Iowa gives families three legal routes, and the two most hands-off ones ask for nothing at all: no notice, no test, no portfolio. The paperwork only starts when you bring in a licensed teacher or want school classes, sports, or services.
Verified against primary sources November 2026. Laws change; sources are linked at the bottom of this page.
Choose a route. Under competent private instruction (CPI) taught by a parent without a teaching license, the Form A report, the yearly evaluation, and the August 1 results report are all optional under the statute, so a family that does not dual enroll can file nothing. Under independent private instruction (IPI) you file nothing either, but you must teach math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies, and answer a written request from the superintendent or the state for a short report. If a licensed teacher teaches or supervises, or if you want to dual enroll in school classes or activities, you file Form A with your district by September 1, and families without a licensed teacher who dual enroll also take a yearly evaluation.
A parent, guardian, or legal custodian teaches. The statute says this parent may file Form A, may have the child evaluated each year, and may report the results, so each step is optional. The Department of Education calls the no-reporting version the private instruction exemption and says it needs no Form A, no curriculum documents, and no proof of progress.
The same parent-taught route, but you report to the district, usually because you want dual enrollment, district materials, or special education services. State rules make the reporting exemption unavailable to a family that asks a district or area education agency for those services.
A teacher with an Iowa license suited to your child's age and grade teaches or supervises. That can be a teacher you hire, a parent who holds a license (state rules include a substitute license or authorization), or your district's home school assistance program if it offers one. The yearly evaluation rules do not apply to this route.
Created in 2013. Instruction that is not accredited, has private or religious-based instruction as its primary purpose, and teaches math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies at every grade. It is exempt from the state's school laws except chapters 299 and 299A. A 2026 law removed the old limits of four unrelated students and no tuition.
A child who is six, and not yet sixteen by September 15, must attend a public or accredited nonpublic school or be placed under competent private instruction or independent private instruction under chapter 299A. A parent who uses private instruction that does not comply with chapter 299A is subject to the compulsory attendance law and its penalties.
A parent, guardian, or legal custodian providing CPI may meet three steps: send the Form A report to the district, have the child evaluated each year, and report the results to the district and the Department of Education by August 1. The statute says may, not shall. State rules add that this exemption is not available to a family that asks a district or area education agency for services such as dual enrollment, materials, a home school assistance program, open enrollment, or special education.
A parent using CPI by a licensed teacher, outside an accredited school or a home school assistance program, files a report in duplicate on the district's form by September 1. It gives the child's name and age, the time under CPI that year, an outline of the course of study (subjects, lesson plans, and time spent) or the texts to be used, and the instructor's name and address. The first time, include evidence of required immunizations and, for an elementary-age child, a blood lead test.
The teacher must hold an Iowa license or certificate appropriate to the ages and grade levels taught. Instruction is daily for at least 148 days a year, with at least 37 days each quarter. The evaluation sections (299A.3 to 299A.7) do not apply. State rules require a hired teacher to make contact at least twice per 45 days of instruction, one of every two contacts face to face, and cap one teacher at 25 families or 50 children a year unless the state grants an exemption.
The evaluation is due by May 31: a standardized test from the Department of Education's approved list, or a portfolio review. A school district or area education agency gives the test at no cost if you ask. A child who is seven, or new to CPI, takes a baseline evaluation. Adequate progress means scores above the 30th percentile in reading, math, and language arts (plus science and social studies from grade 6), showing either six months of growth or work at or above grade level.
Instead of a test, you may submit a record of subjects taught and activities, a portfolio of your child's work with a curriculum outline and homework copies, and any other assessments. A licensed Iowa teacher you choose, and the superintendent approves, reviews it and sends a report to you, the district, and the Department of Education. If the teacher finds adequate progress, the report creates a presumption that your child is progressing.
Your child attends an accredited school the next year unless, before it starts, your child retakes a different form or another approved test and shows adequate progress, an evaluator's portfolio report shows it, or the Department of Education approves a remediation plan for up to one year.
Independent private instruction teaches math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies at all grade levels. If the superintendent of the district where it is provided, or the director of the Department of Education, asks in writing, you report the primary instructor, the location, the person responsible, and the names of the students. Since May 2026 there is no limit on unrelated students and no ban on tuition.
| Any time | IPI and CPI without reporting have no filing dates. If your child is enrolled now, the Department of Education suggests a short note to the school with the last day of attendance. |
| By September 1 | Form A to your district if a licensed teacher teaches or supervises, or if you plan to dual enroll. The department also asks for dual enrollment requests by this date. |
| By September 15 | Ask to join your district's home school assistance program, if it has one (Department of Education timeline). |
| By May 31 | The yearly test or portfolio review, only for CPI families without a licensed teacher who report or dual enroll. |
| By August 1 | Send the evaluation results to your district and the Department of Education, if you are on the reporting route. |
Not under CPI taught by a parent without a teaching license or under IPI, unless you want school services. The statute says a parent providing CPI may send the Form A report, so it is a choice. The Department of Education says neither route requires notifying the district, but it encourages a short note if your child is enrolled now, so the absence is not treated as truancy.
Form A is the competent private instruction report. It is required when a licensed teacher teaches or supervises your child (other than through a school's home school assistance program, which files its own report), and the Department of Education requires it of any CPI family that dual enrolls. It is due to your district by September 1. The law asks for your child's name and age, the time under instruction, an outline of the course of study or the texts, and the instructor's name and address.
Only if you choose to report under CPI without a licensed teacher, or you dual enroll on that route. Then your child is evaluated by May 31 with a test from the state's approved list, or a licensed Iowa teacher reviews a portfolio, and the results go to the district and the Department of Education by August 1. A school district or area education agency gives the test free if you ask.
Both ask for no filings. Under IPI, the law requires instruction in math, reading and language arts, science, and social studies, and you must answer a written request from the superintendent or the director of the Department of Education with the instructor's name, the location, the responsible person, and the students' names. The department says CPI families who do not report cannot be asked those questions. IPI families also pay for any test they ask for.
Yes, under CPI, through dual enrollment. Ask your district (the Department of Education says by September 1). A dual enrolled child may join academic and extracurricular activities on the same basis as enrolled students, but may not dual enroll in all courses but one. IPI students and CPI families who do not report cannot dual enroll, though IPI students can still take district driver education and concurrent college courses.
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Make a free parent accountReference information reviewed August 2026 against primary sources (statutes, NCAA and Common App published requirements). This is general information, not legal advice; requirements change, so verify anything load-bearing for your family against your state's current law.