North Dakota Homeschool Deadlines & Calendar

Initial filing deadline

at least 5 days before the child begins home education, or within 14 days of establishing residence in a school district

Annual renewal deadline

at least 5 days before the child begins home education, or within 14 days of establishing residence in a school district

Send to

superintendent of the local public school district

NDCC 15.1-23-02

Frequency

at_grades

At grades

4, 6, 8, 10

Submit to

local school district superintendent

Nationally normed standardized achievement test. The threshold is 30th percentile COMPOSITE score (not per-subject) per NDCC 15.1-23-11(2). Must be administered by a certified teacher or individual approved by the superintendent. If the child takes the district's test, the district pays for the test and administration (NDCC 15.1-23-10(1)). If the parent chooses a different nationally normed test, the parent pays for the test (NDCC 15.1-23-10(2)). Scoring below the 30th percentile composite triggers mandatory multidisciplinary assessment and remediation plan per NDCC 15.1-23-11, 15.1-23-12. TESTING EXEMPTION per NDCC 15.1-23-09(2): The testing requirement does not apply if the parent has a philosophical, moral, or religious objection to standardized tests OR the parent holds a baccalaureate degree, a teaching license, or a qualifying score on a national teacher exam. These are alternative exemptions (the statute uses 'or'). If exempt, no alternative assessment is required.

See our full assessment guide for North Dakota for accepted test types and scoring details.

NDCC 15.1-23-09; NDCC 15.1-23-10; NDCC 15.1-23-11

Annual renewal

Required by at least 5 days before the start of each school year, and annually thereafter

Annual statement of intent filed with superintendent. Test results filed with superintendent after each mandated testing year (grades 4, 6, 8, 10).

NDCC 15.1-23-02

These deadlines are for Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED). North Dakota offers 2 pathways, and each may have different deadlines:

• •
  Standard Home Education (HS Diploma/GED)(this page): You file a statement of intent with your local superintendent and teach at home with no monitoring required. You must hold a high school diploma or GED, provide 175 days of instruction at 4 hours per day, teach required subjects, and have your child tested at grades 4, 6, 8, and 10. Parents with a bachelor's degree, teaching license, or qualifying score on a national teacher exam are exempt from the testing requirement. The most common pathway in North Dakota.
• •
  Monitored Home Education (No Diploma/GED): For parents without a high school diploma or GED. You file a statement of intent with your local superintendent and teach at home while a certified teacher monitors your program. The monitor is assigned by the school district, visits at least twice per year with an average of one hour per week of contact, and submits reports to the superintendent. Same subject, instructional time, and testing requirements as the standard pathway. After two satisfactory years of monitoring, monitoring ends — unless your child scores below the 50th percentile, in which case monitoring continues until the child reaches the 50th percentile.

Our wizard calculates the right deadlines for your pathway. Compare all pathways for North Dakota