Maine · Record-Keeping Guide

Homeschool Record Keeping in Maine: What the Annual Assessment Actually Requires

Maine asks for a written notice, at least 175 days of instruction in its required subjects, and an annual assessment that travels with next year's paperwork by September 1. One of the standard assessment routes is a certified teacher's review of your child's work. Here's the whole picture in plain English.

The Maine framework: notify, teach 175 days, and assess

Maine's home instruction statute (20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A) asks families to:

File a written notice of intent to provide home instruction, and renew your filing each subsequent year with the annual assessment attached.
Provide at least 175 days of instruction in the required subjects - including English and language arts, math, science, social studies, physical education, health, library skills, fine arts, Maine studies (in one grade from 6-12), and computer proficiency (in one grade from 7-12).
Complete an annual assessment by September 1: a national standardized test, a local test, or a written statement that your child's progress has been reviewed and found acceptable - commonly from a Maine certified teacher who has looked at your child's work.

📄 See what these records look like in a sample portfolio →

The assessment that rides on your records The teacher-review route means someone looks at what your child actually did this year. A dated daily log, a book list, and work samples turn that review into a short, pleasant conversation - and 175 days counts itself when every school day leaves a sentence behind.

What a reviewing teacher wants to see

Evidence across the required subjects - Maine's list is long, and light-touch subjects like health, PE, and fine arts need a line of evidence too.
A day count that adds up - 175 days, visible from a dated record rather than reconstructed.
Work showing progress - samples spaced through the year, telling the story of growth.

How The Homeschool Log maps to each requirement

🗓️ 175 days, counted for you Every logged day counts itself toward your 175, with holidays and sick days tagged and excluded properly. See it in the sample →

📅 Every required subject, visible A sentence per subject each day - PE, health, and fine arts included - becomes a record where Maine's whole subject list is covered at a glance.

🖼️ Work samples that file themselves Photograph the work when it happens; photos organize by date and subject into the work-samples section of your reports. See it in the sample →

🧾 September 1, ready in minutes Pick the school year's range and generate the packet: narrative summaries from your own entries, the day count, book list, and samples - ready for the reviewing teacher and next year's filing. See a sample report →

Make September 1 a formality

Log as you go and the assessment your renewal needs is ready before the leaves turn.

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Why records matter in every state →

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This guide summarizes 20-A M.R.S. § 5001-A in plain language for convenience. It isn't legal advice; verify current requirements with your school administrative unit, the Maine DOE, or a group like Homeschoolers of Maine or HSLDA.