Each year, you need to submit the following documents to notify FCPS of your intent to home instruct:

• Notice of Intent to Provide Home Instruction or  Home Instruction Online Notice of Intent 

• Proof that you meet  one of the four parent/guardian qualifications listed above.

• A brief description of your curriculum limited to a list of the subjects your child will study during the upcoming school year.

• Upon request by the Division Superintendent: Documentation regarding immunizations, including: 

  • Evidence of required immunizations.

  • A medical statement from a licensed physician indicating a medical reason why immunization is not advisable.

  • A signed affidavit stating that the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with your religious beliefs or practices.

Important Dates:

• By August 15: This is the deadline for submitting your annual notice of intent before the start of the school year in which you will begin home instruction.
• Within 30 days: If you move into Fairfax County or begin home instruction after the school year has already started, you must provide notification as soon as reasonably possible and meet all notification requirements within 30 days of starting.

Acknowledgement:

FCPS will review the submitted information and send you a letter confirming whether your notification documents comply with Virginia Code § 22.1-254.1 .

Reminder: We encourage you to submit your notice of intent for the upcoming school year at the same time you send in your evidence of progress.

To ensure your child is making adequate educational progress, you must provide the Division Superintendent with  one of the following by  August 1 following each school year of home instruction:

(i) Standardized Test Score: Evidence that your child has achieved a composite score at or above the fourth stanine on any nationally recognized standardized achievement test, or an equivalent score on the ACT, SAT, or PSAT.

(ii) Evaluation or Assessment: An evaluation or assessment that the Division Superintendent determines indicates your child is achieving an adequate level of educational growth and progress. This can include:

• (a) An evaluation letter from a person licensed to teach in any state, or an individual with a master's degree or higher in an academic subject, who is familiar with your child's academic progress and confirms that they are achieving an adequate level of growth and progress.

• (b) A report card or transcript from a community college, college, online college program, or home-education correspondence school.

Reminder: We encourage you to submit your notice of intent for the upcoming school year at the same time you send in your evidence of progress.

How to Submit Evidence of Progress:

Please send your evidence of progress by email [email protected] , or mail by  August 1 .

Acknowledgement:

FCPS will review the submitted evidence and send you a letter indicating whether it meets the requirements of  Virginia Code § 22.1-254.1 .

Probation or Denial

If you do not provide the required evidence of progress, or if the submitted evidence is not deemed satisfactory, your home instruction program may be placed on probation for one school year. During this probationary period, you must submit the following to the Division Superintendent:

• Evidence demonstrating your ability to provide an adequate education for your child.
• A remediation plan outlining how you will address any identified educational deficiencies.

If the Division Superintendent accepts your evidence and remediation plan, your home instruction program may continue for one probationary year. However, if the plan and evidence of achievement are not accepted, or if you fail to provide the required evidence of progress by  August 1 following the probationary year, home instruction must cease. In this case, you will need to make other educational arrangements for your child that comply with  Virginia Code § 22.1-254 .

Available Examinations

Home-instructed students have access to the following examinations, which are also available to enrolled FCPS students: Advanced Placement (AP), Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), and PreACT.

Please refer to the Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Test Fees page for comprehensive information regarding associated fees.

For registration details, deadlines, and fee waiver eligibility information, please visit the Home Instruction Exam Information page, the College Board website , or the ACT website , depending on the specific assessment.

To confirm testing locations, times, and availability, please contact the Director of Student Services at your child's base school. You can use the FCPS boundary locator to determine your assigned base school.

GED Testing

According to Virginia Code § 22.1-254 , individuals who are at least sixteen but under eighteen years of age, have been home-schooled, and have completed their home schooling program are eligible to take the GED. To do so, they must provide the GED examiner with a letter signed by the FCPS Superintendent or their designee, certifying completion of a home instruction program.

To request a GED letter, please email [email protected] with the following information:

• A letter from the parent/guardian confirming the student has completed their home instruction program.
• A copy of the student's GED Ready® practice test score .

For more information about GED Testing, please visit GED.com .

Part-Time Enrollment Courses

Parents or guardians who have met the requirements to home school in accordance with Section 22.1-254.1 of the Code of Virginia  may apply to enroll their middle and/or high school aged students (grade 7-12) in up to a maximum of two courses per year. Available courses include English, mathematics, science, social studies, world language or Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) .  Courses may be accessed either on-site and/or online as defined below.

• On-site coursesmay be accessed on a non-tuition paying basis in the middle or high school serving the student’s attendance area, on a space available basis. Applications to a school outside of the student’s attendance area will only be considered if the requested course is unavailable or there is no space available at the school serving the student’s attendance area.
• Online coursesmay be accessed on a tuition paying basis through FCPS Online Campus, on a space available basis. 

Part-Time Enrollment Forms

To apply for part-time enrollment for the upcoming academic year, please email the following forms to [email protected] between April 15 and June 1:

• SE-271: Home Instruction Part-Time Enrollment Application for Middle and High School Aged Students (Required)
• SE-285: Home Instruction Part-Time Enrollment Parent or Guardian Agreement for Middle and High School Aged Students  (Required)
• FCPS online campus application (Optional - For Online Courses Only)

You must also meet the requirements for the Annual Notice of Intent to be eligible for part-time enrollment.

Part-Time Enrollment Approval 

Final approval for part-time enrollment applications for home-instructed students will be granted no later than  August 15 , provided that parents or guardians have met the notification and evidence of progress requirements as outlined in sections V. and VI. of  Regulation 2245 . Detailed requirements for part-time enrollment are available in the  SE-285: Home Instruction Part-Time Enrollment Parent or Guardian Agreement for Middle and High School Aged Students .

Part-Time Enrollment After Withdrawal from FCPS

Parents or guardians who withdraw their middle or high school student from FCPS during the school year to continue their education through home instruction in accordance with Virginia Code § 22.1-254.1 may apply for their child to remain enrolled in a maximum of two courses (English, mathematics, science, social studies, world language, or Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (JROTC) ) at the school from which they withdrew. This is contingent upon meeting the general home instruction requirements as defined in Regulation 2245 .

Virginia Department of Education regulations require all enrolled students in grades 1-12 to maintain a full-day schedule of classes. Home instruction is considered a full-time alternative to school attendance.  Except as noted above, home instructed students will not be permitted to enroll on a part-time basis or participate in academic or extracurricular activities.

In accordance with Virginia Code § 22.1-254.B.1 , the School Board may excuse a student from attending school if the student and their parents or guardians are conscientiously opposed to school attendance due to bona fide religious training or belief. This exemption does not apply to views that are essentially political, sociological, philosophical, or based on a personal moral code.

To request a religious exemption, parents or guardians must submit a written request to the School Board detailing their religious beliefs that conflict with public school attendance. Older children (14 years or older) should also provide their own individual statements explaining their religious objections. Letters of support from religious leaders or individuals who can verify the authenticity of these beliefs should also be included.

Requests for religious exemption and supporting documents should be sent by email, or mail.

Parents or guardians who move into Fairfax County after the school year has begun should submit their request and supporting documents as soon as practicable.

The School Board Office will send a letter of approval for the religious exemption to the parents or guardians.

Once granted, the exemption remains valid for future years. However, parents should notify the School Board in writing, referencing their religious exemption status, as younger children reach compulsory school attendance age.

FCPS is committed to identifying, locating, and evaluating all children residing in Fairfax County who may have special education needs, including those receiving home instruction. Parents who suspect their home-instructed child has a disability and may require special education services should contact the school assigned to their home address as identified by the  FCPS Boundary Locator to schedule a registration appointment.

For more information about the registration process, please see  General Registration Requirements (Grades 1-12) .

You can find additional information about  Special Education Instruction on our website.

Driver education may be taught at home for home instruction students. The acknowledgement letter you receive from Fairfax County Public Schools can be presented to the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) as verification of enrollment.

Please visit the  Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles Driver Education Information for Home Schoolers website for complete details.

FCPS also offers driving classes through  FCPS Adult and Community Education (ACE) . These classes are for high school students who reside in Fairfax County and are taught by FCPS instructors. You can find ACE Course Registration Information online.

 Elementary or Middle School Level

When a student transitions from home instruction back into Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) at the elementary or middle school level, the principal will determine their grade placement based on the evidence of academic achievement provided by the parent or guardian. Additional assessment or consultation with school staff may be required if further evidence is needed.

High School Level

For high school students seeking credit for courses completed during home instruction, the parent or guardian must provide FCPS with a list of courses taken, the learning objectives for those courses, and evidence of the student's achievement. The courses for which credit is requested must align with courses offered by FCPS. If the evidence of achievement is deemed insufficient, the principal may require the student to take an examination in each subject or course to establish placement or award credit. Any credit granted by FCPS for home instruction coursework will be noted on the student's academic record as transfer credit from home instruction.

To schedule a registration appointment for a student returning from home instruction, please contact the school assigned to your home address, as identified by the FCPS Boundary Locator . Information about the registration process can be found in the General Registration Requirements (Grades 1 -12) , or  Online Registration .

If you decide to discontinue home instruction, please notify the FCPS Home Instruction Office by email at [email protected] , or by mail. In your notification, please indicate the educational setting where your child will be enrolled.

• Home Instruction
• K12 Standards & Instruction
• Virtual Learning
• Literacy Resources for Families and Communities

• FCPS Elementary School Academics (K-6)
• FCPS Middle School Academics (7-8)
• FCPS High School Academics (9-12)
• FCPS Graduation Requirements and Course Planning Information
• Advanced Academics Identification and Placement for Private/Home Schooled Families
• Family Resource Center (FRC)

• Virginia Department of Education – Virtual Learning
• Virtual Virginia (VVa)
  A program of the Virginia Department of Education, offers online Advanced Placement (AP®), world language, core academic, and elective courses to students across the Commonwealth and nation. Due to the comprehensive course offerings available to FCPS students through the FCPS Online Campus, FCPS does not currently participate in the Virtual Virginia full-time program. Home instruction students may access Virtual Virginia, and in these cases, parents are responsible for registration, tuition, textbooks, fees, and other materials.
• Virginia Council for Private Education (VCPE)
  Accreditation through a VCPE-approved, state-recognized accrediting association ensures the transfer of student credits from the accredited private school to a public school and guarantees the recognition of teacher licensure credits for time served in an accredited private school. If a parent enrolls their child full-time in a VCPE-approved virtual school, the child is considered a private school student and not home-schooled.

• The Organization of Virginia Home Schoolers
• Home Educators Association of Virginia