Home Schooling in the United States

["Tim Ewers" <tewers@uidaho.edu>]

Given the recent discussion on this listserve regarding student enrollments
in the public schools, I thought some of you might be interested in the
following article:

"Home Schooling in the United States: Trends and Characteristics" by
Kurt J. Bauman, U.S. Census Bureau.

The article can be accessed directly at
            http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n26.html

          Home Schooling in the United States:
              Trends and Characteristics

                    Kurt J. Bauman
                 U.S. Census Bureau

Abstract
Home schooling is a subject of great fascination, but little solid
knowledge.  Despite its importance, it has received less research
attention than some other recent changes in the educational
system, such as the growth of charter schools.  It could be
argued that home schooling may have a much larger impact on
educational system, both in the short and long run. This report
uses the 1994 October CPS, and the National Household Education
Survey of 1996 and 1999 to examine popular characterizations of
the home school population.  The article assembles evidence from
several sources to confirm that home schooling is growing.  It
finds home-schooled children more likely to be middle income,
white, from larger families, and from two-parent families with
one parent not working.  While some authors have described a
division between religiously-motivated and academically-motivated
home schoolers, this research finds more support for a divide
based on attitude towards regular schools.

Citation:  Bauman, K. J. (2002, May 16). Home schooling in the
United States: Trends & Characteristics. Education Policy Analysis
Archives, 10(26). Retrieved [date] from
http://epaa.asu.edu/epaa/v10n26.html.