Doug's Blog: Demographic Analysis of Home Education

In my view, demographic studies are informative, but never dispositive in determining the rightness of an education model. Because the Bible is sufficient for all of life, we must recognize that Holy Scripture alone is the epistemological foundation for education methodology. We must reject the ranting of those that claim that the myth of educational neutrality only extends to content and goals. God has given broad blueprints for the means, as well as the ends. Methods are not neutral. If the Bible proclaims a particular vision for training children, we must tenaciously hold to that vision regardless of the findings in trendy studies and currently available statistical evidence. We must remember that “brute” factuality is a myth because all facts are subject to interpretation. All men are religious in that they either worship the creature or worship the creator. Consequently, it is inescapable that the religious commitment of the person reviewing the data will condition and define the interpretation.

With this important caveat in mind, I present to you some important findings about home education in America from Scholastic Achievement and Demographic Characteristics of Home School Students in 1998, by Lawrence M. Rudner, as published in the ERIC Clearinghouse on Assessment and Evaluation College of Library and Information Services, University of Maryland, College Park.

Home Education In America

Major findings: Demographics

• Home school parents have more formal education than parents in the general population; 88% continued their education beyond high school compared to 50% for the nation as a whole.
  
• The median income for home school families ($52,000) is significantly higher than that of all families with children ($36,000) in the United States.
  
• Almost all home school students (98%) are in married couple families. Most home school mothers (77%) do not participate in the labor force; almost all home school fathers (98%) do work.
  
• Home school students watch much less television than students nationwide; 65% of home school students watch one hour or less per day compared to 25% nationally.
  
• The median amount of money spent annually on educational materials is about $400 per home school student.
  
• The distribution of home school students by grade in grades 1-6 is consistent with that of all school children. Proportionally fewer home school students are enrolled at the high school level.

  Major findings: Achievement
  

• Almost 25% of home school students are enrolled one or more grades above their age-level peers in public and private schools.
  
• Home school student achievement test scores are exceptionally high. The median scores for every subtest at every grade (typically in the 70th to 80th percentile) are well above those of public and Catholic/Private school students.
  
• On average, home school students in grades 1 to 4 perform one grade level above their age-level public/private school peers on achievement tests.
  
• The achievement test score gap between home school students and public/private school students starts to widen in grade 5.
  
• Students who have been home schooled their entire academic life have higher scholastic achievement test scores than students who have also attended other educational programs.
  
• There are no meaningful differences in achievement by gender, whether the student is enrolled in a full-service curriculum, or whether a parent holds a state issued teaching certificate.
  
• There are significant achievement differences among home school students when classified by amount of money spent on education, family income, parent education, and television viewing.