| Homeschooling has become more and more | | | | |
| popular with each passing year. With the | | | | Homeschooling continues to demonstrate strong |
| current state of our nations educational | | | | academic achievement statistics as well. The |
| system, this comes as little surprise to many | | | | South Carolina Association of Independent |
| who have decided to educate their children on | | | | Home Schools revealed that the graduating |
| their own. Still, homeschooling is often | | | | class of 2006 scored 137 points above the |
| misunderstood and decried by both by parents | | | | national average for SAT's and just under 200 |
| of non homeschooled children as well as the | | | | points above the state average. |
| federal and state regulatory agencies who | | | | |
| govern it. | | | | But what about getting into college? |
| | | | Unfortunately, some homeschooled students |
| The benefits of homeschooling are many while | | | | face institutional and governmental provision |
| the detriments are few, according to Dr. | | | | that make the college application process |
| Brian Ray, author of "Homeschooling Grows | | | | more involved than it is for children with a |
| Up," a study analyzing the social | | | | public or private education. While some are |
| implications of homeschooling students. | | | | merely formalities, others can be a major |
| According to the study, over 71 percent of | | | | obstacle to homeschooled graduates trying to |
| homeschooled students participate in a | | | | get into the college of their choice. It can |
| voluntary capacity within a social or | | | | be especially difficult for homeschooled |
| charitable organization, compared with only | | | | students who want to attend a college or |
| 37 percent of U.S. adults. Additionally, 76 | | | | university outside of their home state. |
| percent of homeschooled graduates between the | | | | Standardized testing helps with credentials, |
| ages of 18 to 24 voted in a national or state | | | | but these measurements of college |
| election in the past five years compared to | | | | preparedness are rarely sufficient on their |
| only 29 percent of 18 to 24 year-old public | | | | own. |
| school graduates. Perhaps even more telling | | | | |
| of the social impact of homeschooling is that | | | | Perhaps it's time to take a look not only at |
| only 4.2 percent of homeschooled graduates | | | | the benefits of homeschooling, but why those |
| consider our nation's political process too | | | | benefits cannot be properly recognized within |
| complicated to understand, compared to 35 | | | | our current educational system. |
| percent of U.S. adults. | | | | |