IEP goals for homeschooled students

By the IEP Atlas editorial teamLast updated November 1, 2026

Short answer

When you homeschool, your child usually does not keep an IEP the way a public school student does. What the district must offer depends on your state's law. Some states treat homeschoolers like private school students, who may get some services through a services plan. You can still write clear goals at home using the IEP goal format.

Many families start homeschooling with an IEP in hand and a big question: what happens to it now? The honest answer is that it depends on where you live. This page explains the general rules, what to ask your district, and how to keep writing strong goals at home. It is general information, not legal advice for your family.

If you are new to IEPs, what an IEP is explains the plan itself.

What changes when you homeschool

An IEP is the plan a public school uses to give your child a free appropriate public education. When you take your child out of public school to teach at home, the school is no longer the one teaching. In most states, that means the IEP no longer works the way it did.

What replaces it depends on your state:

How your state treats homeschooling	What that can mean for services	Ask about
As a type of private school	Your child may count as a "parentally placed private school child." The district may offer some services through a services plan, but your child has no right to the full IEP.	The district's plan for private school students and how homeschoolers fit in
As its own category, separate from private schools	Rules vary. Some states let homeschoolers get certain services; others offer none.	Your state's homeschool law and special education rules
With part-time or dual enrollment	Your child may enroll for some classes or services, such as speech therapy, and be taught at home for the rest.	Whether part-time enrollment brings an IEP and which services

Federal "child find" rules require districts to locate and evaluate children with disabilities, including children in private schools.^[1] Whether that covers homeschooled children depends on whether your state counts a homeschool as a private school. Many districts will still evaluate a homeschooled child on request. Ask yours.

You can go back

If you re-enroll your child in public school, the full IEP rights return. The district may hold a meeting to review the old IEP or do a new evaluation. Keep your child's last IEP, evaluation reports and your home records so the team has a starting point.

Writing goals at home: an annotated example

Whatever your state offers, you can use the IEP goal format to plan your teaching. A clear goal tells you what to teach, how to check it, and when your child has learned it.

This is a fictional home goal sheet for Emma, 12, who has a learning disability in math. Hold it next to your own.

What each part does:

(1) Names one skill. One clear skill beats "math."
(2) Gives a starting number, with dates. This is like the present levels part of an IEP. Three checks make it more reliable than one.
(3) Says what, how much, and by when. "40 facts in 2 minutes" can be checked. "Get better at math" cannot.
(4) Says how you will measure. Use the same sheet type each time so the numbers compare. The digits correct per minute entry explains a common way to score math sheets.
(5) Your teaching plan. In a school IEP, this would be the services section.
(6) A plan for when progress stalls, so you are not guessing.

For more goal wording, browse the IEP goal bank by skill. When you draft a goal, the goal checker flags vague parts. The free data sheets work for home tracking too.

Questions to ask your district

You can say or write these word for word.

"How does our state treat homeschooled children for special education: as private school students or as a separate group?"
"If my child is homeschooled, is my child eligible for any services, and how would they be planned?"
"Can my child be evaluated, or reevaluated, while being homeschooled?"
"Does the district allow part-time enrollment for services like speech or occupational therapy?"
"If I re-enroll my child later, how will the IEP be updated?"
"Who is the contact for private school and homeschool students?"

Ask for the answers in writing. Rules on homeschooling and special education vary a great deal from state to state.

What to do next

Read your state's homeschool law. Your state education agency's website usually explains notice, testing and record rules for homeschoolers.
Ask the district the questions above before you withdraw, if you can. It is easier to set up services while your child is still enrolled.
Keep the last IEP and evaluation. Use the present levels as your starting point for home goals.
Write 2 to 4 home goals using the format above. More than that is hard to track.
Check progress on a schedule you will keep, like every Friday, and look at the trend every 6 weeks. Tracking IEP progress at home shows a simple log.
Call your state's Parent Training and Information Center. It can explain your state's rules for homeschooled children with disabilities for free. Find yours through the Center for Parent Information and Resources.^[2]

If you are comparing options, IEP vs 504 explains the other kind of school plan, and 504 plan covers it in full.

Frequently asked questions

Does my child keep the IEP if I homeschool?

Usually not in the same way. An IEP is how a public school provides special education. Once you homeschool, what the district must offer depends on your state's law. Ask the district how it treats homeschooled children.

Can a homeschooled child get speech therapy from the school district?

In some states, yes, through a services plan or part-time enrollment. In others, the district does not have to provide it. Ask your district and your state Parent Training and Information Center about the rules where you live.

Can I write my own IEP goals for homeschool?

Yes. A home goal is not a legal IEP, but the same format works well: a starting number, a clear target, how you will check it and by when. It helps you plan teaching and see progress.

Use it in IEP Atlas

Sources

34 CFR §300.111: Child find, U.S. Department of Education (IDEA website)
Center for Parent Information and Resources, CPIR
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), U.S. Department of Education

Written and checked by the IEP Atlas editorial team under our editorial policy. This guide describes general practice and federal rules. It is not legal advice; your state may add requirements, and the IEP team makes the decisions for each student.