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Description of Curriculum

Some school districts such as Greene County and Virginia Beach are requesting more than the law requires for a description of curriculum. “Curriculum” is described as a broad description of the entire course, program, or plan. It is widely defined as “the classes prescribed for the completion of a program.” It is not a description of an individual course.

Some schools districts require homeschoolers to provide a syllabus or course descriptions or book descriptions for ALL homeschool options. Other districts require homeschoolers to supply evidence under ALL options that their curriculum is consistent with the SOLs. This is incorrect—the law requires compliance with the SOLs in math and language arts only for those who file under option 4(a).

The “curriculum description” sample in the DOE handbook has created confusion among superintendents. In our opinion, it goes beyond the requirements of a “description of curriculum.” At our November 8 meeting, the DOE indicated they would review the definition of “description of curriculum” in their handbook along with the examples.