# Record-Keeping Source Ledger

## Scope

This ledger supports [The Global State of Homeschool Record-Keeping 2026](/blog/state-of-homeschool-record-keeping-2026). It maps the report’s externally checkable claims to direct sources, records the geography and source type, and states the principal limitation that prevents overreading the claim.

Checked: 2026-08-12

Source priority:

1. Primary official source: statute, regulation, government department, public authority, or official institutional guidance.
2. Official secondary source: a government summary or national data programme that points to the governing system.
3. Advocacy or movement source: useful context or navigation, not a substitute for legal authority or neutral prevalence data.

The ledger does not treat a source as evidence for a claim merely because it discusses home education. Each row identifies the particular proposition supported by the source.

## Claim ledger

| ID | Report claim | Geography | Source | Source type | Limitation | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RK-001 | Federal regulation of U.S. homeschooling is not administered by the U.S. Department of Education; regulation is state and local. | United States | [U.S. Department of Education FAQ](https://www.ed.gov/about/contact-us/faqs/Non-Public%20Education) | Primary official | Does not summarize every state rule or local practice. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-002 | National U.S. homeschool statistics and definitions do not replace state legal research. | United States | [NCES homeschooling overview](https://nces.ed.gov/nhes/homeschooling.asp) | Official national data | Survey and statistical context, not a legal code. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-003 | Missouri’s official summary identifies a plan book, diary, daily log, or other written record, work portfolio, and evaluation record. | Missouri, United States | [U.S. Department of Education Missouri summary](https://www.ed.gov/birth-grade-12-education/education-choice/state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools/missouri-state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools) | Official government summary | Summary of state law; families should verify current statute and facts. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-004 | Colorado’s official summary identifies attendance, test or evaluation results, and immunization records, with specified evaluation points. | Colorado, United States | [U.S. Department of Education Colorado summary](https://www.ed.gov/birth-grade-12-education/education-choice/state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools/colorado-state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools) | Official government summary | Does not establish how a receiving institution will use the records. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-005 | Florida’s official summary identifies a portfolio of educational records and multiple evaluation routes. | Florida, United States | [U.S. Department of Education Florida summary](https://www.ed.gov/birth-grade-12-education/education-choice/state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools/florida-state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools) | Official government summary | Requirements and options are tied to Florida law and may change. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-006 | In England, parents may educate at home, do not have to follow the national curriculum, and the council may make an informal inquiry about suitability. | England | [GOV.UK Educating your child at home](https://www.gov.uk/home-education) | Primary official | High-level public guidance; local cases and current legislation may add detail. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-007 | England’s Department for Education publishes guidance for local authorities and schools on elective home education. | England | [GOV.UK elective home education guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education) | Primary official | Guidance is not a substitute for the underlying legislation. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-008 | Scotland’s official guidance addresses parental duty, withdrawal, contact with authorities, suitability, and information for families. | Scotland | [Scottish Government home education guidance](https://www.gov.scot/publications/home-education-guidance-2/) | Primary official | The report does not infer a single record requirement from guidance headings. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-009 | Wales states that education is compulsory but school attendance is not and that parents assume responsibility for suitable full-time education. | Wales | [Welsh Government elective home education guidance](https://www.gov.wales/elective-home-education-guidance-html) | Primary official | Applies to Welsh law and guidance; not a global principle. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-010 | Wales describes home education as diverse and includes flexibility and tailoring among reasons families may choose it. | Wales | [Welsh Government elective home education guidance](https://www.gov.wales/elective-home-education-guidance-html) | Primary official | Descriptive guidance, not a prevalence estimate or outcome finding. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-011 | Northern Ireland’s Education Authority provides an official parent route for educating a child at home. | Northern Ireland | [Education Authority Northern Ireland guidance](https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/other-help-for-parents/educating-your-child-at-home) | Primary public authority | The page is guidance, not a complete statement of every legal exception. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-012 | Ireland requires parents of home-educated children to register with Tusla under section 14 of the Education (Welfare) Act 2000. | Ireland | [Ireland Department of Education home schooling page](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/policy-information/home-schooling-or-attendance-at-non-recognised-schools/) | Primary official | The report does not summarize the full assessment process. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-013 | Tusla operates an official home education registration and assessment service. | Ireland | [Tusla home education service](https://www.tusla.ie/services/family-community-support/alternative-education-assessment-and-registration-service/home-education/) | Primary public agency | Service information may not cover all individual procedural questions. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-014 | France uses an authorization route for instruction in the family. Authorization is generally granted for one school year and may cover up to three school years for some health or disability grounds. | France | [Service-Public instruction in the family](https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F23429) | Primary official | Duration and requirements depend on the ground and current process. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-015 | The France application page lists identity, residence, reason, and other supporting documents for specified cases. | France | [Service-Public instruction in the family](https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F23429) | Primary official | The report does not reproduce all exceptions or application forms. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-016 | New Zealand requires official exemption for a child educated at home instead of enrolled at school. | New Zealand | [New Zealand Ministry of Education home education](https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregiversprimary-school/schooling-in-nz/home-education) | Primary official | Applies to the New Zealand exemption system and stated age range. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-017 | New Zealand’s official guidance describes an application, certificate, declarations connected to an allowance, possible review, and changes of circumstance. | New Zealand | [New Zealand Ministry of Education home education](https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregiversprimary-school/schooling-in-nz/home-education) | Primary official | The report does not imply that every family will experience review or receive an allowance. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-018 | New Zealand’s official guidance identifies formal qualification and university pathways available to some home-educated learners. | New Zealand | [New Zealand Ministry of Education home education](https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregiversprimary-school/schooling-in-nz/home-education) | Primary official | Pathways have their own eligibility, provider, and examination conditions. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-019 | South Africa’s official home education page lists attendance, work portfolio, progress, educational support, continuous assessment, annual assessment or examination, and phase evidence. | South Africa | [South African Department of Basic Education home education](https://www.education.gov.za/Parents/HomeSchooling/tabid/406/Default.aspx) | Primary official | Applies after registration and within the stated phases and policy context. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-020 | South Africa’s application information asks for subjects, teaching hours, assessment, activities, excursions, library, and tutor details. | South Africa | [South African Department of Basic Education home education](https://www.education.gov.za/Parents/HomeSchooling/tabid/406/Default.aspx) | Primary official | Application fields are not proof that every later record has the same format. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-021 | Ontario’s PPM 131 says parents should notify the school board in writing and describes annual notification and acknowledgement. | Ontario, Canada | [Ontario Policy/Program Memorandum 131](https://www.ontario.ca/document/education-ontario-policy-and-program-direction/policyprogram-memorandum-131) | Primary official | Memorandum is provincial guidance and states it remains effective until revoked or modified. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-022 | Ontario describes conditional investigation where there are reasonable grounds to suspect instruction is not satisfactory. | Ontario, Canada | [Ontario Policy/Program Memorandum 131](https://www.ontario.ca/document/education-ontario-policy-and-program-direction/policyprogram-memorandum-131) | Primary official | Does not predict whether an individual family will be investigated. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-023 | A legal notice, exemption, registration, portfolio, assessment, and learning narrative are different record instruments. | Comparative synthesis | [Sources RK-003, RK-005, RK-012, RK-016, RK-019, RK-021](https://www.ontario.ca/document/education-ontario-policy-and-program-direction/policyprogram-memorandum-131) | Comparative synthesis from official sources | This is an analytical taxonomy, not a legal category used uniformly by authorities. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-024 | Official sources show that record expectations can include administrative, learning, progress, support, and assessment evidence. | Comparative synthesis | [South African DBE](https://www.education.gov.za/Parents/HomeSchooling/tabid/406/Default.aspx); [Missouri summary](https://www.ed.gov/birth-grade-12-education/education-choice/state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools/missouri-state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools); [New Zealand Ministry](https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregiversprimary-school/schooling-in-nz/home-education) | Comparative synthesis | Examples do not establish a global frequency or universal requirement. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-025 | UCAS distinguishes official qualifications, certificates, transcripts, and supporting documents, and uploading documents does not replace completing the application. | United Kingdom and international applicants | [UCAS uploading documents](https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/uploading-documents-to-your-application) | Official admissions service | UCAS guidance does not govern every university or every applicant route. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-026 | A portable record can support a transition but cannot guarantee acceptance, credit, placement, or admission. | General principle | [UCAS uploading documents](https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/uploading-documents-to-your-application); [New Zealand Ministry](https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregiversprimary-school/schooling-in-nz/home-education) | Official institutional guidance, comparative synthesis | The non-guarantee is a scope boundary, not a claim that records are never accepted. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-027 | The ICO recommends collecting and retaining only the personal data needed for a specific purpose and connects this with purpose and storage limitation. | United Kingdom and services processing UK children’s data | [ICO data minimization guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/childrens-information/childrens-code-guidance-and-resources/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services/8-data-minimisation/) | Official regulator guidance | The Children’s Code has a defined scope; families and services must assess applicable law. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-028 | A records platform should separate private, shared, and public records and support correction and export. | Product recommendation | [ICO data minimization guidance](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/childrens-information/childrens-code-guidance-and-resources/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services/8-data-minimisation/) | Product synthesis informed by official privacy principles | This is an Ivy Waters design recommendation, not a claim about a statutory homeschool requirement. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-029 | A six-part annual packet can combine a year card, learning map, evidence index, progress note, assessment page, and transition note. | General practice | [Comparative synthesis from RK-003, RK-019, RK-025, RK-027](https://www.education.gov.za/Parents/HomeSchooling/tabid/406/Default.aspx) | Ivy Waters framework | The packet is not a universal legal form or validated assessment instrument. | 2026-08-12 |
| RK-030 | There is no basis in this desk research for a global ranking of homeschool record burden or freedom. | Comparative scope | [All official jurisdiction sources listed in this ledger](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education) | Methodological conclusion | A different dataset and weighting method could produce a different comparative analysis. | 2026-08-12 |

## Source register

### Primary official sources

- [S-01: U.S. Department of Education, Non-Public Education FAQ](https://www.ed.gov/about/contact-us/faqs/Non-Public%20Education)
- [S-02: National Center for Education Statistics, Homeschooling](https://nces.ed.gov/nhes/homeschooling.asp)
- [S-03: U.S. Department of Education, Missouri](https://www.ed.gov/birth-grade-12-education/education-choice/state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools/missouri-state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools)
- [S-04: U.S. Department of Education, Colorado](https://www.ed.gov/birth-grade-12-education/education-choice/state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools/colorado-state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools)
- [S-05: U.S. Department of Education, Florida](https://www.ed.gov/birth-grade-12-education/education-choice/state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools/florida-state-regulation-of-private-and-home-schools)
- [S-06: GOV.UK, Educating your child at home](https://www.gov.uk/home-education)
- [S-07: GOV.UK, Elective home education guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/elective-home-education)
- [S-08: Scottish Government, Home education guidance](https://www.gov.scot/publications/home-education-guidance-2/)
- [S-09: Welsh Government, Elective home education guidance](https://www.gov.wales/elective-home-education-guidance-html)
- [S-10: Education Authority Northern Ireland, Educating your child at home](https://www.eani.org.uk/parents/other-help-for-parents/educating-your-child-at-home)
- [S-11: Ireland Department of Education, Home schooling](https://www.gov.ie/en/department-of-education/policy-information/home-schooling-or-attendance-at-non-recognised-schools/)
- [S-12: Tusla, Home education](https://www.tusla.ie/services/family-community-support/alternative-education-assessment-and-registration-service/home-education/)
- [S-13: France Service-Public, Instruction dans la famille](https://www.service-public.fr/particuliers/vosdroits/F23429)
- [S-14: New Zealand Ministry of Education, Home education](https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregiversprimary-school/schooling-in-nz/home-education)
- [S-15: South African Department of Basic Education, Home education](https://www.education.gov.za/Parents/HomeSchooling/tabid/406/Default.aspx)
- [S-16: Ontario, Policy/Program Memorandum 131](https://www.ontario.ca/document/education-ontario-policy-and-program-direction/policyprogram-memorandum-131)
- [S-17: UCAS, Uploading documents to your application](https://www.ucas.com/applying/applying-to-university/uploading-documents-to-your-application)
- [S-18: Information Commissioner’s Office, Data minimization](https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/uk-gdpr-guidance-and-resources/childrens-information/childrens-code-guidance-and-resources/age-appropriate-design-a-code-of-practice-for-online-services/8-data-minimisation/)

### Advocacy and movement sources

- [S-19: Home School Legal Defense Association, Legal resources](https://hslda.org/legal)
- [S-20: National Home Education Research Institute](https://www.nheri.org/)

These sources are labeled advocacy or movement-aligned because they have an explicit mission connected to homeschooling or home education. They can help families find practical context and research leads. They should not be treated as government authority, neutral prevalence data, or a replacement for current local legal advice.

## Update protocol

Before the next annual edition:

1. Re-open every primary source and record the page title, effective date, and material changes.
2. Re-check each jurisdiction for changed terminology, age range, pathway, and record requirement.
3. Add new jurisdictions only when a primary source supports the intended claim.
4. Mark changed claims rather than silently rewriting historical conclusions.
5. Preserve the prior ledger and report edition for citation stability.
6. Review interactive results against the updated source rows before publication.

The authority of this report will come from the visible chain between claim, source, limitation, and update date. The report should remain useful even when a jurisdiction changes. The ledger is what makes that possible.