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ABSTRACT
Homeschooling in America enjoyed significant and dependable growth for decades. However, federal estimates of homeschool participation failed to show statistically significant growth for the first time in 2012. Many dismissed this as measurement error and awaited the next round of federal estimates. In the fall of 2017 those estimates were released, and homeschooling once again not only failed to grow; rather it declined, significantly. This was an historic and important first for the pioneer of American school choice. What caused homeschooling to cool? Or is it just as hot as ever? This article uses data from 22 state departments of education to examine official reports of homeschool participation instead of using more readily available and commonly referenced survey estimates, and these numbers tell a very different story. Based on the available data, homeschooling actually appears to continue its growth.
Notes
1. NCES homeschool estimates in the 2016 report are based on responses from 552 surveys from homeschool respondents out of a total of 14,075 completed surveys.