Homeschooling Growth Crosses Racial and Income Lines, New Research Reveals
- Jessica Clark
- Jun 16
- 4 min read
A first of its kind research review, released last month, is providing thought-provoking commentary on the increase in homeschooling and its effects over the last decade.
Brian Ray, Braden Hoelzle, and Douglas Pietersma of the National Home Education Research Institute have produced a review and compilation of homeschool research using the following three data samples:
Peer-reviewed academic studies
Data samples that are used in other reputable sources, such as well-known think tanks
State-provided data on topics relevant to homeschooling
Their research focuses primarily on the past decade as an update on a similar review done by Ray in 2017, presenting findings on the nature of the increase in homeschooling as well as its effects.
Who is homeschooling?
One particularly interesting area of focus in the review is the demographic nature of which families are choosing to homeschool. Ray et al. point out that homeschooling families are rather socioeconomically diverse, with the numbers of families who choose to homeschool increasing at similar rates across racial lines and among household incomes from less than $50,000 to $100,000. In essence, no single demographic group chooses to homeschool at a significantly higher rate than the others.
Why are more families homeschooling?
The study cites four specific reasons that more families are choosing to homeschool. In statistical order of importance, they are:
Concerns about the social environment of government schools (83%)
Families wanting to provide moral instruction to their children at home (75%)
Families desiring more time together at home (72%)
Concerns with the state of academics in public schools (72%)
Findings on the results of homeschooling
When it comes to the social and academic development of homeschool students, Ray et al. found that the majority of research suggests homeschooled students perform better than their public- and private-schooled peers on standardized tests and college entrance exams, with a few subject-specific exceptions.
Additionally, when looking at a wide array of behaviors such as time spent volunteering, church attendance, and marijuana use, about two thirds of the studies reviewed showed positive effects among homeschooled students.
One unique behavior examined across the studies was political tolerance. Ray et al. found that students who received most of their education through homeschooling, particularly those from religiously conservative backgrounds, tended to be more politically tolerant than students who were primarily educated in public or private schools.
Worldview Roundup
What can we learn from this review by the National Home Education Research Institute?
Part of the answer lies in Ray’s definition of homeschooling. For the purposes of this review, he defines homeschooling as “parent-controlled, home-based, privately-funded private education.” Combined with the primary reasons families cite for choosing homeschooling, that definition points to three broader cultural realities that appear to be gaining traction.
The role of parents in education. Many parents are turning to homeschooling because of concerns about the academic and social environments their children may encounter in public schools. By definition, homeschooling is a parent-controlled model of education, and its growth suggests that more families are reconsidering who should bear primary responsibility for a child’s formation.
Even beyond religious communities, there appears to be a growing recognition that parents are their children’s first and most influential teachers. For Christians, that conviction carries spiritual significance as well. Parents are not only responsible for shaping their children’s minds, but also for discipling their hearts. While the review found growth in homeschooling across a range of religious and demographic groups, this renewed emphasis on parental responsibility may represent one of the movement’s most significant cultural effects. Christians understand this is an important aspect of parents being their child’s first disciplers, where shaping their minds is an important aspect of reaching their hearts and souls. While the study shows an increase in the choice to homeschool across religious demographics, this general concern and understanding is a cultural gain.
The role of parents in a child’s life overall. Another common reason families choose to homeschool, according to Ray, is a desire for more time together as a family. Many parents are choosing to reclaim hours that would otherwise be spent apart and use that time to invest in their children’s development. The appeal of homeschooling, in this sense, extends beyond academics. For many families, it reflects a desire to strengthen relationships within the home and play a more active role in their children’s social and moral formation. In a fragmented and busy culture, the desire for greater family cohesion is notable.
The limits of government authority. The review also raises questions about the role of government in education. Scripture teaches that civil government serves a legitimate and God-ordained purpose—to promote justice and restrain evil. Yet the state was never intended to replace the family or assume responsibility for discipling children. The fact that many parents express concerns about the academic quality and cultural direction of government schools, and are responding by choosing private educational alternatives, suggests a broader dissatisfaction with the expansion of institutional authority into areas traditionally occupied by families.
Whether through homeschooling or other forms of private education, many parents appear to be reasserting their responsibility for directing their children’s education and formation.
