History of Homeschooling in America

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From Colonies to Co-Ops

From colonial-era home instruction to today’s thriving and diverse homeschooling movement, families have long shaped education outside traditional classrooms. This timeline highlights key moments, legal milestones, and cultural shifts that have defined homeschooling’s evolution.

HOMESCHOOLING THROUGH THE EARLY YEARS

1600s: The Beginning

  • Early American colonists homeschooled out of necessity; formal schools didn’t exist.
  • 1647:The Old Satan Deluder Act required children to learn to read, primarily to understand the Bible.

1700s: Education Restrictions

  • 1740: Laws banned teaching slaves to read or write, but enslaved individuals worked to educate their children against the odds.

1800s: Early Reforms

  • Growth of formal schools, yet many rural families continued homeschooling.
  • 1852: Compulsory Education Law posed hurdles for homeschoolers, allowing authorities to remove children from homes if they weren’t in school.

MODERN HOMESCHOOLING MOVEMENT

1960s–1970s: Legal Struggles and Advocacy

  • Families faced legal challenges defending their right to homeschool.
  • 1964: Civil Rights activists in Mississippi organized Freedom Schools in churches, homes, and outdoor spaces to supplement inadequate public education.
  • Educational pioneers like John Holt, Raymond and Dorothy Moore, and Ivan Illich promoted “unschooling” and child-led learning.

1980s: Legal Support and Early Growth

  • 1983: Homeschool dads Michael Farris and Mike Smith founded the Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA), offering legal protection and advocacy.
  • 1983: The U.S. Department of Education estimated 10,000–15,000 homeschooled students.
  • By the late 1980s, homeschooling reached 300,000 students nationwide.

1990s–2000s: Expansion and Inclusion

  • 1993: Homeschooling became legal in all 50 states.
  • 1994: NCES reported 345,000 homeschooled students.
  • 2000: Eric and Joyce Burges founded National Black Home Educators (NBHE) to support Black homeschooling families.
  • 2003: NHERI estimated 1.1 million homeschooled students.
  • 2009: NHERI found homeschoolers outperform public school peers on standardized tests.

2010s: Mainstream Recognition

  • 2012: NHERI estimated 1.8 million homeschoolers.
  • 2016: Number rose to 2.3 million.
  • 2019: NHERI reported homeschoolers scored 15–30 percentile points above public school students on standardized tests.

2020s: Digital Growth and Pandemic Impact

  • Internet tools revolutionized home education, making resources widely accessible.
  • 2020: COVID-19 pandemic triggered a dramatic homeschooling surge.
  • 2021–present: Interest in homeschooling increased significantly, with applications surging by up to 75% in some states.

Academic Achievements

  • Homeschoolers consistently score 15–30 points higher than peers on standardized tests (NHERI, 2019).
  • NHERI studies show strong academic performance across subjects, regardless of parental education level or income.

By the Numbers

  • 1983: up to 15,000 homeschooled students in the U.S.
  • 1994: Surged to 345,000 students.
  • 1999: Grew to 850,000 students.
  • 2003: Estimated at 1.1 million students.
  • 2007: Reached 1.5 million students.
  • 2012: Estimated at 1.8 million students.
  • 2016: Estimated at 2.3 million students.
  • 2022: Estimated at 3.7 million homeschooled students.

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