ASSESMENT OF HOME SCHOOL STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
Oregon State law provides that children with disabilities be evaluated for "satisfactory educational
progress" according to the recommendations of an individualized education plan (IEP) or privately
developed plan (PDP).
To remain in compliance with home school laws, student must be assessed by August 15th in
requested years. The same assessment schedule applies to disabled and non-disabled children. At
minimum, children who are home schooled must be assessed the end of grades 3, 5, 8, and 10. If a child
with disabilities does not make satisfactory educational progress at these grades, the child must be assessed
again within one year. If that assessment shows decline in performance, the ESD may allow the child to
continue being home schooled, or require the parent to place the education of the child under the
supervision of a licensed teacher. If the next year's assessment continues to show declining performance,
the ESD may require additional assessment or supervision or may order the parent to send the child to
public school for up to twelve months.
Parents who believe their student has a disability and are interested in services from the local school should
contact local school district and work with them to the student evaluated for a disability. Disabled students
may qualify for an individualized education plan. An IEP is a written, individualized education program
for the child that is developed by an IEP team at the local school.
For parents who are not interested in working with the local school district, a privately developed plan is an
option for meeting the needs of their disabled student. State regulations define a PDP as “an individual plan
developed by a team including the parent and one or more private service providers to address the
educational needs of a child with a disability”. OAR 581-021-0029(1)(d)
Students must be evaluated for a disability as defined in OAR 581-015-0051. Qualifying disabilities under
the IDEA include:
 an autism spectrum disorder
 a communication disorder
 deaf blindness
 an emotional disturbance
 a hearing impairment
 mental retardation
 an orthopedic impairment
 an other health impairment
 a specific learning disability
 a traumatic brain injury
 a vision impairment
Children who have a mental or physical impairment which substantially limits one or more major life
activities are considered disabled under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
If student is found to have a disability, parent must then choose one or more private service providers to
address the educational needs of a child with a disability. The parent and private service providers make up
the student’s educational team. The student’s educational team must then create a privately developed plan
(PDP) for the student. Under state law, a PDP shall include individual educational goals for the student and
a statement indicating how satisfactory educational progress will be determined for the student.
“Satisfactory educational progress” means “educational progress across academic and/or developmental
areas appropriate to the child’s age and abilities.” State regulations specify that the student does not have to
meet all of the plan goals for the team to determine that the student is making satisfactory educational
progress. OAR 581-021-0029(1)(d)
When LBL ESD requests assessment results from a student with disabilities, the parent(s) may submit, in
lieu of standard assessment results:
 documentation of student’s disability
 a copy of individual educational goals for the student
 a statement indicating how satisfactory educational progress has been determined for the student
 a statement signed by the student’s educational team indicating whether or not the student has made
satisfactory educational progress, appropriate to their age and disability.
For more information about home schooling students with disabilities, please visit Oregon Department of
Education’s website http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/specialty/home/guidehomesch_disab.aspx or call
our office for a printed copy of this information.
Legal Reference(s):
ORS 339.030
ORS 339.035(5)
OAR 581-015-0051
OAR 581-021-0026
OAR 581-021-0029