Homeschool vs public school in Louisiana

Homeschooling is legal in Louisiana. The captured sources describe two main ways to do it: a BESE-approved home study program or a nonpublic school not seeking state approval.

Moderate overall. Parents choose the curriculum, and the DOE says it does not maintain a list of approved programs, but the home study option must offer a sustained curriculum of quality equal to public schools and at the same grade level.

For home study renewals, keep enough records to show that you offered a sustained curriculum of quality. The captured source says the renewal packet can include subject outlines, a list of books and materials, work samples, standardized test results, third-party statements, and other evidence of program quality. For the nonpublic school option, keep copies of withdrawal notices when relevant and the annual attendance report.

No routine statewide testing appears to be required just to homeschool. For the home study option, renewal requires evidence of progress, and one allowed way to show that is through LEAP, CAT, or another approved standardized test score, but the DOE page also says home study students are not required to take state assessments.

The DOE page says students in a BESE-approved home study program may participate in interscholastic athletic activities. The captured sources do not clearly explain sports access under the nonpublic-school-not-seeking-approval option. The captured sources do not clearly explain service access for homeschooled students with disabilities. One home study renewal option does mention a certified teacher statement comparing the child's instruction to public-school instruction for a child with similar disabilities. The captured sources do not describe a classic umbrella-school pathway. Instead, they describe either a BESE-approved home study program or operating as a nonpublic school not seeking state approval.