USA Today homeschooling article
Barbara Mullins
This recent article specifically mentions unschooling but I was
thinking the same thing as the last line the whole way through. Plus
what I want to know is why do they want to identify the unschoolers?
To see if it works, to try and disqualify them or for some other reason?
Barbara
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-01-04-homeschooling_N.htm
WHY HOME-SCHOOL?
Top reasons cited by parents (could pick more than one):
Concerns about the school environment (including safety, drugs, peer
pressure): 88%
A desire to provide religious or moral instruction: 83%
A dissatisfaction with instruction at other schools: 73%
An interest in a non-traditional approach: 65%
Source: Top home-schooling reasons in 2007 Parent and Family
Involvement in Education Survey
By Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY
The ranks of America's home-schooled children have continued a steady
climb over the past five years, and new research suggests broader
reasons for the appeal.
The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% from
when the Department of Education's National Center for Education
Statistics started keeping track in 1999, and up 36% since 2003. The
percentage of the school-age population that was home-schooled
increased from 2.2% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007. "There's no reason to
believe it would not keep going up," says Gail Mulligan, a
statistician at the center.
Traditionally, the biggest motivations for parents to teach their
children at home have been moral or religious reasons, and that
remains a top pick when parents are asked to explain their choice.
The 2003 survey gave parents six reasons to pick as their motivation.
(They could choose more than one.) The 2007 survey added a seventh: an
interest in a "non-traditional approach," a reference to parents
dubbed "unschoolers," who regard standard curriculum methods and
standardized testing as counterproductive to a quality education.
"We wanted to identify the parents who are part of the 'unschooling'
movement," Mulligan says. The "unschooling" group is viewed by
educators as a subset of home-schoolers, who generally follow standard
curriculum and grading systems. "Unschoolers" create their own systems.
The category of "other reasons" rose to 32% in 2007 from 20% in 2003
and included family time and finances. That suggests the demographics
are expanding beyond conservative Christian groups, says Robert
Kunzman, an associate professor at Indiana University's School of
Education. Anecdotal evidence indicates many parents want their kids
to learn at their own pace, he says.
Fewer home-schoolers were enrolled part time in traditional schools to
study subjects their parents lack knowledge to teach. Eighteen percent
were enrolled part time in 1999 and 2003, compared with 16% in 2007.
Kunzman says this might be because of the availability of online
instruction.
The 2007 estimates are based on data from the Parent and Family
Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education
Surveys. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research
Institute, says the estimates are low because home-schooling parents
"are significantly less likely to answer government-sponsored surveys."
thinking the same thing as the last line the whole way through. Plus
what I want to know is why do they want to identify the unschoolers?
To see if it works, to try and disqualify them or for some other reason?
Barbara
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-01-04-homeschooling_N.htm
WHY HOME-SCHOOL?
Top reasons cited by parents (could pick more than one):
Concerns about the school environment (including safety, drugs, peer
pressure): 88%
A desire to provide religious or moral instruction: 83%
A dissatisfaction with instruction at other schools: 73%
An interest in a non-traditional approach: 65%
Source: Top home-schooling reasons in 2007 Parent and Family
Involvement in Education Survey
By Janice Lloyd, USA TODAY
The ranks of America's home-schooled children have continued a steady
climb over the past five years, and new research suggests broader
reasons for the appeal.
The number of home-schooled kids hit 1.5 million in 2007, up 74% from
when the Department of Education's National Center for Education
Statistics started keeping track in 1999, and up 36% since 2003. The
percentage of the school-age population that was home-schooled
increased from 2.2% in 2003 to 2.9% in 2007. "There's no reason to
believe it would not keep going up," says Gail Mulligan, a
statistician at the center.
Traditionally, the biggest motivations for parents to teach their
children at home have been moral or religious reasons, and that
remains a top pick when parents are asked to explain their choice.
The 2003 survey gave parents six reasons to pick as their motivation.
(They could choose more than one.) The 2007 survey added a seventh: an
interest in a "non-traditional approach," a reference to parents
dubbed "unschoolers," who regard standard curriculum methods and
standardized testing as counterproductive to a quality education.
"We wanted to identify the parents who are part of the 'unschooling'
movement," Mulligan says. The "unschooling" group is viewed by
educators as a subset of home-schoolers, who generally follow standard
curriculum and grading systems. "Unschoolers" create their own systems.
The category of "other reasons" rose to 32% in 2007 from 20% in 2003
and included family time and finances. That suggests the demographics
are expanding beyond conservative Christian groups, says Robert
Kunzman, an associate professor at Indiana University's School of
Education. Anecdotal evidence indicates many parents want their kids
to learn at their own pace, he says.
Fewer home-schoolers were enrolled part time in traditional schools to
study subjects their parents lack knowledge to teach. Eighteen percent
were enrolled part time in 1999 and 2003, compared with 16% in 2007.
Kunzman says this might be because of the availability of online
instruction.
The 2007 estimates are based on data from the Parent and Family
Involvement in Education Survey of the National Household Education
Surveys. Brian Ray, president of the National Home Education Research
Institute, says the estimates are low because home-schooling parents
"are significantly less likely to answer government-sponsored surveys."
Jenny C
> This recent article specifically mentions unschooling but I wasreason?
> thinking the same thing as the last line the whole way through. Plus
> what I want to know is why do they want to identify the unschoolers?
> To see if it works, to try and disqualify them or for some other
> BarbaraI saw this in the news yesterday and I was thinking that I never did any
survey! I was wondering where the survey was circulated! Clearly if it
was circulated in the southern US, that would explain the high
percentage of religious reasons to homeschool!
Sandra Dodd
-=-Plus
what I want to know is why do they want to identify the unschoolers?
To see if it works, to try and disqualify them or for some other reason?
Barbara -=-
Thanks for bringing that link. I've added it here:
http://unschooling.blogspot.com
It's not that they want to identify unschoolers, it's that the last
time they did a survey their options didn't have a good reason for
unschoolers to choose. "None of the above" isn't very informative
(if that was even an option).
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
what I want to know is why do they want to identify the unschoolers?
To see if it works, to try and disqualify them or for some other reason?
Barbara -=-
Thanks for bringing that link. I've added it here:
http://unschooling.blogspot.com
It's not that they want to identify unschoolers, it's that the last
time they did a survey their options didn't have a good reason for
unschoolers to choose. "None of the above" isn't very informative
(if that was even an option).
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Sandra Dodd
-=-Clearly if it
was circulated in the southern US, that would explain the high
percentage of religious reasons to homeschool!-=-
I think the religious homeschoolers stats are high all over the U.S.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
was circulated in the southern US, that would explain the high
percentage of religious reasons to homeschool!-=-
I think the religious homeschoolers stats are high all over the U.S.
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
graberamy
> -=-Plusreason?>>>>
> what I want to know is why do they want to identify the unschoolers?
> To see if it works, to try and disqualify them or for some other
I looked at the reason for wanting to identify unschoolers is because
the author perhaps understood how different unschoolers are than
"average" homeschoolers. I mean in terms of reasons to homeschool we
couldn't be any further apart?? IMO.
amy g
iowa