What to teach in Idaho
Which courses here cover the required subjects, which subjects they do not, and roughly how many hours they account for.
What Idaho specifies
- Subjects
- Yes — 1 group of required subjects
- Hours or days
- No specific number of days or hours. Idaho Code 33-202 requires attendance 'during a period in each year equal to that in which the public schools are in session', but the sentence is worded around school enrollment, so whether it binds home instruction is unclear. The State Department of Education has suggested, but not required, roughly public-school-equivalent hours (450 K, 810 gr 1-3, 900 gr 4-8, 990 gr 9-12).
- Assessment
- Not required.
The subjects Idaho requires
- Subjects commonly and usually taught in Idaho public schools (state lists language arts/communication, mathematics, science, social studies; plus fine arts, health, physical education by grade)
Quoted from the statute or regulation cited on the law page. Requirements for Grades K–5 are listed where the state sets them, but this site teaches Grades 6–12, so only those are matched below.
Courses that cover them
Idaho's list touches all four subjects taught here. Each course below is a full year.
Mathematics
| Grade | Course |
|---|---|
| Grade 6 | Grade 6 Math |
| Grade 7 | Grade 7 Math |
| Grade 8 | Grade 8 Math |
| Grade 9 | Algebra I |
| Grade 10 | Geometry |
| Grade 11 | Algebra II |
| Grade 12 | Precalculus |
English
Science
| Grade | Course |
|---|---|
| Grade 6 | Science 6: Matter, Energy & Earth Systems |
| Grade 7 | Life Science & Scientific Inquiry |
| Grade 8 | Physical Science: Matter, Forces & Energy |
| Grade 9 | Earth & Space Science |
| Grade 10 | Life Science: Biology |
| Grade 11 | Physical Science: Chemistry |
| Grade 12 | Physics & Environmental Science |
Social studies
Each is planned as a 36-week year of about 180 sessions, five a week — the year 20 of the 21 course guides set out explicitly. How long a session runs is yours to set.
Does this meet the hours?
No specific number of days or hours. Idaho Code 33-202 requires attendance 'during a period in each year equal to that in which the public schools are in session', but the sentence is worded around school enrollment, so whether it binds home instruction is unclear. The State Department of Education has suggested, but not required, roughly public-school-equivalent hours (450 K, 810 gr 1-3, 900 gr 4-8, 990 gr 9-12).
Each course here plans a 36-week year of about 180 sessions, five a week — the year 20 of the 21 course guides set out explicitly. The length of a session is left to you, because a Grade 6 session and a Grade 12 one are not the same thing.
The four high school years
In most states the parent issues the diploma and writes the transcript, which makes the four-year plan the record — there is no school registrar keeping one for you. A full sequence of these courses looks like this.
| Grade | Mathematics | English | Science | Social studies |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grade 9 | Algebra I | English 9 | Earth & Space Science | Global History & Geography I |
| Grade 10 | Geometry | English 10 | Life Science | Global History & Geography II |
| Grade 11 | Algebra II | English 11 | Physical Science | United States History & Government |
| Grade 12 | Precalculus | English 12 | Physics & Environmental Science | Government, Civic Participation & Economics |
Four subjects across four years is 16 full-year courses. Credits, grades and the diploma itself are Idaho's business, not this site's — what Idaho says about diplomas and transcripts.
What this site does not teach
Idaho requires 3 subjects that these courses do not cover: health, physical education, art. Saying so plainly is more use than a page implying full coverage. Families commonly meet these through sport clubs, instrument or art lessons, a language app or tutor, and documented family activity — all of which count where the state asks for a log rather than a transcript.