HOME ED POLICY

Preamble 

We at Hope Christian School have long supported the principle that the first responsibility in education belongs to the family. Home education gives parents the wonderful opportunity to turn the hearts of their children to themselves and home rather than to their peers. Therefore, we believe that we can play a real part in encouraging and supporting families of like faith in their endeavor to carry out their Biblical mandate in the home. 

Background 

Hope Christian School recognizes the choice of parents to exercise their right and responsibility to provide an education at home for their child. The School recognizes its role in the supervision and evaluation of home education programs in order to ensure that students will have the opportunity to meet standards of education acceptable to the Minister. The School believes any arrangement between the School and the parent should be based on mutual trust, and that the School should maintain friendly and supportive contact with home education parents and students. Where the choice of home education is exercised, the School will assume a supportive role to the parents to ensure the student’s access to resources and to facilitate satisfactory student achievement. 

Definitions
Home Education:  A home education program means that portion of an education program delivered by a parent to a student. 

Blended Education (Shared Responsibility):  A blended education program means an educational program consisting of two distinct parts:

 • A program where a teacher employed by the governing board is responsible for providing for the delivery and evaluation of courses; and

 • A Home Education Program which meets the requirements of the Home Education Regulation.

 Procedures 

1. Hope Christian School will assist and co-ordinate home education programs in the best interest of the students. Hope Christian School will enter into an agreement with parents of home education students to provide home education. Such agreement is to provide the basis for the home education program. 

2. Programs for home education students may be designed by the parent in consultation with the Home Education Coordinator or may be a blended program involving Hope Christian School and parent designed/chosen curriculum.

 3. Hope Christian School will provide adequate supervision by an informed, supportive certified teacher.

 4. Parents wishing to enroll a student in a home education program shall complete the prescribed Home Education Notification Form and return same to the Hope Christian School secretary. 

5. The Home Education Coordinator or the Home Education Facilitator shall assist the parents in developing an educational program and plan, consistent with Alberta Education guidelines, outlining the options available and the expectations of the School and Alberta Education.

6. An agreement shall be signed between the School and the parents which shall include:

 6.1 The prescribed Home Education Notification Form (parts A & B) completed by the parents; 

6.2 A letter of confirmation in compliance with Part C of the Home Education Notification Form, from the Home School Coordinator, as designate for the Principal, approving the program. 

6.3 A verbal explanation of the Declaration found in Part B advising that any alternative program will not result in an Alberta High School Diploma and clarifying the parent’s responsibility for instruction and evaluation of the program. 

7. The School will provide supervision for the home education program in accordance with Alberta Regulation 145/06.

8. Approval of any home education program will be based upon the program’s appropriateness to the student’s learning needs and the general goals for education listed in the home education regulation. Further consideration will be the availability of resources within the program funding limits specified in procedure 13 below. 

9. Parents who provide a home education to a student must evaluate and assess the program and the student at regular intervals, including, but not limited to, the following methods:

9.1 Maintaining a portfolio of student work and a record of student activities: 

9.2 Maintaining a record of the methods and times of assessment used by the parent and the levels of performance by the student in those assessments; 

9.3 Ensuring that the student is available for assessment by the School:

9.3.1 At a time and place mutually agreeable to the parent and the School; and 

9.3.2 At the option of the parents, in the presence of the parent.

9.4 Ensuring that a student at the equivalent grade level: 

9.4.1 Has the option of writing the Alberta achievement tests for grades 3, 6 and 9 or any other provincially mandated test. 

9.4.2 Has the option to undergo an alternative evaluation (as approved by the Principal or designate) that reflects standards similar to the standards in the provincial achievement tests and that meets the student learning outcomes prescribed in the Schedule at a time and place mutually agreed to by the parent and the School. 

10. Financial support for Home Education Programs approved by the Hope Christian School will be: 

10.1 The costs of programs of study and instructional materials directly related to the programs, to a maximum of 50% of the basic funding received by the School for Home Education students. 

10.2 Hope Christian School will not be responsible for the costs of tuition, optional materials, loan or caution fees. 

11. If a parent wishes to register a student in a home education program after the September 30 funding deadline, the student can be accepted as a Home Education student with Hope Christian School providing they cover the actual costs of curriculum materials. 

12. Hope Christian School may terminate a home education program under the conditions specified in Section 8 of the Home Education Regulation 145/06.

13. Parents of Home Education students shall register such students through the Hope Christian School Home Education Coordinator who may in turn support the students’ access to field trips, visiting programs, libraries, etc. at the Hope Christian School. The home education parent will be responsible for any fees/fundraising that may be associated with such activities. 

14. The school may send out all appropriate communication (e.g. newsletters) to the home education parent.

15. Extracurricular school programs may be made available to other home education students at the discretion of the Principal and if adequate supervision and space are available in the activity. 

15.1 It is expected that a home education student who is participating in any extracurricular school program or activity will be subject to the same conditions as students attending the school. These conditions may relate to selection (for a team or group), expectations of behaviour, academic 

15.2 Alberta Schools’ Athletic Association regulations may affect the eligibility of students in some activities. 

16. Blended (Shared Responsibility) Programs 

16.1 Hope Christian School will consider requests for “Blended Programs” from parents of Home Education students. Such requests should be directed to the local Principal and Hope Christian School’s Home Education Coordinator. 

16.2 A home education program is considered a Blended Program where a minimum of 50% of the courses (in terms of instructional time) for an Elementary or Junior High Student are taken through Hope Christian School. 

16.3 A Blended Program for a Senior High Student must have a minimum of 20% of courses taken through a Hope Christian School. 

16.4 The school component of a Blended Home Education Program must ensure the student either attends school for the courses provided through the school, or there is regular contact between the student and the teacher/s through either electronic delivery of lessons or by on-site contact with teachers either at the school or at the student’s home. 

6.5 Extracurricular school programs will be made available to home education students through Hope Christian School providing the student is following a “Blended” education program which meets the conditions for Blended student funding as defined by Alberta Education Regulations.

 17. Funding Blended Programs 

17.1 The cost of tuition will be prorated based upon the percentage for the Blended (school) portion of a home education program providing the program meets the criteria outlined in 16 above. 

17.2 The remaining portion of the education programs (the portion delivered entirely at home) will be funded as a prorated amount of that which applies under 10 above.

18. Requests for taking some courses/programs in school, other than as described as Blended Programs in 16 above, will be considered providing the following are met: 

18.1 There must be adequate student space available for the course, and, 

18.2 The parent pays any fees levied by the school for the course (materials fee, etc.) 

18.3 Students attending the day school will be required to meet the school guidelines regarding dress and behavior as established by the principal. 

18.4 Requests must be directed through the local Principal.