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Homeschooled Children Become Well-Rounded Adults

Most Would Homeschool Their Own Kids Homeschooled children, who have chalked up impressive academic achievements, grow up to be civically involved, politically active adults, according to a new report. The 2003 survey of 7,306 adults who were homeschooled as children was conducted by Dr. Brian D. Ray of the Salem, Oregon-based National Home Education Research Institute (NHERI) on behalf of the Purcellville, Virginia-based Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA). Dr. Ray found that, contrary to many worst-case predictions, home-educated adults are, on average, happy with the way they were educated, and are more actively involved than the general population with charitable organizations, neighborhood groups and political parties.

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Overwhelmingly, the respondents said they were pleased with the way
their parents and guardians chose to educate them. In fact, the
majority of the survey respondents planned to turn homeschooling into
a family tradition.

happy to be homeschooled: On a five-point scale, with 1=Strongly
Agree and 5=Strongly Disagree, the mean response to "I am glad that I
was homeschooled" was 1.3.
homeschool their own kids: 55% strongly agreed and 27% agreed, "I
would homeschool my own children."

Dr. Brian D. Ray
NHERI
In recent years, homeschooled children have often dominated national
spelling bees and other learning-based contests. A 1999 study by
Lawrence M. Rudner, published by Education Policy Analysis Archives,
found "exceptionally high" scores among 20,760 homeschooled students
who took standardized achievement tests. But many critics of
homeschooling warn that, despite such academic achievements, home-
based education isolates children from social interaction and may
produce alienated adults who won't or can't participate in society.
The NHERI study found the opposite to be true.

[the first # represents]Homeschooled Adults
[the second # represents]General Population

community service
(sports teams, church, school)

71%
37%

believe "politics and government are too complicated to understand."

4%
35%

worked for a candidate, party, or cause
(ages 18-24)

14%
1%

worked for a candidate, party, or cause
(ages 25-39)

13%
5%

voted in last five years
(ages 18-24)

76%
29%

voted in last five years
(ages 25-39)
95%
40%

For all civic activities (e.g., working for candidate/political
party/political cause, voting in national/state elections) and at all
age groups, the home-educated adults in this study were more
civically involved than the general population.

--National Home Education Research Institute

Of the 7,306 adults who participated in the survey, 5,254 were
homeschooled for at least seven years; this group provides the basis
for the majority of the survey's results. Of these 5,254 respondents,
30% were homeschooled for between seven and nine years and 70% were
homeschooled for between ten and fourteen years.

To view a synopsis of the National Home Education Research Institute
report, Home Educated and Now Adults: Their Community and Civic
Involvement, Views About Homeschooling, and Other Traits, click here.
http://www.nheri.org/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=27

To view the HSLDA's (longer) summary of the National Home Education
Research Institute report, Home Educated and Now Adults: Their
Community and Civic Involvement, Views About Homeschooling, and Other
Traits, click here.
http://www.hslda.org/research/ray2003/default.asp