Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education — Home Schooling
The primary official state resource explaining advance district approval, education-plan review, compulsory ages, special-education rights, public-school participation, and the roles of local districts and DESE.

Massachusetts Law About Home Schooling
A Commonwealth legal guide collecting the main statutes, court decisions, state resources, and organizations relevant to Massachusetts home education.

Massachusetts School and District Profiles
Find the public school district, superintendent, administrative contacts, and schools serving the town where the student resides.

Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks
Current state academic frameworks that families may consult when designing an education plan, although public-school curriculum and structured-time rules do not automatically govern home schooling.

Special Education Services for Home-Schooled Students
Official information about district evaluation duties and equitable special-education services for eligible students educated at home.

DESE Problem Resolution System
Information about educational rights, compliance questions, and the state complaint process when a family believes a school district is not following applicable education requirements.

HSLDA Massachusetts Homeschool Law Overview
A supplemental plain-language overview of Massachusetts home schooling requirements, withdrawal, assessments, public-school access, special education, and recordkeeping.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 76, §1 — School Attendance and Home Instruction
The primary statute requiring advance approval for a compulsory-age child who will be instructed outside a public or approved private school.

603 CMR 8.02 — Mandatory Minimum Age for School Attendance
Provides that compulsory attendance begins in September of the calendar year in which a child turns six.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, §1 — Required Studies
Lists the principal instructional subjects referenced when districts evaluate whether a home schooling plan provides legally sufficient instruction.

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 71, §2 — History, Social Science, and Civics
Details Massachusetts history, government, constitutional, citizenship, media-literacy, and civics subject provisions.

Care and Protection of Charles, 399 Mass. 324
The leading Massachusetts decision explaining advance approval, permissible plan-review factors, parent qualifications, materials, instructional duration, and progress evaluations.

Brunelle v. Lynn Public Schools, 428 Mass. 512
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court decision holding that routine home visits cannot be imposed without consent as a blanket condition of approval.

Care and Protection of Ivan, 48 Mass. App. Ct. 87
Explains the importance of providing the district with the essential components of an education plan and allowing a reasonable evaluation of educational progress.

Massachusetts Home Schooling Statutes and Court Decisions
A state-maintained collection of the principal laws, cases, legal references, and family resources affecting Massachusetts home schooling.

Commonwealth Dual Enrollment Partnership
Provides eligible Massachusetts high school students, including home school students, access to qualifying public-college courses for both high school and college credit.

CDEP Participating Campus Contacts
Find current dual-enrollment coordinators at participating community colleges, state universities, and University of Massachusetts campuses.

IDEA Equitable Services for Home-Schooled Students
Official information about evaluations and special-education services that eligible home-schooled students may receive through public-school districts.

Massachusetts Education-Related Tax Deductions
Explains current state deductions involving college tuition, student loans, and employer assistance. It does not establish a K–12 homeschool-expense deduction.

MassEducate and Free Community College
Postsecondary assistance covering eligible Massachusetts public community-college tuition and fees, with possible income-based allowances for additional education expenses.

Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid
State financial-aid application information for qualifying students who cannot complete the FAFSA, including applicable high school completion and Massachusetts attendance documentation.

Massachusetts-Funded GED and HiSET Testing
The Commonwealth currently pays for specified initial high school-equivalency subject tests and retakes for Massachusetts residents, subject to available funding.

Private Homeschool Grants
Information about privately funded assistance that may help eligible families with curriculum, testing, technology, tutoring, or other educational needs.

Massachusetts Public Virtual Schools
The state’s central information area for Commonwealth Virtual Schools and Single District Virtual Schools operating as Massachusetts public schools.

Commonwealth Virtual School Directory
Official information about statewide public virtual schools, current grade levels, school profiles, family guidance, and accountability requirements.

Greater Commonwealth Virtual School
Official school profile for a statewide Massachusetts public virtual school serving students in kindergarten through grade twelve.

Massachusetts Connections Academy
Official profile for a full-time public virtual school serving Massachusetts students in kindergarten through grade twelve.

Felix Commonwealth Virtual School
Official profile for Massachusetts’s public virtual high school serving students in grades nine through twelve.

Single District Virtual Schools
Lists district-operated online public schools that enroll only students living within the district that operates the program.

Commonwealth Virtual School Regulations
The regulations governing authorization, enrollment, public-school status, teachers, curriculum, student services, assessments, and school accountability.

Online Curriculum Within an Approved Home Schooling Plan
Official guidance explaining that parent-directed home schooling remains legally different from enrollment in a district or statewide public virtual school.

Find the Resident Public School District
Locate the district and superintendent responsible for providing the local home schooling policy and reviewing the family’s proposed education plan.

Official Home Schooling Approval Instructions
Explains the required first contact with the resident district, the local plan-review process, approval decisions, and the risks of withdrawing before approval.

AHEM Getting Started Resources
Practical Massachusetts guidance for preparing an education plan, beginning during the school year, selecting curriculum, and understanding local reporting practices.

MHLA Massachusetts Home Schooling Quick Start Guide
A family-oriented guide to compulsory ages, education plans, district approval, evaluations, instructional resources, and common local procedures.

Withdrawing a Child to Begin Home Schooling
Supplemental guidance about documenting withdrawal from an existing school after addressing Massachusetts’s advance-approval requirement.

Special Education Evaluation and Services Contact Information
Official information for families requesting evaluations, eligibility determinations, consultation, or equitable special-education services.

DESE Problem Resolution System
Contact information and complaint resources for concerns about compliance with Massachusetts education laws and regulations.

Massachusetts High School Equivalency Program
Official GED and HiSET eligibility, testing, funding, transcript, credential, and state contact information.

Massachusetts Home Learning Association
A statewide home education advocacy and information organization assisting families with district policies, legal guidelines, education plans, and community connections.

MHLA Quick Start Guide
Getting-started assistance covering compulsory ages, local approval, education plans, evaluation methods, instructional resources, and family responsibilities.

MHLA Massachusetts Support Group Directory
A statewide collection of inclusive, secular, Christian, regional, activity-based, and special-interest groups. Verify current activity directly with each organization.

Advocates for Home Education in Massachusetts
An independent, grassroots, volunteer-run nonprofit offering education, advocacy, workshops, reporting assistance, community resources, and family support.

AHEM Getting Started Guide
Practical resources for writing an education plan, selecting curriculum, beginning midyear, planning evaluations, and working with the resident district.

AHEM Massachusetts Homeschool Law Library
A collection of statutes, court decisions, reporting explanations, evaluation guidance, local-policy discussions, and current family-oriented legal summaries.

AHEM Community and Local Group Resources
Find community groups, networking information, events, Town Point People, field-trip ideas, and connections throughout Massachusetts.

MassHOPE
A statewide Christian homeschool organization providing encouragement, advocacy, support-group connections, family services, events, and educational resources.

MassHOPE Christian Homeschool and Parenting Convention
Current information about the organization’s statewide convention, speakers, workshops, curriculum vendors, family programming, and registration.