1. Letter of
Intent
If you live in New York City and have made the decision to homeschool your child(ren), the first step is to submit a Letter of Intent (one per every homeschooled child in the household). This letter notifies NYC Public Schools of your intention to homeschool. It is a simple letter which will initiate the process and is due on or around July 1st, using this email address:
letterofintent@schools.nyc.gov. To avoid delays, the office suggests submitting all required documents as a PDF or JPG attachment in the same email. This link has additional information and is an online LOI form: Letter of Intent to Home School for School Year.
Documents to be submitted at time of enrollment:
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Copy of parent identification (driver's license, passport, etc.)
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Custody Papers (if applicable)
Returning homeschool families should use the personalized link sent to them by email to submit their Letter of Intent.
The physical address of the NYC Homeschool Office is 333 7th Ave, New York, NY 10001.
2. IHIP
After submitting your Letter of Intent, the next step is to submit an Individualized Home Instruction Plan (IHIP). This is required each year a student is home schooled. An IHIP outlines your teaching plan for the year and must be submitted within 28 days of starting homeschooling. You can begin teaching before submitting the IHIP.
The IHIP must include:
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Your child’s name, age, and grade level of instruction
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NYC Student ID Number (if available)
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List of required subjects, curriculum materials, textbooks, or teaching plans
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Dates for submitting quarterly reports (evenly spaced throughout the year)
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Names of people providing instruction
Important Notes:
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You may use the DOE IHIP templates below or create your own:
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To avoid delays, the office encourages you to submit the IHIP as a PDF in a separate email to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov with the subject line IHIP, your child’s name and NYC student ID Number (if available).
The IHIP is due on or around August 15th. After approval, free student OMNY cards will automatically be mailed to you.
3. Quarterly Reports
Quarterly reports show what your child has learned and how many hours they studied. Reports are due four times a year, spaced according to your IHIP. If you start homeschooling mid-year, the number of reports will reflect the remaining time.
Each Report Must Include:
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Your child’s name, age, and grade level
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NYC Student ID Number (if available)
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Number of instructional hours during the quarter
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Description of materials covered in each subject
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Grades or narrative evaluation of progress
Suggested Due Dates:
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November 15: Quarterly Report 1
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January 31: Quarterly Report 2
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April 15: Quarterly Report 3
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June 30: Quarterly Report 4 and Annual Assessment
Important Notes:
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You may use the DOE QR templates below or create your own:
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The office encourages you to submit the QR as a PDF in a separate email to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov with the subject line QR, your child’s name and NYC student ID Number (if available).
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Required annual hours of instruction by grade:
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Grades 1-6: Minimum of 900 hours instruction/year.
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Grades 7-12: Minimum of 990 hours instruction/year.
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4. Annual
Assessment
An annual assessment evaluates your child’s progress for the school year. Submit test results or the narrative as a PDF along with your 4th Quarterly Report by June 30 to homeschool@schools.nyc.gov the subject line 4th QR/Annual Assessment, your child’s name and NYC student ID Number (if available).
Options for Annual Assessment:
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Grades 1–3: Choose a standardized test or a written narrative evaluation.
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Grades 4–8: Use a standardized test at least every other year; written narratives are allowed in alternate years. For example, you could use a written narrative evaluation in grade 4 but would need to use a standardized test in grade 5, and so on.
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Grades 9–12: Standardized tests are required every year.
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For students in grades K-12 whose IESP indicates an alternate assessment, the annual assessment may be the written narrative evaluation or a portfolio of examples of the child’s educational achievement of standards compared with his/her peers.
Written Narrative: A brief report summarizing your child’s progress, noting if goals were met and plans for advancing to the next grade. You may use the DOE IHIP template (Office of Home Schooling Annual Assessment Written Narrative for School Year) or your own.