Homeschool Canada

Learning Resources for Canadian Families and School Educators

Alberta Homeschooling Laws, Requirements, & Learning Outcomes

Overview

A publicly elected school board has the responsibility to serve all students whose parents reside within the board’s boundaries, including those students whose parents choose home education. School authorities may also choose to offer a blended program.

Parental Responsibilities: Home Education

Parents have the responsibility to notify a school board or an accredited private school operator of their intent to home educate their children. The school board can be the local school board or any other willing public, separate, or Francophone school board. The private school operator can be any willing funded and accredited private school operator. Parents choosing home education have the primary responsibility for planning, managing, providing, evaluating, and supervising their children’s courses of study.

School Authority Responsibilities: Home Education

The school authority (either a public/separate/Francophone school board or a funded, accredited private school operator) that accepts the parents’ notification is called the associate school authority. It has the responsibility to provide the parents with support, if asked. Together with the parents, the associate school authority must ensure that the child meets the parents’ educational goals in accordance with the Home Education Regulation.

Blended Program

A blended program is an education program that consists of two distinct parts:

  • Part 1: A school authority-provided program where an Alberta certificated teacher employed by a school board or accredited private school operator is responsible for providing the planning, resource selection, instructional delivery, assessment and evaluation of student progress in selected courses that follow the Alberta programs of study.
    • In Grades 1 to 9, the courses must amount to at least 50 per cent of the student’s program.
    • In Grades 10 to 12, the courses must amount to at least 20 per cent of the student’s program.
  • Part 2: A home education program that meets the requirements of the Home Education Regulation, with associate school authority and parental responsibilities as outlined above.

Alberta’s legislation does not require school boards, or accredited private school operators to offer blended programs.

 

Click on the following links to find information on:

  1. Alberta Homeschool Laws (via education.alberta.ca)
  2. Alberta Learning Outcomes (via learnalberta.ca)
  3. Alberta Distance Learning Programs
  4. New to Homeschooling? Here is a guide to get you started right.
  5. Connect with the Homeschooling Community in your area.