Homeschooling in Michigan (MI): Requirements, Law & Standards

MI ·

none specified (no minimum number of days or hours of instruction is set by statute for the home education exemption; the law requires only an 'organized educational program' in the listed subjects)

Michigan is a no-notice, low-regulation state. A child is exempt from compulsory school attendance if educated at home by a parent or legal guardian in an 'organized educational program' covering the subject areas of reading, spelling, mathematics, science, history, civics, literature, writing, and English grammar (MCL 380.1561(3)(f)). There is no requirement to notify, register, seek approval, test, or meet teacher-qualification standards, and MDE exercises no oversight. (A separate religious/parochial-conscience accommodation also exists via Sheridan Road Baptist Church v. Dept. of Education / People v. DeJonge case law for parents with sincere religious objections to teacher-certification requirements when operating as a nonpublic school.) Homeschool students may, but need not, participate in state assessments (M-STEP) free of charge at their local public school.

Under the home education option (the 'home school' exemption from compulsory attendance, MCL 380.1561(3)(f)), there is NO requirement to notify any state or local education authority, register, or seek approval. The Michigan Department of Education plays no regulatory or supervisory role over families homeschooling under this exemption. (Note: a separate, distinct option exists to operate as a nonpublic/private school under MCL 380.1561(3)(a), which DOES require an annual nonpublic school membership/enrollment report to MDE; most home educators use the no-notice home education exemption instead. HSLDA and many families recommend voluntarily sending a letter of intent to the local district to avoid truancy misunderstandings, but this is NOT legally required.)

No recordkeeping, portfolio, or reporting is legally required under the home education exemption (MCL 380.1561(3)(f)). Parents are not required to maintain attendance records, lesson plans, or test results. Keeping records is recommended as a best practice (and is practically necessary for issuing a high school transcript/diploma), but it is not mandated by law.

reading
spelling
mathematics
science
history
civics
literature
writing
English grammar


Math	CCSS-M (adopted by Michigan as the 'Michigan K-12 Standards for Mathematics')
ELA	CCSS-ELA (adopted by Michigan as the 'Michigan K-12 Standards for English Language Arts')
Science	Michigan Science Standards (MSS) - based on / adopted from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Framework for K-12 Science Education
Social Studies	Michigan K-12 Standards for Social Studies (Grade Level Content Expectations / GLCE for K-8 and High School Content Expectations / HSCE); informed by the C3 Framework's Arc of Inquiry but with Michigan-specific content expectations and code structure

· Michigan K-12 Standards for Social Studies (Grade Level Content Expectations / GLCE for K-8 and High School Content Expectations / HSCE); informed by the C3 Framework's Arc of Inquiry but with Michigan-specific content expectations and code structure · 145


K	K - C1.0.1	Identify and explain reasons for rules at home and in school.
K	K - C2.0.1	Identify the American flag as an important symbol of the United States.
K	K - E1.0.2	Distinguish between goods and services.
K	K - G1.0.1	Recognize that maps and globes represent places.
K	K - G5.0.1	Describe ways in which the environment provides for basic human needs.
K	K - H2.0.1	Distinguish among the past, present, and future.
K	K - H2.0.2	Create a timeline using events from their own lives.
K	K - P3.3.1	Express a position on a classroom issue.
K	K - P4.2.1	Develop and implement an action plan to address or inform others about a classroom issue.
1	1 - C1.0.1	Explain the need for rules and purposes of rules.
1	1 - C2.2 / 1 - C2.0.2	Identify important symbols of the United States of America.
1	1 - C5.0.2	Explain important rights and how, when, and where members of society demonstrate them.
1	1 - E1.0.1	Distinguish between producers and consumers of goods and services.
1	1 - E1.0.6	Describe how money simplifies trade.
1	1 - G1.0.2	Describe places using absolute location or relative location.
1	1 - G2.0.1	Distinguish between physical and human characteristics of places.
1	1 - G5.0.1	Describe ways in which people are part of, modify, and adapt to their environment.
1	1 - H2.0.1	Demonstrate chronological thinking by distinguishing among years and centuries.
1	1 - H2.0.2	Investigate a family history for at least two generations.
1	1 - P4.2.1	Develop and implement an action plan to address or inform others about a public issue.
2	2 - C1.0.1	Explain why people form governments.
2	2 - C2.0.2	Describe how the Pledge of Allegiance reflects the Democratic Value of patriotism.
2	2 - C3.0.3	Identify services commonly provided by local governments.
2	2 - E1.0.1	Identify the opportunity cost involved in a consumer decision.
2	2 - G1.0.1	Construct maps of the local community that contain symbols, labels, and a legend.
2	2 - G2.0.2	Describe how the local community is part of a larger region.
2	2 - G4.0.1	Describe land use in the community.
2	2 - H2.0.4	Describe changes in the local community over time.
2	2 - H2.0.6	Construct a historical narrative about the history of the local community.
2	2 - P3.1.1	Identify public issues in the local community that influence the daily lives of citizens.
3	3 - C3.0.3	Identify the three branches of state government in Michigan and the powers of each.
3	3 - C3.0.5	Describe the purpose of the Michigan Constitution.
3	3 - C5.0.1	Identify and explain rights and responsibilities of citizenship.
3	3 - E1.0.1	Using a Michigan example, explain how scarcity, choice, and opportunity cost affect decisions.
3	3 - E2.0.1	Using a Michigan example, explain how specialization leads to increased interdependence.
3	3 - G1.0.1	Use cardinal directions to describe the relative location of significant places in Michigan.
3	3 - G2.0.2	Describe different regions to which Michigan belongs.
3	3 - G4.0.1	Describe major kinds of economic activity in Michigan today.
3	3 - G5.0.2	Locate natural resources in Michigan and explain the consequences of their use.
3	3 - H3.0.10	Create a timeline to sequence and describe major eras and events in Michigan history.
3	3 - H3.0.2	Explain how historians use primary and secondary sources to answer questions about the past.
3	3 - H3.0.9	Describe how Michigan attained statehood.
3	3 - P3.1.1	Identify public issues in Michigan that influence the daily lives of its citizens.
4	4 - C2.0.1	Explain how the principles of popular sovereignty, rule of law, checks and balances are reflected in government.
4	4 - C3.0.4	Describe how the powers of the federal government are separated among the branches.
4	4 - C5.0.1	Explain the responsibilities of members of American society.
4	4 - E1.0.2	Describe characteristics of a market economy.
4	4 - E1.0.7	Describe the role of money in the exchange of goods and services.
4	4 - E3.0.1	Identify advantages and disadvantages of global competition.
4	4 - G1.0.1	Identify questions geographers ask in examining the United States.
4	4 - G2.0.2	Locate and describe human and physical characteristics of major U.S. regions.
4	4 - G4.0.2	Describe the impact of immigration to the United States on the cultural development of various places.
4	4 - G5.0.1	Assess the positive and negative consequences of human activities on the physical environment.
4	4 - H3.0.1	Use historical inquiry questions to investigate the development of Michigan's economy.
4	4 - P3.3.1	Compose a brief essay expressing a position on a public policy issue in the United States.
5	5 - U1.1.1	Use maps to locate peoples in the Eastern Woodland prior to European contact.
5	5 - U1.3.1	Use maps to locate the major regions of Africa prior to the 16th century.
5	5 - U1.4.4	Describe the Columbian Exchange and its impact on Europeans, Africans, and Indigenous Peoples.
5	5 - U2.1.4	Compare the regional settlement patterns of the Southern, New England, and Middle colonies.
5	5 - U2.2.1	Describe Triangular Trade.
5	5 - U3.1.5	Use the Declaration of Independence to explain why many colonists wanted to separate from Great Britain.
5	5 - U3.3.6	Describe the principle of federalism and how it is expressed through the Constitution.
5	5 - U3.3.8	Describe the rights of individuals protected in the Bill of Rights.
6	6 - C1.1.1	Compare and contrast different ideas about the purposes of government around the world.
6	6 - C3.6.1	Define the characteristics of modern nation-states.
6	6 - E2.3.1	Analyze the impact of sanctions, tariffs, treaties, and quotas on international trade.
6	6 - E3.1.1	Explain and compare how economic systems (traditional, command, market) answer basic economic questions.
6	6 - G1.1.1	Use a variety of geographic tools (maps, globes, web-based geography software) to gather information.
6	6 - G2.2.4	Interpret population pyramids from different countries in the Western Hemisphere.
6	6 - G3.1.2	Explain the factors that cause different climate types.
6	6 - G4.3.3	Explain the patterns, causes, and consequences of major human migrations.
6	6 - G5.1.1	Describe examples of how humans have impacted and are continuing to impact the environment.
6	6 - P4.2.1	Demonstrate knowledge of how, when, and where individuals plan and conduct activities for the public good.
7	7 - G1.2.1	Use a variety of geographical tools (maps, globes, geographic software) to describe the world.
7	7 - G4.4.1	Identify factors that contribute to conflict and cooperation between and among cultural groups.
7	7 - H1.2.1	Explain how historians use a variety of sources to explore the past.
7	7 - W1.2.3	Explain the impact of the first Agricultural Revolution on human communities.
7	7 - W2.1.5	Define the concept of cultural diffusion and explain how it occurred.
7	7 - W3.1.10	Create a timeline that illustrates the rise and fall of classical empires.
7	7 - W3.1.4	Assess the importance of Greek ideas about democracy and citizenship.
7	7 - W3.2.1	Identify and describe the core beliefs of major world religions.
7	7 - W4.1.1	Crisis in the Classical World - analyze the environmental, economic, and political factors.
8	8 - P3.1.1	Identify, research, analyze, discuss, and defend a position on a national public policy issue.
8	8 - P4.2.1	Demonstrate knowledge of how, when, and where individuals plan and conduct activities intended for the public good.
8	8 - U3.3.3	Describe the major issues debated at the Constitutional Convention.
8	8 - U4.1.1	Washington's Farewell - use President George Washington's Farewell Address to analyze the most significant challenges the new nation faced.
8	8 - U4.2.2	The Institution of Slavery - explain the ideology of the institution of slavery.
8	8 - U4.3.2	Describe the formation and development of the abolitionist movement.
8	8 - U5.2.3	Examine Abraham Lincoln's presidency.
8	8 - U5.3.4	Analyze the intent and the effect of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
8	8 - U6.1.1	America at Century's End - compare and contrast the United States at the close of the 19th century.
Civics (HS)	C1.1.1	Describe, compare, and contrast political philosophers' views on purposes of government (Aristotle, Locke, Hobbes, Montesquieu, Rousseau).
Civics (HS)	C1.1.4	Compare and contrast federal, confederal, and unitary systems of government.
Civics (HS)	C2.1.1	Analyze the historical and philosophical origins of American Constitutional Democracy.
Civics (HS)	C2.2.1	Analyze relationships between Democratic Values and Constitutional Principles.
Civics (HS)	C3.1.1	Identify and describe the purposes, organization, powers, processes, and election of the legislative branch (Article I).
Civics (HS)	C3.2.4	Analyze sovereignty of tribal governments in interactions with state and federal governments.
Civics (HS)	C3.3.4	Explain the significance of campaigns and elections in American politics.
Civics (HS)	C3.3.7	Analyze the credibility and validity of various forms of political communication.
Civics (HS)	C4.1.1	Describe the five essential rights protected by the First Amendment.
Civics (HS)	C4.2.1	Explain how the Civil War led to the creation of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments.
Civics (HS)	C5.1.1	Identify and describe ways in which foreign policy is made in the United States.
Civics (HS)	C6.1.1	Describe and evaluate the requirements and process for becoming a U.S. citizen.
Civics (HS)	C6.2.1	Using examples, explain the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens.
Civics (HS)	C6.3.1	Explain the personal dispositions that contribute to knowledgeable and engaged citizenship.
Economics (HS)	E1.1.1	Scarcity, Choice, Opportunity Costs, Incentives - using examples, explain the conditions of scarcity.
Economics (HS)	E1.1.2	Entrepreneurship - analyze the risks and rewards of entrepreneurship.
Economics (HS)	E1.2.2	Market Structures - identify the characteristics of perfect competition, monopoly, oligopoly, and monopolistic competition.
Economics (HS)	E1.3.1	Supply and Demand - use the laws of supply and demand to explain household and business behavior.
Economics (HS)	E2.1.1	Circular Flow and the National Economy - using the concepts of GDP and the circular flow model.
Economics (HS)	E2.2.3	Fiscal Policy and its Consequences - analyze the consequences of fiscal policy decisions.
Economics (HS)	E2.2.4	Federal Reserve and Monetary Policy - explain the roles and responsibilities of the Federal Reserve System.
Economics (HS)	E3.1.3	Comparing Economic Systems - compare and contrast the command and market economies.
Economics (HS)	E3.2.1	Absolute and Comparative Advantage - use the concepts of absolute and comparative advantage.
Economics (HS)	E4.1.1	Earning Income - conduct research regarding potential income and benefits of various careers.
Economics (HS)	E4.1.4	Using Credit - evaluate the benefits, costs, and potential impact of using credit.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 6.1.1	Factors in the American Second Industrial Revolution - analyze the factors that enabled industrial growth.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 6.1.3	Urbanization - explain the causes and consequences of urbanization.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 6.2.2	World War I - explain the causes of World War I and the reasons for American entry.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 6.3.4	Women's Suffrage - analyze the successes and failures of efforts to expand women's right to vote.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 7.1.2	Causes and Consequences of the Great Depression - explain and evaluate the causes of the Great Depression.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 7.1.3	The New Deal Era - explain and evaluate President Franklin Roosevelt's policies.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 7.2.1	Causes of World War II - analyze the factors contributing to World War II.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 8.1.1	Origins and Beginnings of the Cold War - analyze the factors that contributed to the Cold War.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 8.1.3	End of the Cold War - describe the factors that led to the end of the Cold War.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 8.3.1	Civil Rights Movement - analyze key events, ideals, documents, and organizations in the Civil Rights Movement.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 8.3.3	Women's Rights - analyze the causes, course, and reaction to the women's rights movement.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 9.1.1	Economic Changes - using the changing nature of the American economy, analyze recent economic trends.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG 9.2.2	9/11 and Responses to Terrorism - analyze how the attacks on 9/11 and the responses to terrorism affected American society.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG F1.1	Identify the core ideals of American society as reflected in founding documents.
U.S. History & Geography (HS)	USHG F1.2	Using the American Revolution and adoption of the Constitution, evaluate how ideals shaped political society.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 4.1.1	Growth and Interactions of World Religions - analyze the significant religious developments to 1500 CE.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 4.1.2	Intensifying Trade Networks and Contacts - compare and contrast the trade networks and their effects.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 4.2.1	Growth of Islam and Dar al-Islam - analyze the development and expansion of Islamic civilization.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 5.1.1	Emerging Global System - differentiate between the global systems before and after 1500 CE.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 5.2.1	Cultural Encounters and the Columbian Exchange - explain the cultural and demographic impacts.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 5.2.2	The Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade - analyze the causes and development of the trans-Atlantic slave trade.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 6.1.1	Global Revolutions - explain the characteristics, extent, and impact of the major political revolutions.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 6.2.3	Industrialization - compare and contrast the causes and consequences of industrialization.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 6.2.4	Imperialism - analyze the political, economic, and social causes and consequences of imperialism.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 7.1.2	Global Conflict - compare and contrast the nature, extent, and impact of 20th century conflicts.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 7.1.3	Genocide in the 20th Century - differentiate genocide from other atrocities and mass killings.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 7.2.1	World War I - explain the causes, characteristics, and long-term consequences of World War I.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 7.2.3	World War II - analyze the causes, course, characteristics, and consequences of World War II.
World History & Geography (HS)	WHG 7.2.4	Cold War Conflicts - analyze the causes and consequences of major Cold War conflicts.

Is homeschooling legal in Michigan?

Yes. Michigan is a no-notice, low-regulation state.

Do I have to notify anyone to homeschool in Michigan?

No. Michigan does not require parents to file a notice to begin homeschooling. Under the home education option (the 'home school' exemption from compulsory attendance, MCL 380.1561(3)(f)), there is NO requirement to notify any state or local education authority, register, or seek approval. The Michigan Department of Education plays no regulatory or supervisory role over families homeschooling under this exemption. (Note: a separate, distinct option exists to operate as a nonpublic/private school under MCL 380.1561(3)(a), which DOES require an annual nonpublic school membership/enrollment report to MDE; most home educators use the no-notice home education exemption instead. HSLDA and many families recommend voluntarily sending a letter of intent to the local district to avoid truancy misunderstandings, but this is NOT legally required.)

Is standardized testing required for homeschoolers in Michigan?

No annual test is mandated for homeschoolers in Michigan. The state test (M-STEP (Michigan Student Test of Educational Progress); high school juniors take the Michigan Merit Examination (MME), which includes the SAT, WorkKeys, and M-STEP science/social studies. MI-Access is the alternate assessment for students with significant cognitive disabilities.) is not required for home-educated students.

What subjects are required for homeschooling in Michigan?

Michigan requires instruction in: reading; spelling; mathematics; science; history; civics; literature; writing; English grammar.

Does Michigan have its own learning standards?

Math: CCSS-M (adopted by Michigan as the 'Michigan K-12 Standards for Mathematics'). ELA: CCSS-ELA (adopted by Michigan as the 'Michigan K-12 Standards for English Language Arts'). Science: Michigan Science Standards (MSS) - based on / adopted from the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Framework for K-12 Science Education. Social studies: Michigan K-12 Standards for Social Studies (Grade Level Content Expectations / GLCE for K-8 and High School Content Expectations / HSCE); informed by the C3 Framework's Arc of Inquiry but with Michigan-specific content expectations and code structure.

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