schools, and the state board. Families registered through a church-related school follow that school's assessment policy instead.

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 Tennessee-specific compliance report when you need it.

Free tool

Calculate your homeschool pace

Tennessee requires 720 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 Tennessee

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

• Hours toward your 720-hour goal
• Required subjects & core hours
• Daily activity logs
• Attendance records
• Notes & portfolio records
• Printable PDF reports
• High school transcripts
• State-specific progress tracking

More Tennessee guides

• Tennessee Homeschool Requirements Hours, notice, assessment, and subjects at a glance.
• Homeschooling High School in Tennessee Credits, GPA, transcripts, and graduation.
• Record Keeping in Tennessee What to document, how to organize it, and staying compliant.
• ESA & School Choice in Tennessee Funding amounts, who qualifies, and the trade-offs.