Why? Some states, like California, while independent learning is easy to do there's no official way to count non-schoolers. Other states don't require homeschoolers to register in any way and homeschoolers are often independent types who aren't inclined to volunteer that information. *
"There were an estimated 1,700,000 to 2,100,000 children (grades K-12) home educated during 2002-2003 in the United States. Homeschooling appears to still be the fastest-growing form of education." – Brian D. Ray, Ph.D.,Facts on Homeschoooling
Home education has constantly grown over the last two decades. The growth rate is 7% to 15% per year, according to Dr. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research Institute (Worldwide Guide to Homeschooling).
How many high school (grades 9-12) students are being homeschooled?
An estimated 250,000 to 340,000 high school (grades 9-12) students homeschooled during the 2000-2001 conventional school year. In 2007, the number of homeschooled students was about 1.5 million, an increase from 850,000 in 1999 and 1.1 million in 2003. The percentage of the school-age population that was homeschooled increased from 1.7 percent in 1999 to 2.9 percent in 2007. The increase in the percentage of homeschooled students from 1999 to 2007 represents a 74 percent relative increase over the 8-year period and a 36 percent relative increase since 2003 (National center)
Three percent of American students -- about 1.5 million children -- are homeschooled, according to the 2012 Statistical Abstract recently released by the U.S. Census Bureau.
A compilation of stats compiled by Masters In Education puts that number at over 2 million and identifies independent learning as the fastest growing from of education in the country with an annual growth rate of 7% per year.
While public perception still imagines that religious reasons are the primary determining factor for choosing to homeschool, in fact 58% of people homeschool for reasons like concerns about social environment and negative socialization in schools (21%), dissatisfaction with the academic offerings in schools (17%), unique family situations (14%) and desire for a non-traditional approach to learning.
Probably impacting the fast rise in homeschooling numbers is that it works. The efficacy of homeschooling is increasingly known as more statistics continue to report that on average homeschoolers rank in the 87th percentile on standardized tests (not that I personally care about standardized tests, but some do).
Independent Learners already know that homeschooling is a great choice on the basis of cost, freedom, academic efficacy and future opportunities. Current statistics which underline these points and clear up the misconceptions is resulting in more people taking the risk to go independent and/or community-based for their family's learning needs and desires.
A compilation of stats compiled by Masters In Education puts that number at over 2 million and identifies independent learning as the fastest growing from of education in the country with an annual growth rate of 7% per year.
While public perception still imagines that religious reasons are the primary determining factor for choosing to homeschool, in fact 58% of people homeschool for reasons like concerns about social environment and negative socialization in schools (21%), dissatisfaction with the academic offerings in schools (17%), unique family situations (14%) and desire for a non-traditional approach to learning.
Probably impacting the fast rise in homeschooling numbers is that it works. The efficacy of homeschooling is increasingly known as more statistics continue to report that on average homeschoolers rank in the 87th percentile on standardized tests (not that I personally care about standardized tests, but some do).
Independent Learners already know that homeschooling is a great choice on the basis of cost, freedom, academic efficacy and future opportunities. Current statistics which underline these points and clear up the misconceptions is resulting in more people taking the risk to go independent and/or community-based for their family's learning needs and desires.
* In California the two options for homeschooling are a) registering as part of a public charter school which serves homeschoolers. In this case, the students are officially registered as public school students or b) for families to sign a PSA or Private School Affidavit registering the family as a "private school". In both case, students are registered as either public school or private school students.
Sources:
What the US Census Says about Homeschooled Families
National Center for Educational Statistics
Top Masters In Education
A to Z Home's Cool
HSLDA
Karl Bundy: Learn in Freedom
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