This paper examines the growing trend of home schooling in the United States as an alternative to public education. Drawing on data from the National Center for Education Statistics and research by educators and legal advocates, the paper compares academic achievement, parental involvement, socialization outcomes, and regulatory effects across both settings. It traces the philosophical roots of the modern home schooling movement, evaluates common criticisms regarding teacher certification and family income, and highlights the notable competitive and collegiate achievements of home-schooled students. The paper concludes that individualized instruction and high parental involvement are key drivers of home schoolers' consistent academic success.
The paper uses the counterargument-refutation structure consistently throughout its middle sections. Each paragraph introduces a widely held criticism of home schooling and then presents survey or study data to rebut it. This technique — naming the opposing view before dismantling it — is a core skill in academic argumentation and makes the thesis far more convincing than a one-sided presentation would.
The paper opens with a brief framing introduction and a statistical overview from the NCES. It then moves through a tightly organized middle that addresses achievement scores, parental and income factors, socialization, historical background, and public school critiques. A final section presents real-world competitive and collegiate achievements as capstone evidence. The conclusion synthesizes the core finding: individualized, parent-driven instruction is the primary engine of home schoolers' success.
Home schooling was once reserved for students who could not attend traditional schools due to circumstances such as rural locations or physical conditions. Religion has also been a major reason for home schooling. Today, however, many parents are choosing home schooling over public schools for a variety of reasons, and statistics show that for the majority it has proven to be the right choice.
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) collects and analyzes data related to education in the United States and other nations. In 1999, the NCES reported that approximately 850,000 students in the U.S. were being home schooled (McDermott). This figure represents 1.7% of all U.S. students ranging from five to seventeen years old — the equivalent of kindergarten through twelfth grade (McDermott). During the last two decades there has been a steady increase in the number of parents choosing home schooling over public schools.
The most frequently asked question posed by the media to the Home School Legal Defense Association is: "Why do home schoolers do so well on standardized achievement tests compared to students in institutional schools?" (Smith). "Ever since home-schooled test results on nationally normed standardized achievement tests have been tracked, every survey has indicated that home schoolers score above the 50th percentile, which is the average" (Smith). A 1985 survey by Dr. Brian Ray showed that home-schooled students scored as high as the 84th percentile in a nationwide study (Smith).
It is really no mystery why home schoolers do so well. According to educators, the basic ingredients that lead to successful education include "small class size, individualized curriculum, disciplined learning environment, one-on-one instruction, and parental involvement" (Smith). While only a handful of public schools offer these ingredients, they are all present in a home schooling environment (Smith).
Despite the obvious success of home schooling, the education establishment — including the National Education Association — continues to warn that it is not possible for home schoolers to receive a "quality academic education without a certified teacher," and recommends that all students, both in public and home schools, be taught by a certified teacher (Smith). Michael Smith, president of the Home School Legal Defense Association, says that one way to examine the validity of this position is to compare certified teachers with non-certified teachers in a home school environment. Smith notes that approximately ten percent of home school mothers are certified teachers, and that surveys show very little difference in test results between children taught by certified parents and those taught by non-certified parents (Smith). Students taught by certified teachers scored at the 88th percentile on the basic battery, while those taught by non-certified parents scored at the 85th percentile (Smith).
Smith also challenges the assumption that "the academic success of a home-school child would correlate directly with the educational level of the parent" (Smith). Results from four separate studies found that there is "no relationship between the parents' education and the scores of their home-educated children" (Smith). By contrast, within public schools there was a direct correlation between parents' education level and their children's scores (Smith). The reason for this difference is that home schooling requires maximum parental involvement, whereas in the public school setting, highly educated parents tend to place greater emphasis on education in the abstract rather than on direct parental involvement (Smith).
Many also believe that home-educated children score higher on tests because their family income is above average. However, studies found "no significant relationship between family income and student achievement of home-educated students" (Smith).
Many critics of home education believe that students are given too much freedom and that parents cannot be trusted to take full responsibility for their children's education (Smith). However, test scores of home-educated children in low-, moderate-, and high-regulation states are essentially the same, demonstrating that parents can indeed be trusted to educate their children effectively (Smith).
Several researchers have explored the issue of self-esteem as it relates to the socialization of home-schooled children. The large majority of studies indicate that, concerning the "area of self-concept and self-perception, the home schoolers were significantly better socialized and more mature than their peers in public school" (Smith). Therefore, according to the research, "home-educated children are well-developed in terms of social, psychological, emotional, and academic development" (Smith). Research further shows that when "parental involvement in children's education is high, students are more likely to become academically successful and reach their potential" (Romanowski).
Smith, Michael. "Why Does Learning with Parent Pay Off on Standard Tests?" The Washington Times. March 04, 2002.
Smith, Michael. "Home-Schooling Spells Success in Bee." The Washington Times. June 17, 2002.
Sommerville, Scott. "More Achievers Visible as Movement Spreads." The Washington Times. July 30, 2001.
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