How to File a New York Homeschool IHIP — Step by Step

The IHIP cycle (July 1 to August)

NY's 8 NYCRR § 100.10 builds a yearly cycle every homeschooling family runs through. By July 1 each year, families file a written Notice of Intent (NOI) with their local school district. The district responds within 10 business days with a copy of § 100.10 and an IHIP form. Within 28 days of receiving that packet, the family submits the IHIP. The district either accepts it or requests revisions. Once accepted, the year of instruction is approved.

Step 1 — File the Notice of Intent

The Notice of Intent is a short written letter to the local school district (superintendent's office) declaring the family's intent to provide home instruction for the upcoming year. It names the child(ren), the address, and states the intention to file an IHIP within the 28-day window.

What the NOI needs

• Parent/guardian name and signature
• Child(ren)'s names and dates of birth
• Current home address
• Statement of intent to homeschool for the [date]–[date] academic year
• Statement that an IHIP will follow within 28 days of receiving the district's response

Most districts accept email submission of the NOI; some require mailed copies. Either way, keep the dated confirmation — the 28-day window starts when the district responds with the regulation packet. Lightstead's NY NOI wizard formats the letter, stamps the date, and stores the confirmation alongside the year's records.

Step 2 — Receive the district's packet

Within 10 business days of receiving your NOI, the district sends back a packet that typically includes: a copy of § 100.10, an IHIP form (some districts have their own; others let you write your own format), and any district-specific information (sometimes a quarterly report template, sometimes contact info for the home instruction coordinator).

The date of receipt is what starts the 28-day clock. If you receive the packet July 8, the IHIP is due August 5. If you don't hear back within 10 business days, follow up with the district — they're statutorily required to respond.

Step 3 — Map the 10 required subjects

NY's required-subject list runs deeper than most states. The IHIP must address all of these:

• Patriotism and citizenship
• United States history
• English (reading, writing, spelling, grammar)
• Geography
• Science
• Mathematics
• Health education
• Music
• Visual arts
• Physical education

Some subjects pair naturally (patriotism + US history, or visual arts + music as a combined fine-arts block). The IHIP lists each by name with its own hours allocation — districts have flagged "missing subject" rejections when fine arts is conflated with PE. Lightstead's NY IHIP wizard pre-seeds the core compulsory-subject scaffold; the full state list is added during IHIP setup to make sure no required subject is silently merged with another.

Step 4 — Assign hours per subject

NY's annual hours minimum is 900 elementary or 990 secondary. The IHIP distributes those hours across the 10 subjects. There's no state-prescribed allocation — patriotism doesn't need to equal math — but the totals must hit 900/990.

A typical elementary IHIP allocation (900 hours):

• English (reading, writing, grammar): 180 hours
• Mathematics: 150 hours
• Science: 110 hours
• US history + geography + patriotism (social studies block): 130 hours
• Music: 70 hours
• Visual arts: 70 hours
• Physical education: 100 hours
• Health education: 50 hours
• Other (electives, library, project work): 40 hours

The allocation is forward-looking — what you plan to teach. Quarterly reports track actuals against the plan. If math runs hot (160 hours actual against a 150-hour plan) and music runs cold (40 against 70), the district isn't usually concerned as long as every subject saw genuine instruction.

Step 5 — Name the curriculum

The IHIP lists curriculum titles per subject. The state isn't asking for ISBNs; it's asking for what the child will use to learn. "Saxon Math 5/4" satisfies for math. "Sonlight Core C" satisfies for the language-arts and history blocks. "Apologia Astronomy" satisfies for science. Mix and match is fine; eclectic homeschoolers list a curriculum per subject area.

For subjects without a packaged curriculum (PE, art, music in many families), list the methods: "daily physical activity including weekly soccer practice and family hiking," "weekly visual-arts class at Local Co-op, plus parent-led drawing projects," "weekly piano lessons." Real, descriptive, true. Districts accept this when the description is clearly substantive.

Step 6 — Pick the assessment method

The IHIP names the year's assessment method, which depends on grade band:

• Grades 1-3: Narrative evaluation by the parent (no testing required).
• Grades 4-8: Alternates yearly between a norm-referenced standardized test and a narrative parent evaluation. You pick alternation once per child.
• Grades 9-12: Standardized test annually. Approved § 100.10(h) tests include CAT, Iowa, Stanford, PASS. The SAT and ACT are NOT on the approved list, though some districts accept them as superintendent-approved equivalents — confirm with your district first.

The IHIP just names the method for the upcoming year. The actual assessment (or narrative) gets attached to the year-end annual report. Under § 100.10, if the year's composite test score falls below the 33rd percentile, the home instruction program enters an enhanced review period — generally requiring a remediation plan filed with the district the following year. The specific process varies by district; consult HSLDA or a local advocate if this occurs.

Step 7 — Submit and wait

Once the IHIP is complete, submit to the district by the 28-day deadline. Email is fine for most districts; some require certified mail. Keep the dated confirmation. The district has 10 business days to either approve or request revisions.

Most first-time IHIPs are approved on first review when all ten subjects are present, the hours sum to 900/990, and the curriculum is named. The district can't reject on substantive grounds ("we don't like Sonlight") — only for missing required elements.

What if the district pushes back?

If the district sends back a request for revisions, address only the specific element they flagged. Districts most commonly flag: a missing required subject ("I don't see music"), unclear hours allocation ("please specify hours per subject for math"), or a vague curriculum description ("name the resources for science").

Under § 100.10, districts generally may not reject on grounds of parent qualification (NY doesn't impose a parent-credentialing requirement), curriculum quality, or assessment-method philosophy. If a district demands something beyond what § 100.10 specifies, escalating to NYSED or consulting HSLDA are the common next steps — but if you receive a rejection notice, review it with a legal advocate before responding.

After approval — the year ahead

Once the IHIP is approved, four quarterly reports follow during the year (typically mid-November, late January, mid-April, late June). Each names hours per subject for the quarter, materials covered, and a progress narrative. At year's end, the assessment artifact (test score or narrative) goes to the district. Then the cycle restarts the following July.

NY's IHIP system is one of the more demanding homeschool frameworks, but it's also entirely procedural. Once you know the steps and the cycle, the IHIP is paperwork around the year — not the year itself. The teaching is still where the value sits; the IHIP is the regulatory layer that lets the teaching happen with the district's blessing.