Reviewed July 29, 2026Multi-pathway state
South Carolina
Quick answer: South Carolina has three homeschool options, so the right recordkeeping answer depends on the path you are using. Do not try to memorize all three. Start by finding your option, then your record list gets much clearer.
First step to verify
Before you build records, choose which South Carolina option you are using. If your child is currently enrolled in school, ask the school or district what they require to formally withdraw so you do not accidentally create an attendance problem while you are trying to begin calmly.
Option 1: School District
Option 1 is the more district-involved path. Your homeschool program is approved through the local district board of trustees, and the statute includes more direct district-facing requirements.
What to consider keeping
- District approval/application records.
- 180-day attendance record.
- Hours record showing the instructional-day requirement.
- Required-subject plan.
- Plan book, diary, or written record.
- Portfolio samples.
- Evaluations or progress records.
- Semiannual progress reports and testing documentation.
Claire's note
If you are using Option 1, do not rely on a general homeschool checklist. Ask your district what they expect to see and keep your records in a way that would make sense to someone outside your house.
Option 2: SCAIHS
Option 2 runs through the South Carolina Association of Independent Home Schools. The statute gives the broad shape, but SCAIHS gets much more practical about what members need to report or keep.
What to consider keeping
- SCAIHS membership/enrollment records.
- 180-day attendance record.
- Subject or curriculum plan.
- SCAIHS reports or forms.
- Testing documentation based on grade or department.
- Work samples and progress notes.
- High school records if applicable.
Claire's note
If you are an Option 2 family, your next best source is SCAIHS itself. The law gives the outline, but the association tells you what they expect from members this year.
Option 3: Homeschool Association
Option 3 runs through a homeschool association with at least fifty members. This is the path many South Carolina homeschool families talk about because it gives accountability without the same district-approval structure as Option 1.
What to consider keeping
- Association membership documentation.
- 180-day attendance record.
- Plan book, diary, or other record.
- Portfolio samples of student work.
- Semiannual progress reports.
- Progress notes by required subject.
Claire's note
Once you know your association, recordkeeping gets less foggy. Keep your 180 days, save samples, write down what you covered, and do the progress reports your association expects. You do not need to make it fancy. You need to make it findable.
grovio can help you keep dated portfolio moments, notes, subjects, attendance, and weekly records in one calm place.
Reviewed July 29, 2026Portfolio / annual evaluation
Florida
Quick answer: Florida families have a few separate pieces to keep straight: the Letter of Intent, the portfolio you maintain, the annual evaluation, and the Letter of Termination when the home education program ends.
First step to verify
Florida families should start by confirming where and how to file the Letter of Intent with the district home education office. If your child is leaving a public or private school, ask that school how to withdraw formally after your homeschool path is ready.
What to consider keeping
- Copy of your Letter of Intent.
- Portfolio of records and materials.
- Log of educational activities.
- Titles of reading materials used.
- Samples of writings, worksheets, workbooks, or creative materials.
- Dated work samples.
- Annual evaluation documentation.
- Letter of Termination when applicable.
- A simple attendance/calendar record for your own clarity.
Claire's note
Florida can feel like a lot until you separate the pieces. There is the notice, the portfolio you keep as the year happens, and the annual evaluation you send in. If you keep the portfolio slowly, a few dated samples and notes at a time, the evaluation part feels much less like a scramble.
grovio can help you save portfolio moments with dates, notes, subjects, and photos throughout the year, so the portfolio is not something you have to rebuild from memory.
Reviewed July 29, 2026Higher oversight
New York
Quick answer: New York is a write-it-down state. Families should verify the current NYSED requirements, but the big recordkeeping pieces usually include written notice, IHIP, quarterly reports, attendance, hours, required subjects, and annual assessment.
First step to verify
New York families should start with the written notice of intent and the current NYSED or local district instructions, including timing if you are beginning mid-year. If your child is enrolled, verify the withdrawal process with the school or district before you assume the switch is complete.
What to consider keeping
- Letter of Intent.
- IHIP.
- Quarterly reports.
- Attendance records.
- Hours by quarter and year.
- Subject/materials covered.
- Grades or narrative evaluations.
- Annual assessment documentation.
- District or central office correspondence.
- Work samples or evidence of progress.
Claire's note
New York is not the state where I would trust myself to remember everything later. That is not because you are doing anything wrong. It is because the system asks for written proof. Give yourself a steady place for attendance, hours, reports, subjects, and evidence now, before the year gets blurry.
grovio can help you keep attendance, dated learning moments, subjects, notes, and progress evidence together, while you still verify and submit anything New York requires through your district or central office.
Reviewed July 29, 2026Portfolio / evaluator review
Pennsylvania
Quick answer: Pennsylvania is a portfolio-and-evaluator state. The public sources describe affidavit or unsworn declaration, education objectives, portfolio records, testing in certain grades, and an annual evaluation report.
First step to verify
Pennsylvania families should start by confirming the affidavit or unsworn declaration process with their district, along with any filing preferences. If your child is currently enrolled, ask the school or district what they need for a clean withdrawal.
What to consider keeping
- Affidavit or unsworn declaration.
- Education objectives by subject.
- Immunization/medical or exemption documentation as applicable.
- Attendance days or hours.
- Reading/materials log.
- Work samples and portfolio materials.
- Standardized test results for grades 3, 5, and 8 when applicable.
- Evaluator letter/report.
- District correspondence.
- High school course records when applicable.
Claire's note
Pennsylvania is not a "wing it in May" state. But the recordkeeping itself can still be simple. Keep the log, save a few good samples over time, know your evaluator's preferences, and do not wait until the end of the year to remember what happened.
grovio can help you save work samples, portfolio notes, attendance, subjects, and progress moments as the year unfolds, so your evaluator conversation has something real to lean on.
Reviewed July 29, 2026Light recordkeeping
Texas
Quick answer: Texas is lighter from a state-oversight standpoint. TEA says it does not regulate, index, monitor, approve, register, or accredit homeschool programs. But "light regulation" does not mean "keep nothing."
First step to verify
Texas families should start by reading the current TEA guidance and making sure the homeschool is conducted in a bona fide way with a written curriculum. If your child is leaving public school, the district may request an assurance letter, so verify what your school expects before you walk away from the enrollment record.
What to consider keeping
- Written curriculum plan or list.
- Attendance/calendar for your own clarity.
- Work samples.
- Reading/materials log.
- Progress notes.
- High school course records or transcript materials when applicable.
- Copy of any assurance letter if a district requests one.
Claire's note
Texas may not ask you for much, but future-you still deserves a record. Keep enough that you can see what your child learned, explain your curriculum if needed, and make future transitions easier.
grovio can help you keep the kind of simple records Texas families often want even when the state is not asking for a heavy reporting system: attendance, portfolio moments, notes, subjects, and a visible trail of learning.
