Anchor Homeschooling in Massachusetts
high regulation
What Massachusetts requires
- Notice to authorities: Yes. Advance approval required from local superintendent/school committee before starting. Submit an education plan; districts evaluate curriculum, materials, methods, and progress benchmarks. DESE plays no direct role -- approval is district-level. Follow DESE guidance of ~900 hours over 180 days.
- Instructional days: 180 per year
- Instructional hours: 900 per year
- Portfolio: Required.
- Standardized testing: One option — you may test or submit a portfolio.
- Annual evaluator: Required.
- Quarterly reports: Not required.
- Accepted assessments: portfolio, standardized test, narrative evaluation
How to start homeschooling in Massachusetts
- File your notice with the state. Get advance approval from your local school district before starting: submit your proposed education plan to the superintendent or school committee, which reviews curriculum, materials, methods, and progress benchmarks. There is no state-level filing — DESE does not approve home schooling plans. File online with the state →
- Plan your school year. Massachusetts expects 180 instructional days and 900 hours — set your calendar before you start so the count takes care of itself.
- Put assessment on the calendar. Each year you'll submit either standardized test results or a portfolio of work — decide which at the start of the year so you collect the right evidence as you go.
- Line up an evaluator. Massachusetts requires an annual review by a qualified evaluator — finding one in spring is much easier than in the last week of the year.
- Keep records from your first day. Attendance, samples of work, and any test or evaluation results — every requirement above is answered from these three, and they're painless to keep daily and miserable to reconstruct in May.
How Anchor helps
Anchor logs every day automatically when you make an activity entry. It builds the portfolio your state expects, generates the attendance PDF, and reminds you about evaluations before they're due.
Common questions about homeschooling in Massachusetts
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Massachusetts?
Yes. Massachusetts requires notice to the authorities before you begin home education. Advance approval required from local superintendent/school committee before starting. Submit an education plan; districts evaluate curriculum, materials, methods, and progress benchmarks. DESE plays no direct role -- approval is district-level. Follow DESE guidance of ~900 hours over 180 days.
How many days or hours of school does Massachusetts require?
Massachusetts requires 180 instructional days and 900 hours per year. Anchor counts each day for you as you log activities, and shows how many you have left.
Does Massachusetts require a portfolio or standardized testing?
Yes. Massachusetts requires a portfolio of your student's work.
Does Massachusetts require an annual evaluation?
Yes. Massachusetts requires an annual review of your student's progress by a qualified evaluator.
What records should I keep to homeschool in Massachusetts?
Keep attendance for every school day, samples of your student's work, and any test or evaluation results Massachusetts asks for. Homeschool Anchor builds all three from your daily logs and turns this state's rules into dated checkpoints, so nothing is reconstructed at the deadline.
Stay compliant without the paperwork
Free for 1 student. $8/month for the full family with PDF exports, photo activity logging, and AI-assisted summaries.
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Sources: HSLDA — Massachusetts · Massachusetts Department of Education · last verified 2026-08-08 · Always verify with your state homeschool association before relying on this.