2. Children in home instruction may, at the discretion of parents or guardian, attend the public schools on a part-time basis. It may be an advantage for a home-taught child to attend specialized classes in the public school.

3. Parents or a legal guardian in charge of home instruction should make provisions for regular testing or use of other indicators of student progress such as standardized achievement tests. As an alternative to home testing and at the request of those in charge of the home instruction, the Agawam School System will make provisions for inclusion of home-taught children in the annual achievement test battery which is usually administered in February or March of each school year. The home instruction summary form must include either a summary of home testing results for each required subject for each child or the results of the achievement test that is administered through the Agawam School System.

4. Auditing functions of the committee for the home instruction will include:

a. The committee at any time may request a review by the Assistant Superintendent

for Curriculum & Instruction of the attendance rolls, records of test scores or other achievement indicators in each required subject for any child in home instruction.

b. The committee may request at any time that the Assistant Superintendent

for Curriculum & Instruction review the instructional materials and methods used by the person(s) responsible for the home instruction.

c. The Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction will prepare for the committee an annual summary of the children included in home instruction. This report will also summarize, in general, the appropriateness or possible deficiencies of home education.

5. Within one week of the ending date of the home instruction, as indicated on the home instruction application form, the Agawam School System will mail the parents or legal guardian a home instruction summary form. The completed form should be returned to the Agawam School System within 30 days. This summary form must be returned to the Agawam School System office before annual approval of home instruction can be made for any succeeding years.

6. The committee will act in a responsible, cooperative manner to ensure that all children in the Agawam School System receive competent, adequate instruction. This concern included children in home education. If the committee determines that a home instruction situation is inadequate, a conference between the parents or legal guardian and the Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum & Instruction will be scheduled to find mutually acceptable ways to correct any deficiency.

7. If deficiencies in a home education situation are not corrected or the proper annual application or summary is not completed by the parents or legal guardian, an appropriate referral will be made.

Agawam Public Schools - 2005

Approved by School Committee on November 22, 2005, by a vote of 7 - 0