MINNESOTA
Contacts Increase
The number of contact calls among Home School Legal Defense Association members in Minnesota surged dramatically this fall. Previously there had been little contact between superintendents and home schoolingfamilies. This fall, however, superintendents began to request detailed information, ask families to complete various forms and submit standardized achievement test scores, and some even indicated that they would be conducting home visits.
The Minnesota statutes do provide for home visits or "on-site visits" to schools. An alternative, however, is also provided. Families may present documentation to the superintendent demonstrating that the required subjects are being taught. The documentation may be in the form of class schedules, copies of instructional materials, and a description of the method used to evaluate student progress. Many of the reporting forms sent out by school districts this year asked for this documentation-type information prior to requesting an on-site visit. HSLDA encourages homeschoolers to agree to submit the documentation (if they have not already done so) in lieu of a home visit.
Submitting standardized test scores to the school district has been a matter of debate. An HSLDA member family in the Mounds View School District chose not to submit their student's test scores and as a result, was referred to the State Department of Education for "fact finding and mediation." In September, HSLDA attorney Michael Smith addressed to the fact finding panel a letter outlining our position that the home school law does not require submission of standardized test results.
On November 23, 1994, we received a reply to that letter wherein the Minnesota Department of Education official indicated that they consulted with the Special Assistant Attorney General and reached the following decision:
We have come to the conclusion that the law does not specifically require home school families to furnish test results to the school district. Therefore, we are changing our interpretation of this part of the law. We have informed all school districts of this change.
A memorandum from the Assistant Commissioner of Education explaining the new policy was circulated on November 17, to all Minnesota school districts. Should any member family encounter resistance from their school district to this new policy, please contact our office and we will intervene to resolve the conflict.
