A Home School Assistance Program [HSAP] is a program the local school district may offer to families in their district. School districts are not required to provide HSAPs and parents are not required to enroll their homeschooled students in a HSAP, if their district provides one.

The Home School Assistance Programs that do exist across the state of Iowa vary widely as to how they operate and the services they offer, but, in general, all HSAPs provide a supervising teacher for HSAP-enrolled students. This supervising teacher is selected and assigned by the public school district. Those school districts that offer Home School Assistance Programs receive state funding for each HSAP-enrolled student.

Home School Assistance Programs are allowed to impose any additional requirements on students enrolled in their programs.

Yes. Parents who want to enroll their children in a public school HSAP must, file a CPI Form A with, at minimum, the child name, parent name, and HSAP items completed -- and a school district can condition participation in its HSAP upon the entire form being completed. Forms are available in the Tool Kit above.

Detailed information is available here.

No, HSAP enrollment, by itself, does not grant access to these. Rather, access is obtained through dual enrollment. Students can be HSAP enrolled and dual enrolled at the same time.

A privately-retained supervising teacher is selected and hired privately by the homeschooled student's parent. A HSAP supervising teacher is selected, hired, and assigned by the public school providing the Home School Assistance Program. In order to access the services of a HSAP supervising teacher, the parent must enroll the homeschooled student in the public school Home School Assistance Program.

Parent-selected supervising teachers must meet with the student and parent at least twice every 45 days of instruction (one out of every two visits must be face-to-face). Home School Assistance Program supervising teachers must meet with the student and parent at least four times every 45 days of instruction (one out of every two visits must be face-to-face).

Parent-selected supervising teachers can supervise no more than 25 families or 50 children, unless under special circumstances.  Home School Assistance Program supervising teachers can supervise no more than 20 families or 40 children, unless under special circumstances.

A HSAP supervising teacher must have a valid Iowa teaching certificate or practitioner license appropriate to the grade level of the student. This includes an Iowa substitute teaching license but not an Iowa substitute authorization.

If the HSAP is offering classes taught by HSAP teachers, the teacher must have the grade level and content area license appropriate for the class.

A HSAP-provided supervising teacher must:

• consult with and advise the student's parent concerning:
  • lesson plans
  • textbook and supplementary materials
  • educational goals and objectives
  • teaching and learning techniques
  • forms of assessment and evaluation of student learning
  • student strengths and weaknesses
  • interpretation of test results
  • planning
  • record keeping
• provide formal and informal assessments of the student's progress to the student and the student's parent, guardian, or legal or actual custodian.
• maintain a diary, record, or log of visits and assistance provided.
• refer to the child's district of residence for evaluation a child who the practitioner has reason to believe may be in need of special education.