Iowa is low-regulation with two main paths: Independent Private Instruction (no reporting at all) and Competent Private Instruction (optional filing, with district-supported programs available).
Homeschooling is legal in Iowa and, since the state's 2013 reforms, remarkably flexible. Most families choose between two paths: Independent Private Instruction (IPI), which requires no reporting, testing, or filing whatsoever, and Competent Private Instruction (CPI), where filing the state's Form A with your district is optional and opens doors to certain services.
Iowa also runs Home School Assistance Programs (HSAPs) through many districts — public-school-supported homeschooling with a supervising teacher, resources, and activities. That route has program requirements but adds real support and free extras.
IPI: teach up to four unrelated students alongside your own, no reporting, no testing, no forms — the maximum-freedom option. CPI: private instruction where filing Form A with your district is optional; filing connects you to options like dual enrollment. HSAP: enroll in a district's homeschool assistance program for teacher support and resources under program rules.
Nothing is required under IPI. Under CPI, Form A is optional — file it if you want dual enrollment, activities access, or simply a paper trail. Withdraw a currently enrolled child in writing regardless of path.
Iowa mandates no testing or reporting for IPI families; IPI expects instruction in core subjects such as reading, language arts, math, science, and social studies. Keep your own records — attendance, materials, and work samples — for transcripts and any future transitions.
Choose your path: IPI for full independence, CPI (with or without Form A) for optional district connection, or an HSAP for built-in support.
Withdraw your child from their current school in writing if enrolled.
If you want dual enrollment or district activities, file CPI Form A with your district — check its current submission timing.
Set up personal records: attendance, subjects covered, and work samples per child.
Choose a curriculum that covers the core subjects and tracks completion automatically, so whichever Iowa path you pick, your documentation is already done.
Whatever Iowa asks for — attendance, subject coverage, progress evidence, transcripts — Cullinan Academy tracks it automatically as your kids learn: verified mastery records, time-on-task, printable transcripts with GPA, and state report templates. No spreadsheet required.
Not under IPI. Under CPI, Form A is optional — most families file only if they want dual enrollment or district services.
No testing is required under IPI or for CPI families who do not file. Assessment provisions only enter the picture through certain CPI reporting choices or program enrollment.
A district-run program pairing homeschool families with a supervising teacher, plus resources and activities, at no cost. You follow the program's expectations in exchange.
Yes, through dual enrollment — which is one of the main reasons families choose to file CPI Form A with their district.
Parents issue the diploma and transcript. Iowa's public universities and community colleges admit homeschool graduates on their records and test scores.
This page is general information, not legal advice. Homeschool law changes, and districts sometimes apply it differently. Verify current requirements with your state's department of education or a local homeschool association before filing anything. Content last reviewed 2026-07.