Statistics on Homeschooling in the United
States

The statistics on homeschooling in the United States may help to convince some people that this method of teaching is beneficial for some students. There are many homeschooled children that surpass their traditionally schooled counterparts academically. If you're wondering how these children stack up against peers in a traditional environment, the following statistics will show where and how they succeed.

Homeschooling is gaining in popularity in the United States.

Various statistics have been printed about parents and children who homeschool in the U.S. Researchers are only just beginning to understand this schooling movement, which to some, threatens to undermine the public school system.

Chris Lubienski stated in the Time Magazine article "Home Sweet School" in that “It is taking some of the most affluent and articulate parents out of the system. These are the parents who know how to get things done with administrators.” In the same article Kellar Noggle stated, “If a large number of a community’s parents do not fully believe in the school system, it gets more difficult to pass those property taxes. And that directly impacts the schools’ ability to operate.”

Despite the negative impact on their local public school districts, the movement shows no sign of slowing down. In fact, the opposite seems to be true.

According to a survey done by Trinity University, the following are the reasons why parents homeschool their children:

• 48.9 percent believe that they can provide a better education for their children at home
• 38.4 percent cite religious reasons for home schooling
• 25.6 percent believe that there is a poor learning environment at traditional schools
• 16.8 percent cite family reasons
• 15.1 percent homeschool to develop morals and character in their children
• 12.1 percent object to what is taught in traditional schools
• 11.6 percent believe traditional schools don't challenge their child
• 11.5 percent cite they don't like the available schools
• 9.0 percent cite behavior problems
• 8.2 percent have a child with special needs

The National Center for Education Statistics used the Parent and Family Involvement Survey to produce the Homeschooling in the United States: 2003. This survey provided the following statistical data on who homeschools their children:

• 2.7 percent of those surveyed were white students
• 1.3 percent of those surveyed were black students
• 0.7 percent of those surveyed were Hispanic students

Of the 11,994 students surveyed, 239 were homeschooled.

The Bob Jones University Press Testing and Evaluation Service administered the Voluntary Home School Demographic Survey in 1999. The following information was reported:

• Almost 25 percent of the students were enrolled in one or more grade levels above their age-level peers in public school
• 24 percent of those surveyed had parents who were certified teachers
• The median income for the homeschooling families was $52,000 compared to $36,000 of the average median family income in the United States

Of interest to many is the performance of home schoolers versus those in public or private schools. Two studies, Strengths of Their Own: Home Schoolers Across America published in 1997 by the National Home Education Research Institute and Home Schooling Works: The Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998 published by the Home School Legal Defense Association, explore how children in these two different learning environments perform academically. The following information was supported by both studies:

• Children who have been homeschooled all of their lives outperformed those in a traditional school environment
• Eighth grade students who have been homeschooled for at least one year scored in the 59th percentile
• Eighth grade students who have been homeschooled for two years or more scored between the 86th and 92nd percentile

The following information was published by SAT and the ACT High School Profile Reports:

• In a 1991 test, scores reported by the Stanford Achievement Test, showed that homeschooler's composite scores were 18 to 28 points above their public school counterparts.
• In 1998, graduating homeschoolers had an average score of 22.8 out of a possible 36 on the ACT. The national average was 21.0.

The statistics on homeschooling in the United States show that children who are homeschooled appear to achieve higher test scores on average than their traditionally schooled counterparts. The parents of these students often have more income and have had a formal education. So what do all of these statistics point to? The underlying theme seems to be the quality of the education makes a difference. Students perform better when they can concentrate on the work at hand and don't have repeated disruptions, which is often the case in a traditional classroom. The ratio of students to teachers is much lower as well, which means that children can get the attention they need as they are learning.

Parents want their children to succeed in this world, but if they are held back by their peers and a shortage of teachers in the public school system, they won't be able to compete. Until public schools can offer the same quality learning environment, parents will continue leaving the public school system in to provide their children with a higher quality of education.

• Thanksgiving Facts
• What Kinds of Animals Live in a Jungle
• Homeschooling Notebooking Ideas
• Which Curriculum Is Right For Me?

• Free Worksheets on Prefixes and Suffixes
• Free Grammar Worksheets
• Longitude Worksheet
• Free Spanish Worksheets for Kindergarten
• Printable Synonym Worksheets

• Negative Aspects of Homeschooling
• Homeschooling Business Opportunities
• Homeschooling for High School Students
• Homeschool Laws
• Obama and Homeschooling