Anchor Homeschooling in New York
high regulation
What New York requires
- Notice to authorities: Yes. Annual Letter of Intent by July 1 (or within 14 days of establishing homeschool). Submit Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) by August 15. Four quarterly reports required. Annual assessment: grades 4-8 standardized test in alternate years (narrative in off years); grades 9-12 standardized test every year.
- Instructional days: 180 per year
- Portfolio: Required.
- Standardized testing: Required — in grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
- Annual evaluator: Not required.
- Quarterly reports: Required.
- Accepted assessments: standardized test, written narrative alternate years
- Hours by grade: K-6: 900 hours · 7-12: 990 hours
How to start homeschooling in New York
- File your notice with the state. Submit Letter of Intent to your district superintendent (or [email protected] for NYC families) by July 1. Follow with IHIP by August 15, then four quarterly reports, then annual assessment. File online with the state →
- Plan your school year. New York expects 180 instructional days per year — set your calendar before you start so the count takes care of itself.
- Put assessment on the calendar. New York requires standardized testing in grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 — book the test window early, and keep the results with your records.
- 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 New York
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in New York?
Yes. New York requires notice to the authorities before you begin home education. Annual Letter of Intent by July 1 (or within 14 days of establishing homeschool). Submit Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP) by August 15. Four quarterly reports required. Annual assessment: grades 4-8 standardized test in alternate years (narrative in off years); grades 9-12 standardized test every year.
How many days or hours of school does New York require?
New York requires 180 instructional days per year. Anchor counts each day for you as you log activities, and shows how many you have left.
Does New York require a portfolio or standardized testing?
Yes. New York requires standardized testing in grades 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12. A portfolio of your student's work is also required.
Does New York require an annual evaluation?
No. New York does not require an annual evaluator review.
Do I have to file quarterly reports in New York?
Yes. New York requires reports each quarter in addition to any annual filing.
What records should I keep to homeschool in New York?
Keep attendance for every school day, samples of your student's work, and any test or evaluation results New York 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.
Start free trialHomeschooling in nearby states
Sources: HSLDA — New York · New York Department of Education · last verified 2026-08-08 · Always verify with your state homeschool association before relying on this.