- Louisiana has two routes: a home study program approved by the state board (BESE), or a nonpublic school not seeking state approval.
- Home study: apply within 15 days of starting, then renew every year with a packet of work, a test at or above grade level, or a certified teacher’s statement.
- The nonpublic route sends no proof of progress. You report enrollment each year, and the records are yours to keep.
The papers here are the renewal packet (or the test report or teacher’s letter) you upload with your yearly renewal, and the approval letter the Louisiana Department of Education (LDOE) sends back. Behind them sit the first application, with your child’s birth certificate, and the year’s work you keep at home.
The rules come from La. R.S. 17:236.1, the home study law, and LDOE’s guidelines for it. The nonpublic route rests on the school attendance laws, R.S. 17:221 and 17:236.
Do you need a homeschool portfolio in Louisiana?
No. The word “portfolio” isn’t in Louisiana’s law or on LDOE’s pages. The closest thing is the home study renewal “packet of materials,” and it’s only one of three ways to renew (R.S. 17:236.1(C), (D)).
What you send depends on your route.
| Home study (BESE-approved) | Nonpublic school not seeking approval | |
|---|---|---|
| What you send | An application with a certified copy of the birth certificate, then a renewal each year | An enrollment form to LDOE each year. If your child left a public school, a notice to that school within 10 days. |
| When | Within 15 days of starting. Renew by October 1, or within 12 months of approval if that’s later. | Within 30 days of the start of your school term |
| Proof of progress | A packet, a test score or a teacher’s statement | None |
| Records | Yours. LDOE holds your applications. | Yours. LDOE keeps none. |
| TOPS scholarship | Yes, with approved home study in 11th and 12th grade | No |
| Diploma | You issue it, with the same rights as a state-approved private school diploma | You issue it. LDOE says it doesn’t carry a state diploma’s weight. |
Sources: R.S. 17:236.1(A), (B), (G); R.S. 17:221(E); R.S. 17:221.3; R.S. 17:232(C); LDOE.
Louisiana’s attendance law covers children from age 5 (by September 30) through 18 (R.S. 17:221). You don’t need a teaching certificate. You choose the curriculum and the grade level, and LDOE allows no backdated grade changes (LDOE).
The rest of this page is mostly about home study, because that’s the route with evidence to send.
What goes in the Louisiana renewal packet
The law lists six kinds of documents, introduced as “such documents as.” So they’re examples, not a checklist (R.S. 17:236.1(C)(1)):
- An outline of each subject you taught last year
- A list of the books and materials you used
- Copies of your child’s work
- Copies of standardized tests
- Statements from people who watched your child’s progress
- Any other evidence of your program’s quality
Here’s the good part: LDOE’s own version is simpler. It asks for a “complete, but simple” outline and book list, a statement from someone like a relative or friend, and a report card or test copies. For work, it wants only 1-2 pages per core subject: math, English, social studies and science (LDOE guidelines).
If something is missing, LDOE tells you what and asks for more. The state board then decides (R.S. 17:236.1(C)(2), (3)).
What counts as a work sample?
Any page your child did this year. Examples, not rules: a math page, a short essay, a science lab sheet, a map, a photo of a project.
The law sets no count. LDOE asks for a small sampling, 1-2 pages per core subject (LDOE guidelines).
Three ways to renew home study
Send the packet, or send one of two things instead: a test score or a certified teacher’s statement (R.S. 17:236.1(D); LDOE guidelines).
| Option | What you send | The standard | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Packet | The outline, book list, work samples and more | Shows a “sustained curriculum” at least equal to public school at your child’s grade level | R.S. 17:236.1(C) |
| Test score | The state test, or another standardized test. LDOE’s examples: LEAP, iLEAP, End of Course, ACT, SAT, CAT or Stanford, Iowa. | Passing, or at or above grade level. A grade level gained for each year at home also counts. | R.S. 17:236.1(D)(1), (2); LDOE guidelines |
| Teacher statement | A letter from a teacher certified to teach your child’s grade | The teacher has examined your program and finds it at least equal to public school | R.S. 17:236.1(D)(3) |
Only the packet and the teacher option involve someone looking at your child’s work. The test option sends a score.
State tests are optional for home study. If you want one, the local school board gives it on request; LDOE says to set it up in early January (LDOE guidelines).
The Louisiana home study year, step by step
Your dates count from your own start and approval, not from one statewide day.
| When | What | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Within 15 days of starting | Apply online, with a certified copy of the birth certificate | R.S. 17:236.1(A), (B); LDOE guidelines |
| Up to 14 business days | LDOE reviews it and sends an approval letter, by email if you gave one | LDOE guidelines |
| All year | Teach, and keep the year’s work | Advice |
| By October 1, or within 12 months of approval if that’s later | Renew, with a packet, a test score or a teacher’s statement | R.S. 17:236.1(A), (D) |
| If your child moves up a grade sooner | LDOE asks for a renewal showing the new grade | LDOE guidelines |
| Every year after | Renew again | LDOE |
How long to keep homeschool records in Louisiana
No law sets a period.
The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) advises keeping the documents you send with each renewal, keeping records at least two years, and keeping high school records for good. That’s advice, not law.
The state gives you reasons of its own. If your child goes back to school, you supply the papers the district asks for, and it places your child with its own testing (R.S. 17:236.2; LDOE guidelines). TOPS looks at home study in 11th and 12th grade (LDOE guidelines). On the nonpublic route, LDOE says you’re the one who proves your child’s education to a college, employer or the military.
Can you send a digital portfolio?
Yes, to the state. LDOE’s renewal is an online application that asks you to upload the packet, test score or teacher’s letter. Paper by mail is for limited or hardship cases (LDOE guidelines).
If a certified teacher reviews your program, ask what format they’d like. The law doesn’t say.
What changes in 2026 and 2027
2026
No change to the home study or nonpublic school rules. R.S. 17:236.1 reads as it has since 2010, and no 2025 or 2026 bill touched it.
One nearby change took effect August 1, 2026. Act 545 (HB 363) lets virtual school students join public school sports and clubs on the terms home study students already had: try out the same way, and keep the same grades and conduct (R.S. 17:176.2).
And one from 2025: home study students now need the same ACT score for TOPS as everyone else, starting with the 2025-2026 award year (Act 359).
2027
No change is scheduled. The 2027 regular session opens April 12, 2027 and must end by June 10, and no bills are filed yet.
Your renewal date still runs from your own approval.
Keeping the year’s work in KidsFoldr
The stack of worksheets can go, and the year’s work stays organized with zero effort and nothing to type. Snap each page as you teach, and KidsFoldr files it by child, grade and type, with schoolwork and tests by subject too. Nobody sorts anything.
- The paper goes. Scan a page for peace of mind, then toss it: less clutter, no pile on the counter, no shelf of binders. Keep the originals of LDOE’s approval letter and other official letters, a teacher’s signed statement, and high school work your teen may need for credit.
- Your packet is half built. Every page keeps its date, and each work sample prints with its title and date, one or two per subject if you like.
- Dates land on your calendar. Snap a letter with a date on it, like a test appointment from your school board, and the date lands on the family calendar, linked back to the letter, with nothing to type.
- Renewal is ready when you are. Start a New portfolio, pick the dates since your last approval, and switch on the sections you need. You get one PDF with a cover and contents, ready to upload or print.
- Share or print it with a single click. You can also share your child’s Portfolios folder read-only with the teacher who reviews it.
- Keepsakes stay safe, artwork included. 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.
You pick the sections. For Louisiana:
- The packet: Work samples, grouped by subject. The Reading log for your book list, and the Parent summary for your outline of subjects. A relative’s or friend’s statement goes in Letters and notices.
- A test score: Test results, for the score report.
- A teacher’s statement: Evaluations.
- Either route: your approval letter or enrollment confirmation in Letters and notices. On the nonpublic route, the Attendance or hours log can fill a day for each date your child has work filed.
Common questions
Do I need a portfolio to homeschool in Louisiana?
No. Home study families renew each year with a packet of work, a test score or a certified teacher’s statement. The nonpublic route sends no proof of progress.
When is the home study renewal due?
By October 1 of the school year, or within 12 months of your first approval, whichever is later (R.S. 17:236.1(A)).
Does my child have to take the LEAP test?
No. State tests are optional for home study (LDOE). A test score is one of the three ways to renew.
Do I need a teaching certificate?
No. A parent or tutor can teach, with no certificate (LDOE).
How long do I keep homeschool records in Louisiana?
No law sets a period. HSLDA advises at least two years, and high school records for good.
Can my homeschooler get a TOPS scholarship?
On the home study route, yes, if your teen is in approved home study for 11th and 12th grade and meets the ACT score other students need (LDOE; Act 359). The nonpublic route isn’t eligible.