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District of Columbia Homeschool Requirements Moderate regulation
What District of Columbia requires from homeschool families — notification, subjects, hours, testing, and portfolio rules — with links to the current law. This is the same state data FolioKid uses to build your portfolio template.
- Governing law: D.C. Code § 38-202 and 5-E DCMR Ch. 52
- Required subjects: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Health, Physical Education
- Portfolio: required — maintain a portfolio of the student's work for at least one year, available to OSSE for review upon written request
File a Notification of Intent to Homeschool with OSSE at least 15 business days before starting, and a Notification of Homeschool Continuation by August 15 each year. The parent must hold a high school diploma or equivalent (or petition OSSE for a waiver). No standardized testing is required, but the work portfolio is mandatory and OSSE may request to review it.
Records you must keep in District of Columbia
DC requires a work portfolio — you keep it at home, but OSSE may ask to review it in writing at any time, so keep it current and complete:
- A portfolio of the student's work showing instruction across all eight required subjects (worksheets, writing, projects, photos of hands-on work)
- Evidence of assessments included in the portfolio (tests, evaluations, or graded assignments)
- Retain the completed portfolio for at least one year (available to OSSE for review upon written request)
- Copies of your Notification of Intent and each Notification of Continuation
- Proof the instructing parent holds a high school diploma or equivalent (or an OSSE waiver)
Your District of Columbia filing timeline
- At least 15 business days before startingFile your Notification of Intent to Homeschool with OSSE.
- By August 15 (each year)File your Notification of Homeschool Continuation with OSSE.
- All year longKeep the portfolio current — work samples and assessment evidence across the eight subjects.
- Upon written requestMake the portfolio available for OSSE review; OSSE may issue feedback or a corrective action plan.
How FolioKid helps with District of Columbia's requirements
You do the teaching; FolioKid keeps the mandatory portfolio review-ready for OSSE:
- Snap photos of work as it happens — FolioKid tags each entry by subject against DC's eight required subjects.
- Track instruction across every subject so no required area is missing when OSSE asks to review.
- Add assessment evidence and flag the one-year retention window so nothing is deleted too soon.
- Export a District of Columbia-formatted portfolio PDF — or send OSSE a read-only share link (no account needed, expires in 30 days).
Free: the District of Columbia Homeschool Records Checklist
A one-page printable PDF — exactly what to keep, your filing deadlines, and a blank subject & hours log. We'll email it to you.
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Official District of Columbia sources
- 📜 D.C. Code § 38-202 — the statute itself
- 🏛️ DC OSSE — Homeschooling in the District of Columbia
- 🔎 HSLDA — District of Columbia homeschool law summary
District of Columbia homeschool FAQ
What law governs homeschooling in District of Columbia?
Homeschooling in District of Columbia is governed by D.C. Code § 38-202 and 5-E DCMR Ch. 52. File a Notification of Intent to Homeschool with OSSE at least 15 business days before starting, and a Notification of Homeschool Continuation by August 15 each year. The parent must hold a high school diploma or equivalent (or petition OSSE for a waiver). No standardized testing is required, but the work portfolio is mandatory and OSSE may request to review it. Always verify current requirements with your state department of education.
What subjects are required for homeschooling in District of Columbia?
District of Columbia requires: English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Health, Physical Education.
Does District of Columbia require testing or a portfolio evaluation?
No — District of Columbia does not require standardized testing or a portfolio evaluation, but keeping a portfolio of your child's work is still the simplest way to document progress.
Keeping records for District of Columbia? Snap photos of your kids' work and FolioKid organizes them into a year-end portfolio PDF — formatted around District of Columbia's requirements.
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