Is a homeschool IEP legally binding?

No. The legally binding IEP is a public school document, and it ends when you withdraw. A homeschool IEP is your own working plan: it carries no legal force, and that is fine, because its job is organization and evidence of progress.

Do I have to write one?

No state requires an IEP for homeschooled students. Some states do require records like attendance, a subject plan, or an annual assessment, and this template happens to satisfy the planning side of those in one document.

Can I copy goals from my child's old school IEP?

Yes, and it is a good starting point. Keep the goals that still fit, rewrite the ones pitched at a classroom, and drop anything that only existed for school settings.

Will this help if my child returns to public school?

Yes. Re-enrollment starts with evaluation, and a dated plan plus quarterly data is exactly the evidence that speeds up new IEP eligibility and placement decisions.

How often should I update it?

Review quarterly, rewrite yearly. The quarterly review is a look at the data and a tune-up; the yearly rewrite starts from fresh present levels.

Homeschool IEP Template

A homeschool IEP is a learning plan you write yourself: your child's current levels, a few measurable goals, the supports that help, and how you will track progress. No school signs it and no law requires it, but it keeps your homeschool organized, satisfies most state record-keeping expectations, and protects your child if they ever return to public school. Download the free template below, then follow the walkthrough to fill in each section.

Download The Free Template

A printable homeschool IEP: student profile, present levels, annual goals, services, accommodations, and a quarterly progress log, plus two pages of example homeschool goals to copy from. Free to download with no email, letter size, and it prints clean in black and white.

Download The Template (PDF)

What Is In The Template

Student Profile And Present Levels

Who your child is, strengths first, and where each skill area stands today.

Annual Goals

Two to four measurable goals with a baseline and a target date.

Services And Supports

Therapies and helpers, who provides each one, and how often.

Accommodations

The adjustments that help your child learn, written down so they stay consistent.

Progress Log

A simple quarterly record of each goal: on track, adjusted, or met.

Review Dates

When you will sit down, look at the data, and update the plan.

How To Write A Homeschool IEP

Plan an hour for the first draft. It gets faster every review.

Step 1Write Present Levels In Plain Language

For each area you care about (communication, reading, math, daily living, regulation), write two or three honest sentences about where your child is right now. This is your baseline; progress only shows against it.

Step 2Pick Two To Four Measurable Goals

Fewer goals tracked well beat ten goals tracked never. A measurable goal names the skill, the level of help, and a number you can count. The IEP Goal Bank has hundreds sorted by domain, including the homeschool set below; copy one and adjust it to your child. If a goal says "as measured by classroom observation," change that to how you will track it at home.

Step 3List The Accommodations That Work At Home

You already use them: movement breaks, visual schedules, shortened work blocks, quiet space for hard tasks. Writing them down keeps them consistent and gives anyone else who teaches your child the same playbook.

Step 4Note Services And Who Provides Them

Private speech, OT through insurance, a co-op class, services your district still offers. If you are unsure what your district owes a homeschooled child, read our guide to keeping IEP services before you fill in this section.

Step 5Decide How You Will Measure Progress

Match each goal to a simple data sheet: a tally, a checklist, or a frequency count once or twice a week. The Data Sheet Maker prints one matched to each goal type in about a minute.

Step 6Set A Review Date Each Quarter

Put it on the calendar. Look at the data, mark each goal on track, adjusted, or met, and write the next quarter's plan on a fresh copy. Keep the old copies; they are your portfolio.

Example Homeschool IEP Goals

Copy any goal into page two of the template and adjust the numbers to your child. Every goal here is written for home: you collect the data, and the settings are your house and your community. These live in the free Goal Bank with the rest of the corpus.

Reading And Academics

"Given a list of 20 new sight words practiced at home, [child] will read 15 independently in 4 out of 5 weekly checks across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by a caregiver-kept word list."

"Given ten single-digit addition problems, [child] will solve 8 correctly across 3 consecutive weekly checks, as measured by caregiver-scored worksheets."

Communication

"Given a question during a daily home activity, [child] will answer in a sentence of 3 or more words in 4 out of 5 opportunities across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by a caregiver tally taken three days per week."

"Given a difficult task during home learning, [child] will request help using words, a sign, or an AAC button instead of abandoning the task in 4 out of 5 opportunities across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by a caregiver tally."

Daily Living

"Given a 6-step visual schedule for the morning routine, [child] will complete all steps with no more than one prompt in 4 out of 5 days across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by a daily caregiver checklist."

"Given a visual recipe, [child] will prepare a simple snack with supervision but no physical help in 4 out of 5 tries across 3 consecutive weeks, as measured by caregiver data."

Self-Regulation

"Given table work at home and access to a break card, [child] will use the card to request a break instead of leaving the table in 4 out of 5 observed instances across 2 consecutive weeks, as measured by caregiver frequency data."

"Given a 5-minute warning before a transition, [child] will move to the next activity without escalation in 4 out of 5 transitions across 4 consecutive weeks, as measured by a daily caregiver tally."

Each goal names the skill, the level of help, and a number you can count. That last part is what makes progress visible: match every goal to a data sheet and the quarterly review writes itself.

Browse The Full Goal Bank

Fill It Faster With Free Tools

IEP Goal Bank

Hundreds of measurable goals sorted by domain: communication, academics, daily living, social, and motor. Copy a goal, adjust the numbers, paste it into your plan.

Browse Goals

Data Sheet Maker

Print a data sheet matched to each goal: tallies, checklists, duration, or frequency. Simple enough for the kitchen counter clipboard.

Make Data Sheets

A Note On State Rules

Homeschool law is state law. A few states ask for a written plan, annual assessment, or a portfolio; most ask for less. This template covers the common requirements, but check your state's education department page, and read what happens to the IEP and services when you withdraw before you file notice.

Common Questions

Is a homeschool IEP legally binding?: No. The legally binding IEP is a public school document, and it ends when you withdraw. A homeschool IEP is your own working plan: it carries no legal force, and that is fine, because its job is organization and evidence of progress.
Do I have to write one?: No state requires an IEP for homeschooled students. Some states do require records like attendance, a subject plan, or an annual assessment, and this template happens to satisfy the planning side of those in one document.
Can I copy goals from my child's old school IEP?: Yes, and it is a good starting point. Keep the goals that still fit, rewrite the ones pitched at a classroom, and drop anything that only existed for school settings.
Will this help if my child returns to public school?: Yes. Re-enrollment starts with evaluation, and a dated plan plus quarterly data is exactly the evidence that speeds up new IEP eligibility and placement decisions.
How often should I update it?: Review quarterly, rewrite yearly. The quarterly review is a look at the data and a tune-up; the yearly rewrite starts from fresh present levels.