- Two Iowa routes need no portfolio at all. Independent private instruction, and competent private instruction without reporting, file nothing with the district.
- If you report or dual enroll, your child is evaluated by May 31 each year: an approved test, a portfolio review or an accredited correspondence school’s report card. Results go to your district and the Iowa Department of Education by August 1.
- The portfolio holds a record of what you taught, your child’s work (with a curriculum outline, homework copies and tests you made) and any other assessments.
If you chose the portfolio review, the paper here is one child’s year for the evaluator. It is the lesson plan book or diary, the work and the tests you made. Beside it sit Form A, which you file with your district each year, and the evaluator’s report that comes back.
Which of these papers you need depends on your route. Start with which route you’re on.
Which Iowa homeschool route are you on?
Iowa law has two kinds of homeschooling: competent private instruction (CPI) and independent private instruction (IPI). Only CPI families who report face a yearly evaluation, and a portfolio is one way to meet it (Iowa Code §§ 299A.1, 299A.3, 299A.4).
| Route | Law | File with the district? | Yearly evaluation? | Portfolio? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent private instruction (IPI) | § 299A.1(2)(b) | No. A short report only if the superintendent or the Department asks in writing | No | No |
| CPI by a parent, without reporting | § 299A.3 | No | No | No |
| CPI by a parent, with reporting or dual enrollment | §§ 299A.3, 299A.4, 299.4 | Form A by September 1, every year | Yes, by May 31 | One of three choices |
| CPI by or under a licensed teacher, or a home school assistance program | §§ 299A.2, 299.4 | Form A | Not required | No |
IPI must teach math, reading and language arts, science and social studies. If asked in writing, you name the main instructor, the place, who is responsible and the students taught (§ 299A.1(2)(b)).
For a parent teaching under CPI, the law says you “may” file Form A, evaluate and report (§ 299A.3). The Department of Education calls skipping all three the Private Instruction Exemption. The trade-off: no dual enrollment for public school classes, activities or special education.
For instruction by or under a licensed teacher, the law sets at least 148 days a year, 37 each quarter (§ 299A.1(2)(a)). Form A asks every family filing it for the number of days, with 148 as the minimum.
What goes in an Iowa homeschool portfolio
Iowa’s law lists three things, and you submit all of them to the evaluator. They stand “in lieu of” a standardized test (§ 299A.4(7)(a)):
- A record of the subjects taught and your child’s activities: “a book of lesson plans, a diary, or other written record”
- “A portfolio of the child’s work,” including an outline of the curriculum, copies of homework, and copies of tests you made
- Any other assessments your child took during the year
What counts as work?
The rules set the subjects the portfolio must show. In grades 1 to 5, that is reading, language arts and math. In grades 6 to 12, add science and social studies (Iowa Admin. Code r. 281-31.4(4)).
The law sets no number of samples. Examples, not rules: a dated math page each week, a written narration, a science lab sheet, a list of books read.
The Department’s handbook asks for a little more: a list of materials for each subject, an outline of what you taught, and copies of the baseline and the latest assessment. That is the Department’s guidance, not the statute.
Who sees the portfolio, and what goes to the district
The portfolio goes to your evaluator, not the district. The evaluator’s report goes to you, your district and the Iowa Department of Education (§ 299A.4(7)(b)).
Your evaluator is a licensed Iowa teacher you choose, approved by your district superintendent. The license must fit your child’s age and grade, and the district checks it (§ 299A.4(7)(b); r. 281-31.4(4)). The Department says the family pays for the review.
If the report finds adequate progress, the law presumes your child is making it (§ 299A.4(7)(b)). Personal information in the results stays confidential (§§ 299A.5, 299A.11).
Three ways to show progress each year
You pick one each year. Only the portfolio review uses the portfolio (§ 299A.4(1), (7); r. 281-31.4).
| Way | Who gives it | What counts as adequate | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Approved standardized test | Your district or AEA, free if you ask, or a testing service you pay | Above the 30th percentile in reading, math and language arts (from grade 6, science and social studies too), plus six months’ growth or work at grade level | § 299A.4(1), (6); § 299A.6(4) |
| Portfolio review | A licensed Iowa teacher you choose, approved by the superintendent | The evaluator’s written opinion | § 299A.4(7) |
| Accredited correspondence school report card | The school | A passing grade in each required area | r. 281-31.4(4) |
The first evaluation, at age 7 or in your first year of CPI, sets a baseline (§ 299A.4(2)). The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) notes it does not need to show progress.
If a later result falls short, your child can retest, or an evaluator’s portfolio report can show adequate work, before the next school year. Otherwise, the Department can approve a remediation plan for up to a year, or your child attends an accredited school (§§ 299A.6, 299A.7).
The Iowa homeschool year, date by date
If you report, your dates are the same as every other reporting family’s. They run from September 1 to August 1.
| When | What | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| By September 1 | Form A to your district, every year | § 299.4(1) |
| Within 14 days of starting mid-year or moving | Form A, as complete as you can; fully complete within 30 days | The Department |
| By October 1 | Your district sends its testing dates, times and costs | The Department |
| At age 7, or your first year in CPI | Baseline evaluation | § 299A.4(2) |
| By May 31 | Evaluation done: test, portfolio review or report card | § 299A.4(1); r. 281-31.4 |
| By August 1 | Results to your district and the Department | § 299A.3(3) |
Form A gives your child’s name and age, the period of instruction, an outline of the course of study or the texts you will use, and the instructor’s name and address. The first time you file, add proof of immunization and, at elementary age, a blood lead test (§ 299.4(1)).
How long to keep homeschool records in Iowa
Iowa law sets no period for parents. Your district keeps its copy of Form A for five years, the Department says.
HSLDA advises keeping schoolwork, portfolios and test results for at least two years, and high school records and proof of compliance forever. That is advice, not law.
Since 2026, you can issue your teen’s diploma and transcript, and Iowa must accept them like a school’s (§ 299A.13). Our advice: keep the work and scores behind every high school grade.
Will an evaluator accept a digital portfolio?
Iowa’s law does not mention paper or digital records (ch. 299A; r. 281-31). So whether a digital homeschool portfolio is accepted is up to your evaluator.
Ask before you send. A printed copy works for anyone who wants paper.
What changes in 2026 and 2027
2026
House File 2754, now 2026 Iowa Acts chapter 1086, took effect when the governor signed it on May 12, 2026. For homeschool families, it:
- removed IPI’s limit of four unrelated students and its ban on charging tuition (§ 299A.1(2)(b))
- lets you issue a diploma, final transcript or other record of high school work, accepted the same as a school’s (§ 299A.13)
- lets you sign any document the law requires to verify your child’s homeschool status or grades (§ 299A.14)
- reworded Form A to ask for an outline of the course of study, or the texts you will use (§ 299.4(1))
None of it changes the evaluation, the portfolio, May 31 or August 1.
2027
No change to chapter 299A is scheduled. The 2027 legislative session opens January 11, 2027 (§ 2.1).
If you report, your child’s evaluation is still due by May 31.
Keeping the portfolio in KidsFoldr
The year’s work doesn’t need a shelf of binders. Snap each page as you teach, for peace of mind, and the paper can go. It’s filed by child, grade and type, with schoolwork and tests by subject, so nobody sorts anything and there is nothing to type.
Keep a few originals on paper: the evaluator’s signed report, test score reports, your Form A copies, letters from the district or the Department, and high school work you may need for a transcript. Snap them too. Snap the district’s testing letter or your evaluator’s appointment confirmation, and the date lands on your family calendar, linked back to the paper, with nothing to type.
When the evaluator is booked, the portfolio is ready. Start a New portfolio for your own school year, make the PDF, and print it or share it. You can also share your child’s Portfolios folder with the evaluator, read-only.
You pick the sections. For Iowa, you might switch on:
- the activity log, for your record of lessons
- work samples by subject, where the tests you made fill in on their own
- test results or evaluations, for other assessments and the evaluator’s report
- letters and notices, for each year’s Form A
Turn on automatic backup, and every paper goes to KidsFoldr Cloud as it is filed. One tap on Back up copies every paper to your own Google Drive or iCloud, and every paper is searchable by any word on it.
Common questions
Do I need a homeschool portfolio in Iowa?
Only if you report under competent private instruction and choose the portfolio review. A test or an accredited correspondence school’s report card works instead (§ 299A.4).
Do I send the portfolio to the school district?
No. It goes to your evaluator. The evaluator’s report goes to your district and the Iowa Department of Education (§ 299A.4(7)(b)).
When is the yearly evaluation due?
It must be done by May 31, and the results reach your district and the Department by August 1 (§§ 299A.3(3), 299A.4(1)).
How long do I have to keep homeschool records in Iowa?
Iowa law sets no period. HSLDA advises at least two years, and high school records forever.
Do I file Form A every year?
Yes, if you report or dual enroll: by September 1, for each child (§ 299.4(1)).