Homeschool laws in District of Columbia (2026)
A plain-English overview of what District of Columbia requires of homeschool families — plus the automatic tracking Rosie’sHQ handles so you never have to build a portfolio the night before an evaluation.
District of Columbia at a glance
Verified — non-numericWhat the law says: 5-E DCMR Chapter 52: submit an initial Notification of Intent through the OSSE Homeschool portal at least 15 business days before starting instruction. File an annual Continuation Notification by August 15. Curriculum must at minimum cover language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, and PE. Instructor must hold a high school diploma or equivalent (waiver available). Maintain a portfolio of the student’s work for at least one year, available for OSSE review with 30-day notice.
Source: osse.dc.gov
Required subjects
District of Columbia law names the following subjects as required parts of your homeschool curriculum:
- Language Arts
- Mathematics
- Science
- Social Studies
- Art
- Music
- Health
- Physical Education
How Rosie’sHQ helps District of Columbia families
- Daily attendance in one tapLog a school day in a single tap and Rosie'sHQ keeps a running attendance record for District of Columbia — even if the state doesn’t set a fixed day count.
- Automatic hour talliesEvery lesson you log rolls up into per-subject and per-year hour totals — no spreadsheet required.
- One-click portfolio PDFTurn your logged lessons, assessments, and worksheets into an audit-ready portfolio PDF the moment an evaluator asks.
- Notice of Intent generatorGenerate a District of Columbia-specific Notice of Intent PDF pre-filled with your child’s information — ready to sign and mail.
Recommended homeschool checklist for District of Columbia
Everything a District of Columbia homeschool family should do across a typical school year, grouped so you can tick items off as you go. Every step is tailored to District of Columbia’s actual rules — low-regulation states get a shorter list; states with mandatory portfolios or standardized tests get the full sequence.
1Before the school year begins in District of Columbia
- File your District of Columbia Notice of Intent (or equivalent)
Complete the District of Columbia-specific homeschool notification form before instruction starts. Rosie’sHQ generates a pre-filled, print-ready PDF that names each child, their grade level, and the required subjects.
- Line up curriculum for every required subject in District of Columbia
District of Columbia law names 8 subjects that must appear in your homeschool: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, plus 2 additional required subjects. Pick a curriculum, workbook, or living-books plan for each one, then create the subject in Rosie’sHQ so daily lessons automatically roll up under the mandated category.
- Set your target hours and days in Rosie’sHQ
District of Columbia does not publish a fixed day or hour count, but keeping a clean daily record still matters if a district ever asks or if your child transfers schools. Rosie’sHQ logs every activity in one tap so you always have the paper trail.
2Every school day
- Log attendance in one tap
Use Rosie’sHQ’s Quick-Log to mark the school day “present” in a single tap. The system will roll it into your District of Columbia year-to-date attendance count.
- Record each subject you teach today
Log every subject you cover — even quick ones like read-alouds or nature study. Rosie’sHQ preserves the daily record so you can prove instructional time to any District of Columbia evaluator, cover school, or umbrella supervisor.
3Every month or quarter
- Review your District of Columbia compliance dashboard
Open the Compliance tab to review the audit trail for the past month. Even in a low-regulation state like District of Columbia, a monthly review keeps records clean for future transfers, college applications, or optional evaluator reviews.
- Keep the portfolio building automatically
District of Columbia requires an annual portfolio review. Rather than scrambling in June, let Rosie’sHQ build it month by month: every worksheet, photo, and log you attach today lands in the District of Columbia year-end portfolio PDF automatically. Preview it any time from the Compliance tab.
4At the end of the school year
- Generate the year-end PDF the state expects
District of Columbia requires a portfolio review. Click “Export Portfolio” in Rosie’sHQ and you get a single, professionally formatted PDF containing the cover page, statute reference, per-subject hours, log index, and worksheet appendix — ready to hand to any District of Columbia evaluator.
- Keep records for the state-recommended retention period
Store the year-end PDF plus any raw logs for at least 3 years after graduation. District of Columbia districts and colleges occasionally request historical records; Rosie’sHQ preserves your archive so you never have to reconstruct a year from memory.
Frequently asked questions
How many days and hours must District of Columbia homeschoolers log per year?+
District of Columbia does not set a specific day or hour count in statute. 5-E DCMR Chapter 52: submit an initial Notification of Intent through the OSSE Homeschool portal at least 15 business days before starting instruction. File an annual Continuation Notification by August 15. Curriculum must at minimum cover language arts, math, science, social studies, art, music, health, and PE. Instructor must hold a high school diploma or equivalent (waiver available). Maintain a portfolio of the student’s work for at least one year, available for OSSE review with 30-day notice. Rosie'sHQ still logs your daily attendance and per-subject hours automatically so if an evaluator, testing service, or district superintendent ever asks, you already have the records.
What subjects must be taught to District of Columbia homeschoolers?+
District of Columbia law names the following subjects: Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Health, Physical Education. Rosie'sHQ maps every subject you set up to the state’s required list and flags gaps on your compliance dashboard.
Do District of Columbia homeschoolers need to submit a portfolio or test scores?+
District of Columbia requires an annual portfolio of the student’s work. Rosie'sHQ builds an audit-ready portfolio PDF from your logged lessons and assessments in one click.
How does Rosie'sHQ help District of Columbia homeschool families stay compliant?+
Rosie'sHQ logs daily attendance, tallies instructional hours by subject, generates a Notice of Intent, produces a year-end portfolio PDF, and stores every worksheet or assessment your child completes so an evaluator or state official can be answered in minutes rather than hours.