Rhode Island is one of the more demanding states. Rhode Island asks for more than most. It is entirely manageable once it is written down in one place, which is what this page is for. Nothing here is harder than it looks; there is just more of it.

What you file, and by when

Yes, prior APPROVAL by the school committee of the town where the child resides. Parents submit an at-home instruction plan to the local school committee (in practice via the superintendent) and must be approved before beginning. Most districts require annual re-approval. No statewide form or deadline; RIDE explicitly defers to local school committees, and district interpretations vary significantly.

Days or hours

Instruction for 'substantially the same amount of time' as public schools, i.e., at least 180 days. RI public schools must provide 1,080 hours annually (5.5 hours/day x 180 days), which districts commonly apply as the benchmark. Homeschoolers need not follow the public school calendar.

Subjects you must cover

Reading, writing, geography, arithmetic, the history of the United States, the history of Rhode Island, and the principles of American government; plus health and physical education. All required subjects must be taught in English. The statutory standard is 'thorough and efficient' instruction.

Records you keep

Attendance records are required by statute and must be maintained by the parent, with periodic reporting to the superintendent or designated district contact as specified in the approved plan. Keep the approval letter, attendance register, and whatever progress documentation the plan commits to.

Testing or evaluation

No statewide standardized testing mandate. The evaluation method is set by mutual agreement between the parent and the school committee as part of the approved plan; some districts request testing, portfolio review, or periodic progress reports. Testing, where agreed, may occur at home or at the public school.

Diplomas and transcripts

No state-recognized homeschool diploma; districts do not issue diplomas or transcripts to home-instructed students. Parents issue their own. No state-mandated high-school credit distribution for homeschoolers. Because approval is per-town and annual, high-school families should secure written approval each year and retain the approval letters as the de facto proof of a lawful program. No ESA/voucher program for homeschoolers.

Where this comes from

Statute: R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-19-1 (compulsory attendance) and § 16-19-2 (at-home instruction; school committee approval; subjects; attendance records)

Source: https://ride.ri.gov/students-families/education-programs/home-schooling

Last reviewed: July 2026 · our confidence in this entry: medium

Homeschool law changes, and a page like this goes stale without announcing it. Check the statute above against your own reading before a filing deadline. If we are out of date, we would rather hear it from you than have you find out at the district office.

Keeping the records is the other half of this. Our Records System has the editable transcript with the GPA already wired, 131 course descriptions, and this same statute-cited summary for all fifty states and DC. Thirty-nine dollars, one household, however many children you have.