Home schooled by definition states the social conditions under which the child is educated.  Educating children at home with their parents as their primary teachers is not a new practice.  It was widespread in the United States until the 1870's with the passage of laws for compulsory school attendance.  Since the 1960's and 1970's, there has been a resurgence of home schooling as an alternative to traditional schooling (DiStefano, 2003; Lips & Feinberg, 2009; Moore, 2010).  More and more parents are embarking upon the responsibility of teaching their children at home instead of sending them to a public or private school.  According to the National Center for Education Statistics (December 2008), the number of home-schooled children increased from 2.2% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007.  

                 The hypothesis of this paper is that the number of children in the United States who are home-schooled will continue to increase.  This increase is caused by several reasons.  There is parental concern for school safety, distrust in the ability of the public or private institutions of learning to instill in their children the skills they will need to compete academically with other children and the parents desire to have religious and moral  instruction for their children.  It is documented that children who are taught at home perform well, when their academic skills are evaluated.  However, are they lacking in the ability to adjust socially.   Therefore, other crucial questions need to be addressed.  How well has the home schooled child participated in or acclimated himself/herself to society?  Does the child who was educated at home have difficulty being productive in society?

                 This investigation will look at the social economic status of  the children taught at  homes, the individual circumstances under which parents who choose to teach their children at home (or home-school their children) and the child’s ability to socially adjust and assimilate into society when the home-schooling is completed.   

                 This study is also interested in the effect and the prevailing attitudes that home schooling is having and will continue to have on the institution of public education in the United States.  In order to encourage parents to keep their children in the public school environment, how will the public institutions adjust their environment and curriculum?  There are political ramifications associated with home schooling.  What are some of the stipulations that the individual states place on parents who teach their children at home?  To what extent will home schooling be allowed to continue to grow?  To what extent will the entities such as teacher unions, teacher certification agencies ad the state board of education allow parents to continue teaching their children at home?

U.S. Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics National Household Education Surveys Program Encyclopedia of Distributed Learning Home School Legal Defense Association National Home Education Research Institute Home Schooling in Rural Nebraska by Morgan, R. and Crzeiro, P. Home Schoolig in a Shoe String by Morgan, M.L. and Allee, J.W. Bearing Olive Branches: A Case for School-Based and Home Educator Dialogue by Anderson, Jill J. (February, 2006) Homeschooling: The Sleeping Giant of American Education by Lips, D. and Feinberg, E. (September, 2009) Give me your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses Yearning to Homeschool by Morre, T. (March 2010) Why Choice is Good for Teaching by Ferrero, David J. (Winter, 2004) Why We Welcome Home Schoolers by Barrett, B.K. (January, 2003)