Anchor Homeschooling in Tennessee
medium regulation
What Tennessee requires
- Notice to authorities: Yes. Three options. Independent home school: register with district, 180 days, standardized test grades 5, 7, 9. Or operate under church-related school or umbrella school.
- Instructional days: 180 per year
- Portfolio: Not required.
- Standardized testing: Required — in grades 5, 7, and 9.
- Annual evaluator: Not required.
- Quarterly reports: Not required.
- Legal paths: independent home school, church related school, umbrella school
How to start homeschooling in Tennessee
- File your notice with the state. Register as an independent home school by submitting the Intent to Home School form to your local school district before each school year, or operate under a church-related umbrella school instead (no district registration form required). File online with the state →
- Plan your school year. Tennessee expects 180 instructional days per year — set your calendar before you start so the count takes care of itself.
- Put assessment on the calendar. Tennessee requires standardized testing in grades 5, 7, and 9 — 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 Tennessee
Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Tennessee?
Yes. Tennessee requires notice to the authorities before you begin home education. Three options. Independent home school: register with district, 180 days, standardized test grades 5, 7, 9. Or operate under church-related school or umbrella school.
How many days or hours of school does Tennessee require?
Tennessee requires 180 instructional days per year. Anchor counts each day for you as you log activities, and shows how many you have left.
Does Tennessee require a portfolio or standardized testing?
Yes. Tennessee requires standardized testing in grades 5, 7, and 9.
Does Tennessee require an annual evaluation?
No. Tennessee does not require an annual evaluator review.
What records should I keep to homeschool in Tennessee?
Keep attendance for every school day, samples of your student's work, and any test or evaluation results Tennessee 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 — Tennessee · Tennessee Department of Education · last verified 2026-08-08 · Always verify with your state homeschool association before relying on this.