Methodology

Status: concept-validation draft. Date checked: 2026-10-27 (America/La_Paz). Not legal advice.

1. What the score means

Each of the 56 jurisdictions (50 states, DC, and 5 territories) gets a Regulation Burden Score from 0 to 100 (higher = more regulation) and a Freedom Score = 100 - burden (higher = easier). The site would lead with the Freedom Score and tier, but always show the underlying criteria so families can see why.

2. Pathway rule (which legal route is scored)

Most states offer several legal routes. To keep scores comparable we score the least-burdensome pathway that is (1) defined in state/territory law or regulation and (2) parent-led - i.e. a parent can use it without a teacher license, without a religious-exemption claim, and without enrolling in a third-party church school/umbrella/private-school program. Exceptions: South Carolina's statutory association options are scored because the state itself defines them as the standard routes; Alabama is scored on the parent-established private school. Lower-burden umbrella/church routes (e.g., FL, MD, TN, AL, VA) and higher-burden alternatives (e.g., LA home-study approval, SC Option 1) are recorded in each record's pathways/flags but not scored.

3. Criteria, weights and level definitions

Each criterion is rated on a 0-4 scale; points = level/4 x weight. Burden = sum of points.

A - Notification, registration & approval (20)

• 0 = none required (or only when withdrawing from public school / optional)
• 1 = one-time notice, or simple annual filing/registration with no review (names, ages)
• 2 = annual notice that must include curriculum/plan/qualification details, extra documents, or multiple filings
• 3 = filing plus an official acknowledgement/authorization step, or sworn/notarized annual affidavit with evidence
• 4 = prior government approval, waiver, or inspected authorization (can be refused/renewed)

B - Parent/instructor qualifications (10)

• 0 = none
• 1 = high school diploma/GED (or vague 'competent/capable' standard)
• 2 = diploma plus monitoring/waiver process, or competency reviewed by officials
• 3 = college credits, supervision by a certified person, or equivalent
• 4 = teacher certification required

C - Required subjects & curriculum mandates (10)

• 0 = none (or generic 'equivalent/adequate' only)
• 1 = short list (<= 5 subjects) or 'subjects taught in public schools'
• 2 = 6-9 subjects listed
• 3 = 10+ subjects, grade-specific lists, or state-prescribed content (e.g., civics texts)
• 4 = officials prescribe/approve curriculum in detail (grade-by-grade credits and hours)

D - Testing, assessment & evaluation (25)

• 0 = none
• 1 = optional, very infrequent (every 3+ years), or waivable by simple notification
• 2 = test/evaluation required but kept by parent (annual or periodic)
• 3 = results submitted to officials, or test/evaluator approved by officials, at set grades/annually
• 4 = annual submitted assessment with mandatory consequences (remediation, forced enrollment) or mandatory professional evaluation

E - Records, reporting & oversight (15)

• 0 = none
• 1 = keep records, never submitted
• 2 = records available on request, or attendance/enrollment reports submitted
• 3 = portfolio reviewed by officials or periodic progress reports
• 4 = regular (monthly/quarterly) reporting, inspection or home visits

F - Mandated instruction time (10)

• 0 = none
• 1 = 'same as public school' / vague / 'sufficient duration'
• 2 = a specific day count OR hour count
• 3 = day count AND hours (or location split)
• 4 = days + hours + time-of-day/calendar constraints

G - Other burdens (10)

• 0 = none found
• 1 = keep immunization/ID records, or minor extra paperwork
• 2 = immunization/ID documents submitted, or broad local discretion to add rules
• 3 = background/criminal checks, or several extra obligations
• 4 = home visits or similarly intrusive extra requirements

4. Tiers

Thresholds were set at natural breakpoints in the scores and then compared with HSLDA's four-tier map (all 56 map tiers were extracted from HSLDA's published map script and are stored as hslda_map_tier). Ties share a rank; ties are broken alphabetically for display only.

5. Evidence & confidence

• Sources: HSLDA state 'How to Comply' summaries (each dated in the record) cross-checked against official state/territory sources where official sources could be reached. Each source in jurisdictions.json has a status: content-checked (page text read and key facts matched), reachable-only (official site reachable but facts not matched), or linked-by-HSLDA-not-fetched (official page HSLDA links to; the page could not be fetched during compilation).
• Confidence: High (official source content-checked and consistent): 37 jurisdictions. Medium (official source partly read, or scored items still rest on secondary summaries): 19. Low: 0. American Samoa and Puerto Rico are rated Medium but still carry open NEEDS VERIFICATION items.
• Items marked NEEDS VERIFICATION in records are open questions, not guesses.
• HSLDA is an advocacy organization (it favors fewer regulations); its summaries come from an organization with a stated policy position, so they are cross-checked against official sources wherever we can, and each page shows how far that check got.

6. Sensitivity check

Baseline easiest 7: AK, NH, NJ, ID, IA, OK, PR | most restrictive 7: PA, NY, MA, VI, AS, MP, MN

• Equal weights: easiest 7: AK, NH, NJ, AR, ID, IA, MS | most restrictive 7: PA, NY, MP, AS, VI, MA, ND
• Testing x2 (D=40, others scaled): easiest 7: AK, NH, NJ, ID, IA, OK, PR | most restrictive 7: PA, NY, MA, VI, MN, CO, ME
• Notification x2 (A=40): easiest 7: AK, NH, NJ, ID, IA, OK, PR | most restrictive 7: PA, NY, MA, MP, AS, VI, RI

Alaska, New Hampshire and New Jersey stay the three easiest, and Pennsylvania and New York stay the two most restrictive, under every re-weighting tried. The remaining top-5/bottom-5 members shuffle among close neighbours (e.g., MA, VI, AS, MP at the restrictive end; ID, IA, OK, AR, MS, PR, TX at the easy end), and mid-table positions are more sensitive, so the site should present tiers first and exact ranks second.

7. Known limitations

• Scores reflect the written rules in the scored pathway; local district practice varies (e.g., MA, RI, NY, PA) and is not scored.
• Scores reflect law as of 2026-10-27 (individual jurisdictions show their own last-verified date). Connecticut (P.A. 26-37) will add withdrawal background checks (2027-28) and an annual intent form (2028-29); the CT score must be updated when those take effect.
• Funding programs (ESAs/vouchers/tax credits), public-school access and graduation/diploma rules are not scored; the site could add them as separate badges.
• Territory data are thinnest: American Samoa (statute text confirmed, but how it is applied to home-based families is not documented), Puerto Rico (the homeschooling statutes HSLDA cites were not read directly; Ley 85-2018 attendance rules do not name homeschooling), CNMI (2024 packet not read in full), USVI (Board policy vs. HSLDA's summary conflict).
• Numbers are an editorial index, not a legal classification; the site must say so.