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Academic Profile of Home Schoolers a Case Study

Last reviewed: June 30, 2003 ~85 min read

Academic Profile of Home Schooling - a Case Study

Home Schooling vs. Traditional Educational Methods

Home Schooling Methodology

Focus of the Practicum

Culture

Area of Inquiry

Subject/Topic Areas

Home Schooling as an Alternative

Curricula and Materials Used for Home Schooling

The Success of Home Schooling

Evaluation Design

Conditions for Change

Timeline

Chronology

Legislative Information:

Maryland: A Legal Analysis

State Laws and Regulations - Maryland

Goulart and Travers vs. Calvert County

Home-schooled Kids Find Social Growth"

Home Schoolers in the Trenches"

Home School Academic Advantage Increases Over Time"

Home Schooling." ERIC Digest, Number 95.

Abstract

The Academic Profile of Home Schoolers

Case Study

The focus of this applied dissertation proposal is to examine and analyze home school families' academic environment, the institutional materials they use, and to gain an understanding of their academic success.

Prince George's County Public School System is the nineteenth largest school system in the nation with a diverse student population of over 137,000 students. Currently, there are 2,309 students that are being educated at home; 858 are being taught through correspondence courses that are registered with the Maryland State Department of Education. The remaining 1,451 are being supervised by Price George's County Public Schools. The school system is divided in 5 regions with the most prevalent impact of home schooling in Region IV. Region IV with a population of 902 students has the largest population of home-schooled students as compared to the other regions. One factor that contributes to difference is Andrews Air Force Base, which is located in Region IV and has an active home school organization.

Four families who home school at least one child between the ages of six and sixteen will participate in this study. Criteria will be established for selecting the participants prior to initiating the study, so that a cross section of the population will be obtained and represented. Participating families will be recruited directly at meetings of home school groups located on Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Maryland. Information for this study will be gathered, analyzed and presented using qualitative research methodology.

Participants will be seen in their homes by the researcher, four times for approximately two hours each time. A formal and informal interview will also be conducted with the parents.

Chapter 1

Introduction and Background

Introduction

Parents may provide home instruction themselves by instructing their children themselves at home. They may design their own curricula or use county selected courses as guides. If they elect to use the county guides, then supervision of their instructional program must be provided by PGCPS through portfolio reviews of each child's work and the materials used for instruction. Instruction may also be provided in a non-public school or through correspondence courses that are registered with the MSDE to supervise home instruction.

Home schooling can be a challenging undertaking because the parent providing home instruction must have knowledge of the subject matter, know her child's learning style, know how to find age appropriate materials that are challenging yet interesting, what instructional approaches to use, ways to motivate her children, and how to evaluate mastery of the skills that are taught. Despite the associated challenges, home instruction continues to show dramatic grow and home schooled children are consistently more successful on standardized achievement tests than their peers in traditional public school environments (Ray, 1997).

Education has been a crucial concern of parents and society since the genesis of culture. Educational issues, debates, and reforms are continuing to be the main topic of discussion in America today it has become clear that home schooling will play a major role in the conflict. What some observers thought would be a passing fad -- home schooling -- has become a visible movement motivated by capable leaders and a robust mix of parents and children (Caldwell, 1999; Clark, 1994; Lines 1994).

According to the United States Department of Education, the number of students home schooled by their parents grew from 90,000 in 1983 to 225,000 in 1988, and by 1991 it was estimated to be between 300,000 and 500,000 (Sullivan, 1993). Home schooled children now number 1.2 million in the United States, and the number is steadily growing (Farris, 1997). Parents' desire to control their children's learning was the impetus for the home schooling movement.

Home schooling's efficacy is supported by test scores showing that these children, across the board in Grades k through 12, perform academically as well as children who are conventionally schooled (Ray, 1997). Many colleges now regularly admit home-schooled students. All 50 states recognize home schooling as a legal alternative to traditional (public, private, and parochial) school education, though the requirements and laws very in each state.

About 80% of home-schooled children are from conservative Christian families in the United States (Divoky, 1983; Kantrowitz & Wingerd, 1991; Sullivan, 1993). Most parents who opt for home schooling want to reinforce Christian doctrine and values; others want to promote and enhance their children's creativity. Still others want their children to learn about their own heritage and believe that public schools do not teach enough multi-cultural subject matter Divoky, 1983; Kantrowitz & Wingerd, 1991; Sullivan, 1993). For some home schooling families, the opportunity for their children to learn with a minimum of instructional constraints and to follow their own interested is paramount. Also, the extremely low student/teacher ratio allows for the potential for the home learning environment to present the learner with optimally challenging experiences, tailored to his or her own interest -- should that be the objective of the home school. These unique learning environments allow for the examination of important questions about environmental effects on learning and motivation. Schools, by contract, are extremely complex environments with student success dependent on the teacher, institution, student body, and even budgetary factors. Achievement goals tend, necessarily, to be standard for all children. Further, the relation of the family to the school represents an important determinant of children's school success (Grolnick & Slowiaczek, 1994), with families differing greatly along this dimension.

Purpose of the Study

The focus of my research is to examine and analyze home schooling families' academic environment, the institutional materials they use, and to gain an understanding of their academic success. The primary emphasis is on pedagogy with a secondary consideration on the teaching of reading. This study will require intensive examination of the teaching-learning process in natural settings to investigate what guides the home schooler in making judgments about the teaching practice.

Research Questions

What reasons do home schoolers give for teaching their own children?

What teaching strategies do home schoolers use to instruct their children?

What considerations do home schoolers give to choosing the curricula?

4. Why do home schoolers select the approaches and methods they use in instruction?

Statement of the Problem

The focus will be on the 1996-1997 school year, when school districts across the country opened their doors to school-aged children, and realized some students were conspicuously absent.

Amid the fact and fiction surrounding public school choice is widespread cynicism that many parents choose alternatives to the public school system, do so for nonacademic reasons, or as some experts believe, for the wrong reasons. Whereas, there is undoubtedly some truth to these beliefs in some cases, a recent study of parental school choice in a Colorado school district refutes findings that parents choose programs based more on their social composition or convenience than their educational content. Instead, what emerged was a portrait of parents as sophisticated consumers of education who generally offered knowledgeable reasons for sending their children to alternative schools (Bomotti, 1996).

Moreover, Bomotti (1996) writes that parents report that their motivation to select a different school for their children is more positive than negative in nature in that their decisions are based more on a proactive search for different teaching and learning environments than on negative experiences with neighborhood schools. However, some parents cite discontent with neighborhood schools as their secondary reason. Such a finding gives some pause to the critics of school choice who contend that families do not or cannot make good decisions about choosing educational settings for their children.

Public reaction to the current home schooling movement has moved from a virtual unawareness of its existence to forming specific opinions about home education. Gorder (1990_ stated "...the general public is beginning to have a positive...attitude about...home education." A June 1994 NBC news/Wall Street Journal poll indicated that among "the general public only 28% favor home schooling over traditional schools" (Clark, 1994), and, in a Family Research Council poll taken in September 1993, the public was evenly split at 44% each as to whether home schooled students learn as well as publicly schooled students (Clark, 1994). More current data is presented later in the practicum. A possible indicator of the prevalence of the home education movement is that the College Board has assigned codes for use by home educators when taking the SAT/PSAT (Lambert, 1996).

Home Schooling vs. Traditional Educations Methods

Home schooling, an alternative educational setting to public schools, despite its documented success in educating children and its legality in all 50 states, continues to be viewed with skepticism and as a threat to public educators' job security. Many public school administrators seem to adhere to a rather common impression that only people who are under-educated and overly religious choose to home school their children. Yet, the literature indicates that parents cite a variety of reasons for their decision to home school their children. Despite the feelings of many public educators, home schooling has come of age.

Nationwide, more than 500,000 children are home schooled; this figure represents approximately one percent of all school-aged children and about 10% of those privately schooled (Lines, 1991). Lines assumes this 199091 estimate to be modest, because data were collected from three independent sources: state education agencies, distributors of popular curricular packages, and state and local home school associations. Assuming that all of these figures represent the tip of the iceberg, Lines used surveys of home schoolers to estimate how many remained unidentified.

Assuming the average home schooling experience lasts only 2 years, as many as 6% of all families with children could have some home schooling experiences (Lines,1996). Lines (1996) reports estimates of between 691,000 and 750,000 children for 1995-1996. Ray (1996) reports estimates of 1.2 million students being home schooled. However, in 1999, further studies conducted by Ray yielded estimates between 1.2 and 1.8 million children being home schooled.

Home Schooling Methodology

Home schooling families are a very diverse group. How they educate is even more diverse than why they choose to home school. One area of interest is how parents, especially those not trained in pedagogy, select materials, choose appropriate approaches and strategies, teach the various subjects, including reading, and assess the learning of their children. Recently, California has issued a warning to home schoolers stating that they must possess a professional teaching credential in order to continue to home school; however, this is not a national mandate. Unlike public school teachers, home schoolers are not subject to curricular mandates and nor are they evaluated on successful student learning in terms of grades and test scores.

However, the state of Maryland mandates regular instruction in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age. The state of Maryland also requires home schoolers to submit a portfolio for review on a frequent basis to illustrate the child's work, the materials used, workbooks, worksheets, creative materials, and tests. The portfolio review does not certify that a child has mastered all of the educational outcomes or requirements that are designed for any particular grade level in the public schools. Portfolio reviews conducted while students are registered in traditional schooling and calculated while registered in home instruction do not verify grades, grade placement, clock hours, or credits for transfer into the public school curricula.

The State of Maryland has significant legislature governing home schooling including:

House Bill 2260: Tax credit for home schoolers

House Bill 2518: Requiring home schoolers to prove "quality education"

House Bill 2788: Special education services to home schoolers

House Bill 2675: Participation in extracurricular activities

Senate Bill 103: Home schools defined as nonpublic schools

House Bill 337: Home school tax credit

Senate Bill 292: Tax credit for home schoolers

Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 20: Establishing a committee to study home schooling

House Bill 261: Equal access for students in home study programs

Legislative Document 160: Creates less restrictive home school procedures

Senate File 99: Protecting privacy of home school data

House Bill 220: Procedural changes to home school law

Assembly Bill 668: Allows home schoolers access to outstanding scholars recruitment program scholarships

Home schoolers tend to assess their programs in an informal manner. They may opt to enroll in a nonpublic school and provide instruction through correspondence courses under the supervision of a bona fide church organization.

Conducting qualitative research for this case study will prove to be valuable since this investigation requires a methodology capable of accurately describing the character of the home schooling environment. The qualitative researcher best gains knowledge of this phenomenon under study through participant observation in the natural setting (Bogdan & Biklen, 1992; Jacob, 1998; Kilgore, 1998; Lincoln & Guba, 1985). This study will include observing home school participants in their natural home environments, examining the methodology used in selecting and teaching reading, interviewing the home schoolers, and collecting work samples used for instruction. The data will be analyzed to draw conclusions; to determine relationships, patterns, and themes; and to report the findings in writing by describing and analyzing what has been seen.

Summary

Home education, though not for every family, appears to be a viable education alternative for some families (Canon, 1992). The legitimacy and acknowledgement of home education as an educational alternative has gradually been accepted. When a parent decides, for whatever reason, to provide home instruction for their children, they must make many choices. These choices include deciding on the appropriate instructional materials to be used, teaching strategies, motivational techniques, and an evaluation to determine the success of the learning process. Despite the challenges presented by undertaking home schooling, then end result can be an excellent learning experience for the child.

Chapter 2

Focus of the Practicum

Problem Setting

This study will be based on in-home assessment of several students using qualitative research methods to accurately assess the character of the home schooling environment. This study will include observing home school participants in their natural home environments, examining the methodology used in selecting and teaching reading, interviewing the home schoolers, and collecting work samples used for instruction. The data will be analyzed to draw conclusions; to determine relationships, patterns, and themes; and to report the findings in writing by describing and analyzing what has been seen.

Many parents are choosing an alternative way to educate their children and many of those parents choose home schooling. Home school parents often say that it gives them more time to schedule field trips and school while also allowing them to concentrate on their child's strengths or weaknesses at the child's own pace. Parents who teach their children at home are not required to have a teaching certificate.

However, they must meet a requirement of hours spent in study and should maintain records of the student's academic progress. Parents are not required to be certified by the state but they are required to keep certain records. What is interesting to note there is that home schoolers out-perform their public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects (Ray, data for 1994-95 school year).

Home schooling is a flourishing phenomenon within the United States. A recent study conducted by Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) provides some answers. This study, Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America, collected data on 5,402 home school students from 1,657 families for the 1994-95 and 1995-96 academic years. Nearly 6,000 surveys were sent to home school families using a variety of sources and methods. Some were mailed directly to families (both those randomly selected from numerous mailing lists as well as longitudinal participants from Ray's similar study in 1990). Others were blindly forwarded to families through the leadership of independent home school support groups and networks operating in every state. Unquestionably, this research represents the largest and most comprehensive study on home schooling ever undertaken (Ray, 1997).

In a collaborative effort to provide solid answers to common questions about home schooling, HSLDA and Dr. Ray have highlighted some of the key findings of this study. This study demonstrates that home schooling works. It suggests that direct parental involvement and hard work are the keys to educational success. Regardless of race, gender, socioeconomic status, parent education level, teacher certification, or the degree of government regulation, the academic achievement scores of home-educated students significantly exceed those of public school students. Home school students are fully engaged in society and experience a wide range of opportunities outside the home. They are smart users of both technology and their time. And graduates are equipped to pursue their aspirations -- work or college. Contrary to the speculative opinions of critics, the facts from this study demonstrate success. (Ray, 1997)

This study will examine home schooling in Prince George's County Public School System is the nineteenth largest school system in the nation with a diverse student population of over 137,000 students. Currently, there are 2,309 students that are being educated at home; 858 are being taught through correspondence courses that are registered with the Maryland State Department of Education. The remaining 1,451 are being supervised by Prince George's County Public Schools. The school system is divided in 5 regions with the most prevalent impact of home schooling in Region IV. Region IV with a population of 902 students has the largest population of home-schooled students as compared to the other regions. One factor that contributes to difference is Andrews Air Force Base, which is located in Region IV and has an active home school organization.

The researcher's primary objective will be to identify and understand the reasons parents opt to home school their children, what teaching strategies they implement to instruct their children, what criteria they use to select the curricula and why they select the methods and approaches they use.

Formal and informal interviews will be conducted in the home environment with students and their parents. Portfolio reviews will be conducted and comparisons made with comparable from public school students' work in various subjects to assess the type of work submitted, the subject matter and the skill sets mastered. Students will be selected from ages of six to sixteen.

Culture

In late 1979 three Maryland families interested in home education met in Columbia. By the spring of 1980 the Maryland Home Education Association was formerly established and three families quickly grew to twenty. The process of gaining acceptance for home schooling was not easy and many families who opted for this educational alternative went underground to educate their children. The legislative impact that resulted gained momentum for new home education regulations.

Today, Maryland has favorable home education legislation and regulations that provide parents with some latitude for educating their children and provides an equal amount of safeguards for the state.

The procedures for home schooling in Maryland are simple and easily implemented. Contact the local board of education and request an Assurance of Consent form for home instruction. Complete the form and submit 15 days prior to beginning instruction. The options available for home schooling are to maintain a portfolio of the child's work, use an approved correspondence school or a recognized religious satellite program.

This study will focus on the portfolio option of home schooling, which does not require a formal curricula or correspondence course but allows the parent to create a program based on several reviews with school officials per year.

Code a7-301 is the annotated code of Maryland state attendance law and stipulates that "all children between the ages of five and sixteen must attend a public school or receive regular, through instruction during the school year in the studies usually taught in the public schools to children of the same age." Basically, it provides the legal option to establish and operate a qualified home school to provide supervised home instruction. This instruction must be of a sufficient duration according to the state law or as prescribed by a supervising program.

The subject matter taught must also be in the same subject areas as the public schools or as prescribed by a supervising program. Instruction can commence 15 days after application and if the portfolio method is selected, relevant reviewable materials must be submitted at least three times per year.

Focus of the Study

The primary objective of this study will be to identify and understand the reasons parents opt to home school their children, what teaching strategies they implement to instruct their children, what criteria they use to select the curricula and why they select the methods and approaches they use.

The secondary objective is to examine reading as a home schooling subject and determine the level of effectiveness in a home schooling environment vs. A traditional schooling environment.

Students in a traditional school setting will be selected based on similar criteria and levels of achievement and mastery of skills sets will be compared with the home schooling students.

This proposed dissertation would attempt to show that home schooling can be a viable alternative educational experience and that students can achieve accepted levels of performance both at home and in a traditional school environment.

Area of Inquiry

According to Ray (1997), home schoolers' test scores sometimes increase in relation to the number of years that a student has been taught at home. The data for eighth grade home schoolers suggests that those who have completed two or more years at home score substantially higher than those who just completed one year of instruction. Students that have been home schooled from early grades tend to score higher in subsequent years in some subject areas (Ray, 1997). Students who were schooled at home for the full eight years, ranked in the 90 percentile for basic battery achievement testing.

The research for this study may prove or disprove this earlier data. The benefits of conducting this research are to determine if home schooling still remains a viable and successful educational alternative in the 21st century. The data will also identify why and how parents implement a home school teaching system as opposed to having their children attend traditional schooling. Understanding these reasons may be advantageous to the Prince George's County Public School System to clarify ways to improve the school system to account for some of the parents' concerns.

With home schooling, parents have the unique opportunity to tailor their children's curricula to meet individual needs. A child's strengths and weaknesses can be identified and they best way to meet those needs can be determined and implemented on an individual basis. This takes into account the fact that not all children are ready to learn the same things at the same time. The school system may gain some insight into additional ways to accommodate a student's individual learning needs across the board.

Other demographic factors will be examined to identify the impact they may or may not have on the home schooling environment, including the parent's educational background, race, and family income. According to Ray (1997), math and reading scores for minority home schoolers show no significant difference when compared to whites. In reading, both white and minority home schoolers scored at the 87th percentile. Only five points separate them in math -- the 82nd percentile vs. The 77th percentile. A similar comparison of public school students demonstrates a substantial disparity. White public school eighth graders score at the 57th percentile in reading and at the 58th in math nationally. Ray's study also indicates that black public school eighth graders score at the 28th percentile in reading and the 24th percentile in math nationally. However, it should be noted that national figures are not available which allow proportional weighting of various minority groups to match the same proportions as are found among home schooling racial minority groups. It would seem that home schoolers have been able to substantially eliminate the disparity between white and minority scores.

Ray's work also showed that socioeconomic status was not a determinant of academic performance for home schoolers. Regardless of a family's income bracket, home schooled students scored between the 82nd and 83rd percentile. In contrast, some researchers believe that family income has a significant impact on public school students' scores. The research for this dissertation may show that attending school with peers may be the catalyst for some peer pressure regarding a family's social status. This may negatively impact a student's performance.

Another potential predictor to be considered is the parent's level of education. A parent's educational background has no substantive effect on their children's home school academic performance. Home educated students' test scores remain between the 80th and 90th percentiles, whether their mothers have a college degree or did not complete high school (Ray, 1997). Note: It may be interesting as part of this study to examine the effect of the father's education on performance. That is not alluded to in Ray's study.

Public school students were affected by a parent's educational level. In eighth grade math, public school students whose parents are college graduates score at the 63rd percentile, whereas students whose parents have less than a high school diploma score at the 28th percentile (Ray, 1997).

Summary

The focus of this research is to examine and analyze home schooling families' academic environment, the institutional materials they use, and to gain an understanding of their academic success. The primary emphasis is on pedagogy with a secondary consideration on the teaching of reading. This study will require intensive examination of the teaching-learning process in natural settings to investigate what guides the home schooler in making judgments about the teaching practice.

This study will include observing home school participants in their natural home environments, examining the methodology used in selecting and teaching reading, interviewing the home schoolers, and collecting work samples used for instruction. The data will be analyzed to draw conclusions; to determine relationships, patterns, and themes; and to report the findings in writing by describing and analyzing what has been seen.

As a secondary objective, the demographic factors that will be considered and examined could indicate that home schooling provides a superior educational experience as evidenced by home schooled students' performance scores.

Chapter 3

Research and Literature Review

Introduction and Purpose

The purpose of this literature research and review is to investigate the work done by previous educators and researchers on the issue of home schooling. My objective is to find current and relevant information on home schooling at large as well as in Price George's County, Maryland. My ultimate goal is to determine if the educational experience provided by home schooling produces comparable or better results than those obtained in the traditional school settings.

The research will attempt to support previous works that indicate that home schooling produce's superior education results in many instances. It is of course, not without it's problems. Several researchers have studied the socialization problems that result from schooling children in a home environment where their interaction with their peers and authority figures is limited. Normal socialization requires exposure to typical school environments.

This dissertation will also examine some of the issues facing home schoolers with regard to social educational alternative to providing children with the experience of being in a classroom environment.

Early research conducted in the 1990s indicated that there were distinct advantages and disadvantages associated with home schooling. The emotional and social development of interpersonal and communication skills was identified as a significant issue. The stereotypical home-schooled child is often portrayed as being shy, passive, and lethargic because of his/her isolation from the normal socialization found in formal schooling. Critics further allege that the self-concept of the home-schooled child suffers from lack of exposure to a more conventional environment (Stough, 1992).

Stough (1992), looking particularly at socialization, compared 30 home-schooling families and 32 conventionally schooled families, families with children 7-14 years of age. The findings illustrated that children who were schooled at home, "gained the necessary skills, knowledge, and attitudes needed to function in society... At a rate similar to that of conventionally schooled children," The researcher found no difference in the self-concept of children in the two groups. Stough maintains that "insofar as self-concept is concerned is a reflector of socialization, it would appear that few home-schooled children are socially deprived, and that there may be sufficient evidence to indicate that some home-schooled children have a higher self-concept than conventionally schooled children."

Another issue faced by home educators is the concept of overprotecting children from the reality of life. The home school environment is more of a cocoon-like environment where the child is not threatened by some of the social issues that children are faced with in a typical learning environment. "Protection during early, developmental years for purposes of nurturing and growth is evident in many arenas: plant, animal, and aquatic. Why should it be considered wrong or bad in the most vital arena, human development?" (Bliss, 1989).

Not every issue can be fully examined but the growth of home schooling, the effectiveness of it as a learning vehicle and the key issues such as socialization and communication skills will be discussed in depth.

The research will attempt to support home schooling as a viable option, particularly in Prince George's County, based on the collected results of home schooling's success to date. My interviews and the criteria that I establish for my research will establish a basis for supporting the home schooling as a qualified academic experience that involves the entire family both socially and educationally. It is important to recognize that it is not a "solo" experience and that home schooling is adapted to the child's individual and unique needs and to the lifestyle of the adults who are involved. The majority of other academic environments cannot make that same claim.

Although much more research is needed, there are several excellent sources of information that can substantiate or refute the material that will be presented in this dissertation. Most of what is available on the subject matter just touches the surface and more recent and more quantified studies need to be conducted.

Using one of the best validated self-concept scales available, Taylor's random sampling (1987) of 45,000 home schooled children illustrated that 50% of these children scored at or above the 91st percentile, which was 47% higher that the average child who attended a traditional educational environment.

Bliss (1989) contends the issue of socialization regarding home schooled children, indicating that formal educational setting is a child's first exposure to negative socialization, conformity and peer pressure. "This is a setting of large groups, segmented by age, with a variation of authority figures...the individual, with his/her developmental needs, becomes overpowered by the expectations and demands of others -- equal in age and equally developmentally needy."

However, the methodology for these studies is limited to interviews, surveys and comparison with traditional students' skill sets. "Because home schooling contains so many diverse and changing factors, each family situation is unique. Yet there exists within the home-schooling community a sense of unity that transcends ideological, political, and religious concerns. That unity lies in the parents' commitment to the education of their children, whose welfare is their primary concern" (Preiss, 1989).

Subject/Topic Areas

The literature review focused on the areas that will be reviewed by the researcher, namely home schooling as an educational alternative, the curricula and materials used in the home schooling environment and finally, the success of home schooling. The majority of the information will be background and generic because the researcher's work will specifically focus on the Prince George's County Public School System, which Prince is the nineteenth largest school system in the nation. Currently, there are 2,309 students that are being educated at home; 858 are being taught through correspondence courses that are registered with the Maryland State Department of Education. The remaining 1,451 are being supervised by Price George's County Public Schools.

In the last 20 years, the incidence of home schooling in the United States has increased dramatically. Findings suggest that parents who home school their children tend to provide 2-3 more years of education than the general population of children may have. More research indicates that home-schooled children perform at higher academic levels than non-home schooled children (Meehan & Stephenson, 1994).

Home Schooling as an Alternative. There are over 2 million children being educated at home (2000) with that number increasing 10% every year. It is interesting to note that home schooling is not a new phenomenon to this country. The first public school was not established until 1837 and prior to that all children were educated at home.

Home schooling continues to thrive and both academic and demographic studies provide more comprehensive data on this growing from of education. With solid roots founded in our early history, home schooling continues to be a movement even in the 21st century.

The question that arises most often is "how can parents be qualified to educate their children?" In 1998, the Home School Legal Defense Association was commissioned to conduct the largest research study to date of home schooling in America. The data was compiled from the achievement test scores of over 20, 000 students in 11,930 families, along with background questionnaires submitted by their families.

One of the reasons that this was such a key study was because all of the students took the same tests: the Iowa Test of Basic Skills, grade K-8, and the Tests of Achievement and Proficiency, grades 9-12 and the families who chose to participate did not know their children's scores prior to agreeing to be in the study. In addition, the research was conducted by an impartial third party, which prevented bias for or against home schooling.

Mayberry (1991) describes the gradual development of the modern state and public education as arenas that attempt to legitimize themselves by embodying the ideologies of many different public segments. She further argues that by considering other agencies of socialization (the family or religion) as institutions that embody ideologies on contradiction to those transmitted by state institutions, the "context surrounding parental choice to home educate gains clearer focus. The decision to home school (or seek other forms of privatized education) represents a political response by people who perceive a threat in the current organization and content of public education." Thus the home schooling movement is directly linked to the State's struggle to balance contradictory imperatives (Mayberry, 1991).

There are several reasons why parents elect to home school -- some families live in remote rural locations and others just feel that their children will receive a higher quality of education in a home classroom. Two groups of parents home school primarily for ideological reasons: (1) deeply religious parents, and (2) "New Age" parents. 1600 Oregon families who home schooled were surveyed and a 35% response rate was received. Their responses led the researcher (Mayberry, 1991) to conclude that the two groups cited perceived home schooling as an activity that provided them with a way to reproduce their "way-of-life" by controlling the content of their children's education. She reported that meanings and values embodied in public education were not the ones that these parents wanted articulated to their children (Mayberry, 1991).

Many of the issues surrounding the decision to privatize a child's education are also based on the declining credibility of state-sponsored education, the option to use an alternative method of education and the perceived lack of influence on the part of parents on the educational system itself. Too often, parents do not have a high level of confidence in their school system and enjoy the idea of having as much interaction with their children as possible, including in their educational endeavors.

I would have to agree that home schooling affords families who value certain ideologies and traditions an opportunity to establish and grow their own culture and closeness at home. Their children are less likely to be exposed to peer pressure, prejudices and "must-haves" to be in with their schoolmates. Teaching children academic subjects as well as family-based religion, spirituality, culture, morals and ethical beliefs are the real heart and soul of home schooling (Leppert, 2003).

Home schooling is simply a matter of finding out what a "school-age" child (over 6 years) needs and then becoming resourceful enough to find it and implement a curricula that supports each child's unique needs. Once again, the key factor to recall here is that home schooling is a return to the traditional way of teaching that was introduced in the early 1700 and 1800s. Basically, society was less diverse then and most had Judeo-Christian beliefs. It was understood that children studied the Bible, their basic moral and ethical values, along with elementary subjects that were necessary for further education (Leppert, 2003).

Classical education has its early roots in Roman and Greek times when small groups of students studied under a scholar, normally in less than traditional classroom setting. This can be equated to "privatized" educational alternatives. There were no "canned" curricula, mostly scholarly dissertations and debates on subjects that were important to leading an educated and well-rounded life. This perspective on education can be linked to the home schooling theory. True, not all parents may be learned scholars but who knows and understands their child's needs better and who can take the time to individually discover each child's learning patterns and create a curricula geared around maximizing their child's learning strengths and focus in on their weaknesses.

What is also interesting to note when studying home schooling as an alternative form of education is that a parents assumption of the primary responsibility for the education of their child, when done responsibly, is legally protected by the United States Constitution; however educators face a conglomeration of regulations, statutes, and laws. Home schools are generally regulated by individual states by using existing laws that apply to home schooling, by passing specific home schooling legislation, and by passing legislation that indirectly affects home schooling. A key from of support for dealing with all of this is within support group membership. The support groups often function as repositories for, and dispensers of, home schooling information. Available to parent teachers are structured curricula, subject area studies, and games and equipment. The suitability of educational materials is at times determined by the child's needs, the circumstances of the parents, and by the state requirements (Preiss, 1989).

Curricula and Materials Used for Home Schooling. Thirty-year veteran Manhattan junior high school teacher John Taylor Gatto states in Dumbing Us Down that it takes an average of 120 hours to teach a child to read. He goes on to say that the elongation of this process in America came about as a result of some teachers' organizations wishing to create job security. (Leppert, 2003) Teachers should focus exclusively in their role of imparting higher forms of information and should not become bogged down in making this information repetitive and complicated to insure their job security.

Home schooling does not suffer from this type of political ramification. The decision making process for providing effective education lies in the hands of the parents and is effected by the curricula and materials that they employ in their goal to properly and adequately educate their children.

Jess Wise's book, The Well Trained Mind, A Guide to Classical Education provides curricula guidelines fro home schooling using the classical style of home education. Written by a home schooling parent and her adult home-schooled daughter, the book outlines the principles of the Trivium, the three-part process of training the mind. Wise is opposed to what she terms the principles of "unschooling," in which the parent " supplies the mind with facts and thinking skills." Her approach is not child-led but is very structured and progressive in nature. There is an emphasis on the classical works and her methodology is largely language-based and not image oriented. This may not work for every child, as there is a great level of importance placed on reading and writing. Basically, her premise is based on the following: the first years, grades 1 through 4 compose the "grammar" years, where the mind is supplied with facts and images, math, phonics, poems, songs, stories and rules of grammar. This is the introductory phase and does not delve deeply into any one area. The "logic" stage, in grades 5-8 is where the child is given the tools to logically organize facts, construct paragraphs, and learn outlining, finally, the third phase is the "rhetoric" stage, grades 9-12, where the child is equipped to express ideas and conclusions.

In addition, during the first, 5th and 9th years, there is a repetition process and these children study the Ancient times (4000 B.C. - 400 A.D.) and grades 2, 6 and 10 study the Medieval and Early Renaissance (400-1600 A.D.), grades 3, 7 and 11 study the late Renaissance and Early Modern (1600-1850) and finally, the Modern to Present times is studied in grades 4, 8 and 12. Science is also similarly divided. There is also an emphasis on the creative as well as the logical and analytical.

The process offered by Wise is practical, thorough and offers a structured way for parents to insure that their home schooling efforts provide the maximum in educational advantages for their children.

Parents of home-schooled children come from a wide range of educational and economic backgrounds and hold a variety of political and religious beliefs (Mayberry, 1995), all of which will affect their views of what they teach their children, how they do it and what materials they employ.

Support organizations and state-sponsored resources can provide parents with materials to help them get started with home schooling of their children. There are also a number of books and journals that outline the theory behind home education and a variety of methodologies. There is a plethora of information on this subject for parents; the key is finding what works best for their children and their particular situation.

The Success of Home Schooling. The literature for this portion of the dissertation presents one of the more controversial aspects of home schooling and the literature both supports and disavows home schooling. There are obvious advantages and disadvantages to this fast growing educational option. And the reasons for opting to home school are just as varied.

A case study was conducted on four Connecticut families that opted to home school their children and the explored parents' motivations for home schooling and the design of their home schooling activities (Cappello, 1995). The children's educational levels ranged from preschool through high school and there were also some children who presented special needs. School officials were also part of the study.

The findings showed that the families used a variety of teaching and assessment methods; home schooled children behaved like typical children as they were being taught; and principals were more supportive of home schooling than were superintendents and central-office administrators. Most of the families had decided to home school after learning about it though social networks (Cappello, 1995).

The National Education Research Institute's Study's findings indicate that parents opt to home school for a number of reasons including differences in religion, concerns about school safety, contrasting views on discipline, providing a better learning environment for special needs children, avoiding negative peer pressure, developing children's special skills and talents and beliefs that school curricula are ineffective and irrelevant (Pearson, 1996).

Research from this study indicates that home schoolers as well or better than their traditionally schooled peers on standard achievement tests, which would indicate that home schooling does not have a negative impact on the development of skill sets. The majority of home-schooled children study a wide range of subjects with an emphasis placed on reading, math and science. This can probably be attributed to the individual attention that parents can devote to their children plus the flexibility they have in conducting educational sessions. Time is more flexible and they can catch children when they are more interested and motivated and they are not relegated to only teaching during the average school day.

A study conducted in Alabama (Kozlowski, 1999) investigated the extent, cause and experiences of home schooling families. For purposes of this study, home schooling was defined as "parents providing their children with educational opportunities in the home and community in place of attending schools."

64 superintendent surveys were conducted and 12 home schooling family interviews were completed for this study. Superintendents claimed that protecting children from negative social influences and the explicit teaching of morals and values were the most commonly espoused reasons for home schooling. Parents expressed similar concerns and also placed high importance on providing individual attention to their children and raising confident, caring, well-rounded individuals. Parents found the quality of education, the quality of life and the quality of socialization to be lacking in the public and private schools (Kozlowski, 1999).

In addition to this study, the National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) is a telephone survey data collection program conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The findings of this study is based on surveys conducted with parents/guardians of children ages 5 to 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten to grade 12. For the analyses reported in this paper, data was obtained from 275 home-schooled students and 16,833 non-home schooled students (Bielick, Chandler, Broughman, 2001).

Among the major findings are that an estimated 850,000 students nationwide were being schooled at home, which is 1.7% of all U.S. students. A greater percentage of home-schoolers compared to non-home schoolers were white, non-Hispanic (75% compared to 65%). The household income of home-schoolers in 1999 was no different from that of non-home schoolers. Parents of home schoolers had higher levels of education. Twenty-eight percent of home schoolers' parents reported that public schools/districts offered them extracurricular activities, 21% reported receiving curriculum support, and 23% reported receiving books and materials (Bielick, Chandler, Broughman, 2001).

The study conducted by the Home School Legal Defense Association n 1998 provided the following academic and demographic information on home schoolers and their non-home schooled counterparts.

Home-schooled students did exceptionally well when compared with the nationwide average. At every grade level of testing, home-schooled students scored significantly higher than their public and private counterparts. They excelled in reading with students in grade 1 in the 88th percentile and 12th grade students in the 92nd percentile (HSLDA, 1998).

Because home education allows students t progress at his/her own pace more than traditional schooling does, almost one in four home school students (24.5%) are one or more grades above age level. On average, home-schooled students in grades 1-4 perform one level higher than their public and private counterparts. The achievement gap begins to widen in grade 5; by 8th grade the average home school student performs four grade levels about the national average (HSLDA, 1998).

Another significant finding is that students who have only been home-schooled and have not attended public or private school tend to have the highest scholastic achievements. The difference becomes most noticeable when they reach the upper grades.

Other differences were also found among home-schooled students whose parents spent greater sums on education, had a strong educational background and limited television viewing.

Generally, home-schoolers come from families that have stable incomes, a strong commitment to education and believe in the superiority of teaching their children at home.

The distinct advantage of home schooling is the methodologies than can be employed. Instruction is not limited to a place or to a specific time. True the materials are probably approved subject matter but parent teachers can add to that subject matter. They can hold class outside if the weather permits and this can be particularly motivating for students. Their children can sit at a long table with their parent(s) and work as a unit. They can get more immediate gratification as they complete assignments or individualized attention if they need help.

But that is not to say that negative aspects of home schooling don't exist. The most highly touted one is the development of socialization skills. Some advocates of the more traditional forms of education believe that parents are doing their children a disservice by removing them from a classroom environment with their peers. They believe that being isolated from their peers does not provide them with a healthy environment. Parents found the quality of education, the quality of life and the quality of socialization to be lacking in the public and private schools (Kozlowski, 1999).

The debate has merit on both sides but no significant data to support the theory. Without a doubt additional studies need to be conducted to determine if home-schooled children are properly socialized.

Summary and Conclusions

Based on the completed literature review, the issues that will be examined during my study and eventually in my thesis will be expanded. The problems that will be investigated and reported on are:

Home schooling as an educational alternative

Why parents opt to home school

The demographics of home schooling

The curricula and materials used in the home schooling environment

The success of home schooling

Socialization as an issue

The literature overwhelmingly supports the concept of home schooling as an alternative to traditional education and several of the studies clearly indicate that home-schooled children are high achievers and often are above the national average.

Demographics play a role as indicated by the HSLDA study that indicates that a family's income, parental educational achievement and stable home life (HSLDA, 1998) are all contributing factors to a successful home schooling experience.

The study also indicates that students are higher achievers and often surpass the national average on standard achievement tests and in general, if they have only been home-schooled they excel and flourish in the upper grades.

Reasons for opting to home school run the gamut from differences in religion, concerns about school safety, contrasting views on discipline, providing a better learning environment for special needs children, avoiding negative peer pressure, developing children's special skills and talents to beliefs that school curricula are ineffective and irrelevant (Pearson, 1996).

A curriculum is another area of concern when it comes to home schooling. Home schooling does not suffer from this school politics in determining which materials to use for educating students. The decision making process for providing effective education lies in the hands of the parents and is effected by the curricula and materials that they employ in their goal to properly and adequately educate their children. They follow home schooling guidelines or receive support from local school systems but they can improvise or enhance their curricula as they see fit for their child's education.

The success of home schooling is apparent by the continued growth that this educational alternative has experienced over the past twenty years. The National Home Educational Research Institute describes it as one of the fasting growing educational options in the United States. The sheer increase in the numbers of children being schooled at home as caused school administrators to sit up and take notice.

The home-schooled students' performance speaks for itself as they reach high percentiles as compared with their public and private school counterparts. The National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES) is a telephone survey data collection program conducted by the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES). The findings of this study is based on surveys conducted with parents/guardians of children ages 5 to 17 with a grade equivalent of kindergarten to grade 12. For the analyses reported in this paper, data was obtained from 275 home-schooled students and 16,833 non-home schooled students (Bielick, Chandler, Broughman, 2001).

The research for this paper will examine each of this issues as they relate to the Prince George's County Public School System.

Chapter 4

Research Methodology

Approach

My research for this dissertation will be in the form of a comprehensive literature review, an examination of the existing Prince George's County Public School System and field work that will take the form of interviewing four families who home school at least one child between the ages of six and sixteen. Criteria will be established for selecting the participants prior to initiating the study, so that a cross section of the population will be obtained and represented. Participating families will be recruited directly at meetings of home school groups located on Andrews Air Force Base in Prince George's County, Maryland. Information for this study will be gathered, analyzed and presented using qualitative research methodology.

A questionnaire will be designed to gather demographic data from the parents and general background information. A second questionnaire will be used to interview students regarding their home schooling experience. Reviews of work portfolios will be conducted and compared to public and private school counterparts to assess skill levels and abilities. No timeframe has been determined to date but the participants will be seen in their homes by the researcher, four times for approximately two hours each time. A formal and informal interview will also be conducted with the parents. The formal interviews with the parents will be conducted at the onset of the study. Informal interviews will follow during the duration of the study.

The primary objectives of the data gathering throughout the course of the study will be to obtain information that can:

Determine if home schooling is indeed a viable educational alternative

If the curricula being used meets the academic standards posted y the State

How successful has home schooling been It will also be important to identify any particular differences that may exist between other home schooling families and the families that home school at Andrews Air Force base. In other words, are there any particular demographic differences that may impact children who are home schooled on a military base that does not affect children of non-military families.

It will also be imperative to have an understanding of the Prince George's County School System and any significant changes or plans that have taken place in the system during the past five years.

Information from a 1998-2001 report on Prince George's County Public Schools (PGCPS) provided the following background information: Students in the school system and those who will enter our schools in the next decade, will be citizens in a society that will be highly technological in orientation, multicultural in composition, and international in outlook. This society (1) will demand from its citizens higher levels of knowledge and skills than ever before, (2) will require the thoughtful application of that knowledge and those skills to solve a vast array of workplace and community problems, and (3) will be characterized by rapid and continuing change. As such, citizens must become lifelong learners who are able to respond and adapt to challenges inherent in a changing environment. Consequently, the instructional and support programs in PGCPS must enable our students to be active and successful participants in this society.

Prince George's County Public Schools is the largest school district in the State of Maryland, educating over 127,000 students in 182 schools. The school system is among the most diverse in the nation, with a student body that is approximately 75% African-American, 15% White, 6% Hispanic, 3.5% Asian and 0.5% Native American. Although Prince George's County has attracted the largest African-American middle class in the nation, the poverty level of the student body, as measured by the number of students receiving free and reduced-priced lunches, is approximately 43%. The poverty rate at the elementary school level is approximately 65%. The mobility rate of the students in Prince George's County Public School System exceeds 34%, including both student entrants and withdrawals. The Limited English Proficient (LEP) population totals over 4,900 students and has increased annually. The school system is experiencing rapid growth. During the 1998-99 school year, for example, the student population has increased by about 3,000 students. The school system currently employs approximately 14,500 individuals, including more than 8,200 teachers.

The most recent plan for 2003-2005 indicates some of the problem areas that must be addressed by the school district and may be a contributing factor in parents' decisions to home school their children. This type of information will also be part of the study's investigation as to why home schooling may be a better alternative to traditional education. Certainly, home schooling is not fraught with the problems of a large and diverse school population.

The information presented in this Master Plan Report Card indicate some of the major issues facing the school system and their strategy for implementing counter measures to overcome any obstacles that could negatively impact the school system's performance and plans for student achievement.

Master Plan Report Card

Strategy

Status

Implementation Data

Align curriculum, instruction and assessment with MSDE standards (Master Plan Strategy 1.1.1).

Curriculum aligned in all core academic subjects except Social Studies. On-going teacher training to incorporate MD Learning Outcomes and MSPAP strategies. All students provided textbooks in core subjects. In process of designing a system-wide accountability measurement to assess effectiveness.

Enhance pre-K, Kindergarten and early primary grade instruction to student success (1.1.2).

Reduced class size (grades K-2); teachers provided emergent literacy training. Aligned Head Start, Extended Elementary Education Program (EEEP) and Kindergarten curriculum and expanded Headstart sites. Currently assessing Headstart program. Conducted evaluation of full-day Kindergarten.

Develop programs to improve academic outcomes for traditionally underachieving students (1.1.3).

Academy of Reading program implemented in all middle schools; completed Reading Recovery (Phase 2). Implement-ed daily 120 and 90 min. Language Arts in elementary and middle schools and 60 min. In math. Action plan for SAT. Standardized ESOL instruction.

Regularly assess student progress and provide intervention for students not keeping pace (1.1.4).

Administered required Benchmarks in Reconstitution Eligible and Challenge Schools. Pre/post CTBS testing in Math, Reading and Language Arts (grades 2, 4, 6). Mid- and end-year language proficiency assessment of all ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) students.

Increase efforts to include students with disabilities in the general curriculum (1.1.5).

Inclusive Environments Task Force Report and facilities needs assessment document were submitted and implemented, where appropriate. Data for Infant/Toddlers Program is collected/reviewed and analyzed and caseloads adjusted as required.

Strengthen core academic and career pathway programs to facilitate elementary-to-secondary-to-post secondary transitions (1.1.6).

Currently conducting a comprehensive audit of technical academies (6/01). Focus groups organized to develop a framework for standardizing career cluster pathways. (12/01). Mandatory Extended Learning opportunities for students transitioning from primary-elementary-middle.

7. Develop and implement a program evaluation procedure (1.2.1).

Research Report -"Program Evaluation System (PES) for School Reform Programs, Grants & Initiatives" Research Report-"Program Evaluation - Identifying Program Components - Writing Measurable Objectives - Developing Evaluation Plan"

Evaluate all programs to guarantee effectiveness and modify or eliminate those falling short (1.2.2).

Work is in progress to delineate scope of all programs included in this strategy. Conducting "Survey Report of Active Programs, Initiatives and Grants" data collection project (Spring 2001)

Assess all Magnet programs to ensure alignment with local and MSDE requirements (1.2.3).

Conducted a comprehensive evaluation of Elementary and Middle School Magnet Programs. Produced Magnet Report Card containing findings and recommendations. Evaluation of High School Magnet Programs currently in progress.

10. Include stakeholders on school improvement teams (1.3.1).

School Improvement Teams include: principal, resource specialists, parents, community and business partners and, at the high school level, students.

11. Forge stakeholder partnerships for decision-making and student services (1.3.2).

Superintendent's Business Roundtable and the Superintendent's Home School Council foster community support. The NAACP and the Management Oversight Panel also bring community concerns to the decision making process.

12. Inservice training for development, diversity and behavior management (Master Plan Strategy 2.1.1).

Staff Development activities have been implemented for new staff. School-based administrators are involved in staff development regarding student conduct throughout the year. New programs for schools have been implemented and expanded.

13. Establish a Coordinated Pupil Services Program in all schools (2.1.2).

All schools have implemented a Coordinated Pupil Services Program as part of their School Improvement Plans. Increase of attendance and decrease in dropout and suspension/expulsions support the success of the Program.

14. Adjust Capital Improvement Program (CIP) schedule to support return to community schools (2.2.1).

New educational specifications applied at 9 ES & 2 MS; some projects delayed; forward funding, site investigations, permit streamlining in process; staff increased from 16 to 23 approved positions; technology update continually ongoing.

15. Develop a prioritized facilities plan (2.2.2).

Criteria for construction defined by Memorandum of Under-standing (MOU), enrollment projections, and facilities assessment completed; Facility Conditions Assessment; Priority List to be released in May 2001 will include space needs assessment for top-priority schools.

16. Consistently enforce Code of Student Conduct and provide alternatives to suspensions (2.3.1).

Annual training occurs for all school-based administrators regarding the implementation of Code of Student Conduct. Supt, Deputies, Pupil Services, Regional Executive Directors and principals share system-wide suspension and expulsion data monthly for review and analysis.

17. Improve the reporting of security and discipline incidents (2.3.2).

Admin.Proc.10201revised and submitted for legal review.

Investigative Counselors assigned to Security Services.

All security incidents are now tracked by Security Services.

18. Conduct a safety analysis of all facilities (2.3.3).

Site surveys were completed and are routinely updated.

Work orders prepared to correct deficiencies.

Exterior cameras are in place at all 21 high schools.

Seven middle schools equipped with interior cameras.

Alarms installed on all temporary classrooms.

19. Ensure use of research-based management practices (3.1.1).

Improved management practices have been introduced in response to Management of America recommendations and findings and through collaboration with the Corporate Partnership for Managerial Excellence (CPME). The review and update of the Board's Policy Manual is an on-going process.

20. Ensure budget development and resource allocation are program driven (3.1.2).

Implementation of the zero-based budget process has prioritized requests based upon instructional goals and objectives aligning school system needs and available resources.

21. Ensure spending within budget categories (3.1.3).

Grant and non-grant expenditures have been within the approved levels as demonstrated in the Office of Management and Budget Single Audit (Circular A-133) Report and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

22. Develop monitoring, reporting and data systems that promote budget commitments (3.1.4).

Implementation of new administrative information system is specifically designed to aid tracking of funds. A SmartView program for reporting academic achievement results is being developed.

23. Provide inservice training for program managers (3.1.5).

All central office, regional and school-based managers offered differentiated training: 18 technology State-approved workshops, leadership training, team leadership development sessions, systemic Covey and Facilities Leadership training and over 54 leadership workshops.

24. Ensure the use of research and program driven information systems and technologies (3.2.1).

A revised Technology Plan was developed and is currently in the process of further revision. To assist in this process, JDL technologies has been contracted to undertake an effectiveness and efficiency audit. Currently in contract negotiations for administrative information system.

25. Ensure information literacy of all staff (3.2.2).

All HR managers participated in comprehensive technology program. Differentiated staff development offered all regional, central office and school-based staff. Extensive use of Regional Technology Centers to offer accessible information literacy programs.

26. Promote inter and intra-departmental planning and communication (3.3.1).

Deputies meet with Regional Executive Directors monthly; Superintendent meets monthly with Executive and Academic Councils - Deputies, Associate Superintendents, and three principal representatives. Central office leadership attends scheduled principal meetings as agendas warrant.

27. Improve service delivery to schools, offices, and the public (3.3.2).

Service delivery to schools, offices and the public have been improved through the implementation of Corporate Partnership for Managerial Excellence (CPME) collaboration and through the efforts of the Superintendent's Business Roundtable.

28. Improve community outreach and the dissemination of information (3.3.3).

The Board of Education has strengthened its outreach activities and dissemination of information though various media identified by a professional communications audit. Media employed include newsletters, television, meetings, public forums, correspondence and the Internet.

29. Use Community Schools Planning Teams in developing school boundary adjustments (3.4.1).

Community Schools Planning Teams established in 1998 based on High School Clusters. All boundary proposals have since been reviewed with Community Advisory Council, NAACP and affected communities.

30. Develop capacity and phased reassignment plan to meet the Comprehensive Plan (3.4.2).

Capacity requirements consistent with the Master Plan and the Comprehensive Plan form the basis of CIP planning and are reflected in the five-year CIP request. Phased reassignments will follow the published plan.

31. Keep all stakeholders apprised of phased student reassignment developments (3.4.3).

Phased reassignments included in the school boundaries Master Plan dated January 8, 1999. Notification of reassignments made six months before effective date and final notice made three months before effective date.

32. Revise Board Policies and Administrative Procedures (3.5.1).

Procedures to review and update Board Policies have been established.

Staff working with Board Policy Committee to revise and update policies.

33. Prioritize and address Management audit findings (3.5.2).

Management audit recommendations have been prioritized.

40 Priorities accepted by Board and Management Oversight Panel (MOP). The MOP has accepted 15 priorities as addressed. Quarterly Reports are prepared and issued.

Strategy cont.

Status

Implementation Data

34. Keep stakeholders informed of progress in implementing Management audit recommendations (Master Plan Strategy 3.5.3).

Issue Quarterly and Annual Reports detailing progress in addressing the Management findings and implementing Management audit recommendations.

35. Improve the delivery of Human Resources services to meet instructional needs (4.1.1).

HR function reorganized to address school-based needs. 12 teams assist schools with employment, benefits, certification, staff development and labor relations. Six teams engaged in teacher recruitment and certification team work with staff development.

36. Implement a performance-based evaluation system for teachers, administrators and others (4.1.2).

Performance-based teacher and administrator evaluations are being negotiated with bargaining units. Task force committees (unions/school system reps) will develop revised performance-based procedures. Local 400 contract authorizes stipend for performance.

37. Implement comprehensive staff development program tied to needs, goals, and objectives (4.1.3).

Mandatory 3-yr Prof Educator Induction Program implemented - full week and quarterly sessions: Planning, MSPAP/CTBS and HS assessment; special needs and diversity. Teachers (2-8) receive Reading/Writing training. Emphasis on lower quartile sites.

38. Provide Staff Development for administrators, teachers and others linked to goals and objectives (4.1.4).

All principals participated in Summer Leadership Institute using Five Dimensions of Leadership model. All new principals assigned mentors and participate in monthly leadership training. Fully operational Professional Academy to assist individuals seeking Admin. & Supervision certification.

39. Take steps to assist teachers gain certification and improve professional credentials (4.2.1).

All provisionally certified teachers offered required coursework - 80% meet annual course requirement. 375 provisional teachers participating in PRAXIS training have achieved Standard Certification status. Certification office is current with credential reviews for new hires.

40. Expand efforts to recruit certified/qualified teachers (4.2.2).

HR has implemented an updated Teacher Recruitment plan that includes 7 job fairs targeting specific areas of certification, nation-wide recruitment at colleges and universities and the Resident Teacher Program.

41. Implement a system to track personnel and school assignment data for professional staff (4.3.1).

Exit surveys are sent all teachers leaving PGCPS and the information is disaggregated and analyzed by HR and Staff Development to improve induction and support practices. All teachers assigned mentors are surveyed as to program effectiveness.

42. Implement a Mentor Teacher Program to support non-tenured staff (4.3.2)

Currently, 33 elementary and middle schools have half- or full- time mentors with 9 high schools assigned retired mentor teachers. PGCPS is moving to replicate the Baltimore Co. model with 52 mentoring sites.

43. Provide support and training for all building-level administrators and teachers (4.3.4).

All provisional teachers use transcript evaluation as their individual professional development. All schools include staff development in their School Improvement Plans. Climate issues addressed at monthly principals meetings. Training program for Vice Principals will have an instructional focus.

Data taken from the Price George's County School System homepage)

This master plan for 2003-2005 identifies several problems that are plaguing the Prince George's County School System and can be viewed as material that may support parents' reasons for electing to home school their children.

Evaluation Design

There are three main objectives to the proposed research study in conjunction with three secondary objectives that will also be included in the research.

Primary objectives:

Home schooling as an educational alternative

The curricula and materials used in the home schooling environment

The success of home schooling

Secondary Objectives:

Why parents opt to home school

The demographics of home schooling

Socialization as an issue

Both the primary and secondary objectives will require research to gather information on other studies that have been previously conducted and what findings were determined. Additional information can be gathered from articles, etc. But these will by nature be more subjective. However, gathering data from both sources will help to compile a more comprehensive profile of home schooling.

The actual interviews and portfolio review will provide the most accurate and substantial information for this study because they will be one-on-one interviews with the participants and the researcher will be gathering information first-hand. The data complied will be recent and comparisons can be conducted with students who are currently in traditional classroom settings.

A key component will be the development of questionnaires that will elicit usable data for analyzing. Questionnaire design is pending. Question guidelines for conducting the informal interviews with both the parents and the students will need to be created.

Once the data has been gathered from the parents, it will be complied, analyzed and assessed. Previous findings from other studies will be sued for comparison to identify any patterns or trends. Demographic information will also be compared and evaluated.

Informal interviews will be reviewed for both the parents and the children to also identify any patterns or trends. The students' responses will be evaluated against their peers in public and private schools.

Portfolio reviews will be used to assess and compare achievement and performance. The data collected in all of these instances should provide sufficient information to meet each of the objectives. The researcher will be the direct collector of all of the data and will be the only source of comparison and analysis, allowing for consistency throughout the study. However, supplemental information from articles, books and previous researchers will be used in addition to the findings from the study.

The diverse nature of this data should provide a profile that will fulfill the fundamental purposes of this practicum, which is viewed as the basis for eventually implementing a larger study. In and of itself, it will not present complete data for making a final informed decision but will support the theory of this dissertation.

Objectives

The following objectives are the basis for this dissertation. Exact dates have not been established but the outline below represents the methodology for completing this study and can be implemented within a school term.

Terminal Objective:

Information will be gathered from previous studies to begin the study. This will provide extensive data on what has been done to date and present the findings on several of the issues that the researcher will study. This literature review will be conducted prior to the onset of the study and will be used as basic information for formulating the objectives of the dissertation.

Process Objective:

Once that literature review has been completed, the researcher can use this information to formulate the steps necessary to support the objectives of the dissertation. This will be one of the first milestones of the study.

Once the researcher has identified and defines the objectives of the study, then the methodology for supporting the primary and secondary objectives can be outlined for implementation.

Terminal Objective:

questionnaire will be developed and formal interviews conducted with home schooling parents to obtain background and demographic information on home schooling parents and families. This will occur at the onset of the study.

Process Objective:

The information obtained from these interviews will be used to develop the format for informal interviews that will be used to supplement information obtained during the initial interview. This will occur during the 2nd meeting between parents and the researcher.

These interviews will hopefully provide substantial background and demographic information that will be used as the basis for comparing home schooling parents and family conditions with those of the public and private school students. This will also provide information on distinctions between military and non-military home schooling families.

Terminal Objective:

Informal interviews will be conducted with parents of home-schooled children to gather information on their reasons for opting to implement a home schooling program. This will be conducted during the 2nd phase of the study.

Process Objective:

This information will now be combined with the data obtained from the formal interviews and a profile of parents who home school their children will begin to be formulated, along with demographic data.

This information can then be used as a basis for understanding if there are any common factors that might identify why parents choose home schooling over traditional educational avenues. The informal interviews will allow the researcher to have a dialogue with parents and discuss their reasons and concerns regarding traditional methods of education.

Terminal Objective:

Informal interviews will be conducted with students who are being home-schooled children to gather information on their experiences as a home-schooled student. This will be conducted during the onset of the study.

Process Objective:

The information obtained from these informal interviews will be used to assess the children's attitudes about being home-schooled and identify any concerns or patterns among the student population. The format will also include questions about their ideas/experiences in traditional schools to gather information for possible comparison with their counterparts in public and private schools.

This information will provide data that can be used to create a matrix of issues, concerns, experiences, etc. For the home-schooled student and can then be compared with those opinions, ideas, etc. expressed by their counterparts in traditional school settings.

Terminal Objective:

The researcher throughout a designated timeframe will conduct four portfolio reviews of the home-schooled children's work. The work will consist of a variety of subject matter assignments and tests and will be used to assess skill set development. Timeframes to be determined.

Process Objective:

The researcher will be able to compare home-schooled students work to their counterparts in public and private schools and determine if there are differences, what they are and if the home-schooled students show higher levels of achievement. Note: This data will not be conclusive in and of itself and previous findings from other studies will need to be reviewed and considered as supplemental material.

This data will identify some of the strengths and weaknesses of home schooling. The materials contained in the portfolio reviews will be compared to similar work assignments in the same grade levels to obtain consistent and fair data on performance.

Conditions for Change

In this type of study, it will be necessary to plan for any unforeseen changes that might impact the success and eventual outcome of the study results. Some of these potential conditions will be addressed here.

Participation will be the most critical element for the success of this study. Because the population being studied is limited to four families, it may be necessary to have back-up participants in case the four selected families are not able to remain in the study for unforeseen circumstances. The researcher will need to have previously identified additional families who would meet the criteria for the study.

Questionnaire development could also impact the study's success. If the questionnaire is administered and is found not to be functional in gathering/eliciting the required information, the questionnaire may need to be redesigned. This could slow the progress of the study and the researcher would have to implement a strategy for conducting additional interviews with the participants, using the revised questionnaire to gather additional data.

Military families may experience some resistance for participating in the study form the local home schooling organization, therefore the researcher may have to advise/work within the framework of the home school organization prior to beginning the study. Failure to do so may cause a delay in completing the study with the participants.

Timeline

The actual timeline for this study has yet to be determined but will coincide with the regular school term. Milestones will be established based on the school term. Initial interviews will be conducted during the first month of school and portfolio reviews will be conducted four times throughout the year based on the school system's school calendar.

Note to LuShun: You will need to insert your dates for conducting this study, as I do not have that information.

Summary

During the implementation of this study, the researcher hopes to be able to draw a parallel between home schooling and academic performance. The main objective is to support home schooling as a viable alternative to traditional educational methods, particularly in Price George's County, Maryland. The school system is not without problems and several of these are eliminated for students who will be educated at home.

The research conducted for this study will be complimentary to much of the work done by previous researchers, however, it will provide a current assessment of the home schooling environment and will identify any changes that may have taken place, either positively or negatively. It will also focus on a small segment of the population and cannot be considered all encompassing.

The study will serve as a good foundation for a much more comprehensive study using a larger population. The results obtained form this study will be representative but not sufficient for drawing formalized conclusions.

Chapter 5

Results

Overview

The primary goal of this applied dissertation proposal is to examine and analyze home school families' academic environment, the institutional materials they use, and to gain an understanding of their academic success. Research will need to be conducted to determine if home schooling is a viable alternative to traditional education; is the curricula sufficient for achieving normal standards of performance and is home schooling a feasible way for students to achieve academic excellence?

Prince George's County Public School System is the nineteenth largest school system in the nation with a diverse student population of over 137,000 students. Currently, there are 2,309 students that are being educated at home; 858 are being taught through correspondence courses that are registered with the Maryland State Department of Education. The remaining 1,451 are being supervised by Prince George's County Public Schools. The school system is divided in 5 regions with the most prevalent impact of home schooling in Region IV. Region IV with a population of 902 students has the largest population of home-schooled students as compared to the other regions. One factor that contributes to difference is Andrews Air Force Base, which is located in Region IV and has an active home school organization.

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