The law in Texas is one of the best for home educators in the United States, that may be one of the reasons the state is possibly the largest home-school state in the nation. Now the Texas Education Agency wants to ensure that public school districts aren't disguising high school dropouts as home-schooled students. According to the Houston Chronicle the agency is planning an audit of students who claimed to be dropping out with the intent to home school. The details of the audit weren't revealed, but the agency did say the state is contacting a random sampling of families to validate that they intended to home-school when they left middle or high school.

In 2008, more than 22,620 secondary students in the Lone Star state were listed as withdrawing to home-school, which raised a red flag among some experts and educators. There are worries that Texas' lax regulations are encouraging abuse in the hands-off-home schooling category. The 2008 figures show a 24 percent jump from the previous year, and almost tripled from a decade ago.

The Texas Education Agency requires a "signed statement from a parent/guardian or qualified student" or "documentation of an oral statement by the parent/guardian or qualified student made within 10 days of the time the student quits attending school in the district, signed and dated by an authorized representative of the district" noting that they intend to attend home-school.

The Texas Home School Coalition applauds the state's efforts to crack down on public school district who are labeling dropouts as home-scholars. The group, acknowledges that the audit is not being conducted to reproach families who are educating their children at home.

Coalition president Tim Lambert told the Houston Chronicle "School administrators are violating the policy and causing these problems."

He is also quoted as saying, "The solution is, in our view, to put in place some sort of penalties for school officials who are abusing this process."

The coalition urged home-schoolers to cooperate with the audit, assuring its members that the state wasn't inquiring about curriculum or attendance.

More information can be found online:
Houston Chronicle
Texas Education Agency
Home School Coalition 

Let us know what you think about the audits, and home-schooling in Texas by leaving your comments below.