When considering whether or not to homeschool, parents have many decisions to make and ideas to consider, including what effect common core has on homeschooling. There are many options to consider when deciding on what type of education to pursue for children, from private or public schools to the homeschooling option, which more and more parents are choosing. Meeting the common core standards could be one important consideration in this decision-making process.

The Development of the Common Core Standards

The common core standards are intended to set a foundation and give a framework for the expectations of learning and teaching in the elementary to secondary levels of education in both mathematics and English and language arts.

The standards are meant to equally and adequately prepare all students for entering the workforce and college. In each category, expectations and standards are divided by domain. In mathematics, for example, standards are set for students to have skill and knowledge in measurement and data, geometry, ratios, and the number system by graduation. In English and language arts, some examples of expectations include demonstrated skills in writing, reading, history, and science and technical subjects. For a full list of the standards, please visit the Common Core State Standards Initiative at http://www.corestandards.org/the-standards.

Federal and State Educational Funding

For public and charter schools, receiving money for funding schools requires that those districts follow the state and federal guidelines and regulations for education in everything from curriculum to testing. Homeschooled students are not required to follow those same guidelines and curriculum mandates, offering more ability to change and choose what a student is learning based on personal preferences, beliefs, or other considerations.

Currently, most of the mandates in education are developed by different states. In the past few years, however, 46 states in the U.S. have made the decision to follow common core standard guidelines in the classroom. Districts in these states will also utilize a national standardized test for the 2014-2015 school year instead of different state examinations currently administered.

Connection to Standardized and College Entrance Examination Testing

Many states require that homeschooled children complete standardized testing that is given in public and charter school systems to measure the progress and academic success. Common core standards will standardize the direction of education for an approximate 87 percent of students in the United States; therefore, it is likely that these common core standards will eventually be reflected in changes to standardized tests given to children from the beginning of elementary school to the end of high school.

In addition to likely precipitating changes on the standardized tests for pre-kindergarten to high school senior level students, these common core standards are also likely to influence what is being tested on college entrance examinations such as the ACT and the SAT.

When making the final decision on what educational option to choose, the expectations for teaching, learning, and outcomes must be weighed. The decision on homeschooling in the future will likely need to take into consideration the effect common core on this choice.

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