Homeschooling in NYC: the IHIP, quarterly reports and the annual assessment
New York City follows the same state regulation as the rest of New York, 8 NYCRR 100.10. It asks for more paperwork than most states, on dates you can put in a calendar.
To homeschool in New York City under 8 NYCRR 100.10, send your district superintendent a written notice of intent by July 1 each year (within 14 days if you start mid-year), then an IHIP, four quarterly reports and an annual assessment. Teach the equivalent of 180 days: 900 hours in grades 1 to 6, 990 in grades 7 to 12, and keep attendance records.
Checked October 30, 2026.
This is a plain-words summary, not legal advice. Laws change: check your state's current law and its education department before you act.
What do I file, with whom, and by when?
| Line | New York |
|---|---|
| File | A notice of intention to instruct at home, every year; then an IHIP on the district's form, and four quarterly reports. |
| To | Superintendent of schools of your school district of residence. |
| By | July 1 each year (within 14 days if you start mid-year); the IHIP within four weeks of the district's reply or by August 15, whichever is later. |
| Keep | Attendance records, shown to the district on request. 180 days' equivalent; 900 hours (grades 1–6) or 990 (grades 7–12). |
| Test | An annual assessment with the fourth quarterly report: a listed standardized test, or a written narrative in grades 1–3 and every other year in grades 4–8. |
Who is my "district" in New York City?
The regulation says that in the City School District of the City of New York, the district of residence for a child who would attend elementary, intermediate or junior high school is the community school district where the parents live. The notice goes to that superintendent.
What goes in the IHIP?
The individualized home instruction plan names the child, their age and grade; lists the syllabi, curriculum materials, textbooks or plan of instruction for each required subject; gives the dates of your four quarterly reports, spaced evenly; and names who will teach. The district sends you its form within 10 business days of your notice and says within 10 business days of your IHIP (or by August 31) whether it complies.
What is in a quarterly report?
Peabody's hours log and Tap Clock keep the hours, and the progress report sets the hours, days and books for a date range beside your own words for each subject.
- The hours of instruction that quarter.
- A description of the material covered in each subject in the IHIP.
- A grade for each subject, or a written narrative of the child's progress.
- A written explanation if less than 80 percent of the planned material for the quarter was covered in any subject.
How does the annual assessment work?
With the fourth quarterly report, file either a commercially published norm-referenced achievement test from the regulation's list (the Iowa, California, Stanford, Comprehensive Test of Basic Skills, Metropolitan, a State Education Department test, or another approved one) or a written narrative. The narrative is allowed in grades 1 to 3, and in grades 4 to 8 no more often than every other year; a certified teacher, a peer review panel or another person the superintendent agrees to writes it after interviewing the child and reviewing a portfolio. A test score is adequate above the 33rd percentile, or with one year of growth; otherwise the program goes on probation with a remediation plan.
What records do I keep?
The regulation says records of attendance are kept by the parent and shown to the district on request. The Education Department's questions and answers say there is no legal obligation to keep any other records, and recommend keeping evidence of your program, your child's achievement and your letters with the district.
Can my child play school sports or get a diploma?
The Education Department says students taught at home may not take part in interscholastic sports or intramurals, but may join school-sponsored clubs. It also says a local or Regents diploma goes only to a student enrolled in a registered secondary school, so keep a transcript of your own.
Where do I start?
Read the New York page and its checklist, then set up the year: the attendance record offers New York's 180 days as a target you tap, and the hours log counts toward 900 or 990.
Sources
- 8 NYCRR 100.10, Home instruction (New York Codes, Rules and Regulations) (checked October 30, 2026)
- NYSED: Home Instruction Questions and Answers (checked October 30, 2026)
- NYSED: Home Instruction (checked October 30, 2026)