Homeschooling

Competent Private Instruction (CPI), commonly known as homeschooling, is private instruction provided for at least 148 days during the school year. Competent private instruction means providing instruction using an approved plan and a course of study in a setting other than a public or organized accredited non-public school. The provider of competent private instruction is not required to be licensed or a formally trained teacher. CPI allows educational services to be provided by a parent, guardian or legal custodian of the child receiving the instruction.

Parents, guardians and legal custodians who have elected to homeschool their children may access Heartland AEA services on the same basis as a teacher under the guidelines outlined in the Iowa Code 299A and Iowa Rules Chapter 31.

Heartland AEA:

  • ensures that parents/guardians receive the annual competent private instruction notification from each district,
  • provides special education services for students on an IEP and
  • administers standardized testing services for homeschooled children.

For additional information about homeschooling (competent private instruction), visit:

Iowa Department of Education

Important Contacts

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Day Karla DSC 5903 B16BF5431F369

Karla Day

  • Professional Learning & Leadership Consultant

Education: Bachelor’s degree, elementary education/early childhood; Master’s degree, business administration; Principal/special education supervisor certification, in process

Experience: Kindergarten teacher, Legal assistant, Corporate marketing, Education program consultant at the Iowa Department of Education, Professional learning consultant
Joined Heartland AEA in 2014

Expertise: School improvement; MTSS; Panorama Student Success; FastBridge; standards-based grading & reporting; data reviews; literacy basics (screening tools, diagnostics, interventions); system-level support; SDI transition; home school support; leadership support; portrait of a graduate; paraeducator training

How I’ve made an impact: I provided the facilitation of the Standards-Based Learning Including Grading & Reporting Framework for a district leadership team. This work was the foundation for continued work to support the creation of proficiency scales, backward planning processes and the rollout of Standards Referenced Learning within the district. The team continues to meet regularly to support the learning and processes for implementation of Standards Referenced Learning.